For millions of people all over the world, packaged drinking water is an essential part of their daily life, especially if they live in a region wher they cannot depend on a reliable supply of potable tap water. Personal, health-related reasons or sensory preferences may also cause consumers to choose packaged alternatives. Whether it is high nitrate values or heavy chlorination, the composition of tap water varies from region to region,and many consumers prefer a water quality different from that coming out of their taps.

An ecologically sensible solution: Large PET containers

For households that want to cover their basic requirement entirely or to a great extent with packaged drinking water, large-volume PET containers constitute a sensible option. Not only for practical but also for ecological reasons because large containers mean less packaging material per litre. Hence, it is not surprising that water and oil containers with a volume of more than three litres account for 1% of all plastic bottles worldwide. They are made predominantly of polycarbonate (PC), HDPE and PET. In view of its material properties, chief and foremost its low weight, the latter is the obvious option for non-returnable containers.

Contiform 3 BigBottle for containers holding up to eight litres

In order to supply this growing market with the requisite technology, the Krones Group has expanded its product portfolio: The new Contiform 3 BigBottle produces containers with a volume of up to eight litres, achieving a respectable output into the bargain. It features ten to 14 cavities and can produce approximately 10,000 to 16,800 containers per hour. It is also able to handle smaller formats from a volume of two litres upwards.

As far as container dimensions are concerned, a net height of max. 380mm and a diameter of up to 190mm are possible. Preform dimensions are 170mm maximum for net length, 23mm maximum for neck finish height and 53mm maximum for neck ring height.

Bottlers, who want to operate their large-container production in the lower speed range, will find the requisite technology at Kosme as before. The Krones subsidiary’s machines feature four, six or eight cavities and produce containers with a volume of up the eleven litres. Linear machines for containers holding up to 30 litres round off the portfolio. As a large-container machine in the higher output range, the Contiform 3 BigBottle closes a gap in the group’s portfolio. Something the stretch blow-moulders from both Krones and Kosme have in common is that they are ideally suited for handling recycled PET and can be block-synchronised with other machines. The first Contiform 3 BigBottle, too, did not leave the Krones plant as a stand-alone machine: It was delivered to China as part of a blow-moulder/filler block.