As more products enter the beverage market around the world every week, todays consumer is growing more selecive - demanding products with greater individuality, variety and convenience. For the producer, this generally means the need for increased flexibility and more productive uptime in their PET bottling line, with the market challenge to produce innovative and different drinks resulting in shorter production cycles and faster changeovers. 

Faced with this growing pressure to continually adapt and change, beverage producers need to monitor equipment efficiency in order to identify bottlenecks in the manufacturing process if they are to ensure optimum productivity. They must also control system performance to maximise uptime across the PET?complete line and implement sustainability measures - as they become possible - to lower the consumption of energy, raw materials and other resources, at the same time minimising costs. Ultimately, it is about achieving improved line performance, whatever the product, while optimising total cost of ownership (TCO), by working with a liquid packaging solutions provider that can offer a complete portfolio.

This constant pursuit of greater productivity and optimised TCO has prompted innovative challenges within the beverage industry that are making production lines ever more technologically advanced. Greater line automation is increasing performance possibilities and the standards of equipment efficiency are continuously rising to meet the demands of what is a very fast-paced industry. So producers are advised to monitor production closely to ensure every component within the line is always operating to its full potential to deliver real production quality and reliability.

Complete solutions for today and tomorrow
With current needs so changeable, it pays producers to consider the specific needs of any bottling line from the beginning whenever possible. This proves true whether they are making water bottles at high speed or packaging juices or dairy products with high sensitivity while ensuring the longest shelf life. That is why the industry is now taking a more holistic approach when installing new bottling lines, because finding the optimum solution for any line goes beyond a simple choice of equipment. It requires a flexible approach to the set-up of complete lines.

A central part of this approach is securing the provision of proactive support. When initial targets for line productivity, efficiency and performance have been reached, after-sales service and support is vital in maintaining the standards achieved. They can even help improve them in the future. The original full-solution partner that designed and built any line is generally the best placed to support it. After all, the original manufacturers will normally have a comprehensive understanding of the installed line, its component machines and their individual parts. A dedicated support team from the original manufacturer will usually be able to offer producers a tailored portfolio of services that can optimise the value of beverage production on the line over the longer term.

Making the right decisions
The layout of a completely new line involves the consideration of many different and diverse factors. Identifying and installing the right equipment is vital if the line is to run smoothly and can be flexibly adapted to meet future needs. The choice of technology, the size of the seleced equipment, the definition of line controls and automation, the actual footprint of the line, the management of raw materials and other resources - these are all essential decisions in engineering a line that fully meets all the requirements of any producer. 

Planning for future flexibility
Project management and engineering teams from todays leading PET packaging experts can work with line designs at any stage of development. Naturally, they recommend working closely with producers from the very beginning of a project, assisting customers in the detailed planning of equipment and the layout of the new bottling line.

With the correct packaging development, flexible and reliable equipment, tailored line design, efficient line supply and ramp-up, smart data and prompt after-sales support and service, full-solutions partners are able to ensure that a producers investment has the versatility that is needed - both at the time of installation and also in the future.

Using feasibility studies, simulation modelling and 3D animations to ensure that lines are carefully planned, constructed and controlled, they are able to create completely connected networks that are easy to operate and manage across the whole organisation via user-friendly design interfaces.

Whether it is a new greenfield project, the renovation of an existing facility or the modernisation of an ageing line, leading solutions providers are able to create designs of bottling lines to suit any context or environment.

From packaging to continuous performance
Developing the right package is proven to boost a product’s performance throughout the distribution process. It also allows communication of brand values, enhancing its customer-appeal on the supermarket shelf and the consumer experience it delivers.

Customisation is central to the packaging design process, offering the flexibility required to meet the rapid pace of change in consumer demands. With raw materials accounting for up to 80% of a PET bottle’s cost, taking advantage of a bottle’s design features is also a way of substantially reducing costs.

Research has shown that lightweighting PET bottles and caps can lead to significant savings by creating bottles that use less energy, raw material and resources to produce, yet still appeal to today’s brand-conscious consumer. Staying strong, they also are more than capable of fully protecting the quality of the liquid.

Virtual bottle modelling with finite element analysis can assess the bottle design’s stability and rigidity before production actually starts. Full feasibility performance tests can validate and industrialise its strength, ensure it is suitable for the challenges of the supply chain and provide a great experience for the consumer.

How the liquid performs within its packaging is also an important element of developing the optimal product. Liquid package interaction analysis considers various features in determining the most suitable packaging. This includes analysing the PET resin, the bottle neck and the shape wher significant performance improvements, as well as cost savings, can be realised through factors such as lightweighting and the tightness of the cap.