Germany-based packaging and bottling machine manufacturer Krones has introduced a new lightweight PET bottle with an improved temperature and pressure resistance.
The new container has been designed by using NitroHotfill procedure, and is said to have a weight of 15.5g. It has good handling and gripping qualities.
The bottle can be used with a wide range of different labels, and due to its freedom of design and shape stability, inexpensive wrap-around labeling with the Krones Contiform is also possible.
According to Krones, the Contiform H used for blowing the containers is equipped with a relax-cooling sequence that is indispensable for maintaining the base stability of PET bottles.
Using the relax-cooling procedure in conjunction with a mold temperature allows for the use of aluminum molds resulting in cost savings considerably.
Bottle pressurization with liquid nitrogen is directly integrated, during subsequent hot filling using the NitroHotfill procedure with a product temperature of up to 87°C.
Following this, the bottles are cooled in a chiller and the nitrogen added during filling stops the bottle from contracting, which makes it firm and stable.
Image: Krones' lightweight NitroHotfill PET bottle. Photo: Courtesy of Krones AG.
