Lightweighting: Just Do It, With SACMI

The company is revving up for ProPak Asia, Southeast Asia’s biggest beverage and food packaging fair. On show: ready-to-market solutions that reduce the weight of the neck-cap system and, in the aluminum caps sector, everything needed for a successful PVC-free transition

The global beverage and food packaging industry is facing a huge challenge: it needs to save energy and raw materials while giving consumers the best possible product experience. That’s why SACMI will be illustrating its main technological solutions at ProPak Asia 2023, the hugely important Southeast Asia fair to be held at BITEC, Bangkok, from 14 to 17 June 2023.

Your lightweighting solution

Thanks to unrivalled proficiency in all cap- and preform-making technologies, SACMI is successfully developing lightened necks and caps and establishing new standards that are more sustainable, both economically and environmentally.

The work begins in the Laboratory, spanning from complete characterization of the materials and extending all the way to product development, in close collaboration with the major international brand owners.

An example: the GME 30.40 neck standard for CSD caps lets manufacturers reduce plastic consumption (PET and HDPE) by at least a third compared to today’s commonplace PCO 1881. For the customer, that means an immediate, tangible advantage.

The same solution can also be extended to water caps, yielding logistical savings. Alternatively, by staying with the traditional 29/25 mm and taking advantage of SACMI-developed lightened necks, producers can cut material consumption by about 20% (from 2.4 to 2 grams).

SACMI also has tools that let manufacturers complete the transition to the 26/22 mm standard, a global trend that is, once again, driven by the need to minimize environmental impact by saving raw materials.

From the product to the technologies: SACMI CCM and IPS

With regard to bottled water – fundamental in Thailand and neighboring countries where many people have no access to drinking water – and CSDs, the transition announced by SACMI rests on our rock-solid market positioning (over 70% of the installed one-piece cap production lines).

With CCM and the IPS preform machine range, SACMI provides a complete package to accompany manufacturers through this transition. Different parts of the world are proceeding, of course, at different paces, but they all have the same goals: to safeguard the environment and ramp up their competitiveness.

Other suppliers might be able to match us in specific areas, but with SACMI customers can rely on a sole partner: a clear advantage as it allows them to provide markets with products that comply with the highest standards proposed by the international brand owners.

IoT: enabling technologies that let you produce more and produce better

The SACMI-developed Smart Pack was recently integrated on latest-generation CCM compression machines. By using sophisticated in-machine sensors that automatically control the process without any need for worker intervention, Smart Pack warns the operator when something is wrong, thus preventing waste and errors.

That same reactive control logic also sees vision systems – proprietary SACMI solutions for every stage of the process – taking on an increasingly central role. Here, visitors to the fair can check out exceptional new solutions such as the PVS156, the first vision system integrated on the press (IPS 300) to perform intensive inspection of preforms.

From the world of ‘metal’

On the alu cap lining machine front, SACMI is driving the transition to PVC-free liners. From roll-on pilfer-proof caps – for which SACMI provides a complete line – to lugged caps, SACMI liner application technology ensures exceptional strength and sealing properties.

With SACMI PMA, PVC-free liner forming requires no oily substances or plasticizers, thus eliminating the risk of product contamination; on the complete aluminum screw cap line, output rates can reach 2,500 pieces per minute.

All solutions can be equipped with dedicated inspection systems (MVS range) produced by SACMI Vision Systems.

Assistance

With over 200 cap presses and dozens of IPS preform presses installed in the area, SACMI is perfectly placed to take the market to the next level, also by drawing on its in-depth understanding of the different manufacturing contexts (Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia.

This lets us diversify the approach according to the specific needs of each country and the individual customers within them: all while continuing to deliver excellent technical assistance and spare parts services through SACMI Thailand.

www.sacmi.com

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Goal: Maximum Efficiency in Urban Mobility

• Concept car “muc023” takes 2nd place in the international car race “Shell Eco-marathon” (Europe and Africa)
• Front and side windows made of transparent lightweight plastic
• New polycarbonates with alternative raw materials

How can you drive as far as possible with one kilowatt hour (kWh) of energy? This was the question posed by the “TUfast Eco Team” of committed students from the Technical University of Munich, who developed a concept car called “muc023”. The team has now been successful in the international car race “Shell Eco-marathon” and came in 2nd place in terms of efficiency on the track: the range of the muc023 was 242 kilometers per kWh – a nice result!

Aerodynamics, a low weight and minimal energy losses were high on the agenda when designing the hyper-efficient city vehicle. Covestro supported the developments with its transparent and lightweight Makrolon AG RE polycarbonate. With its use in the front and side windows, the plastic helps the electric car weigh just 65 kilograms in total, making it lighter than its driver.

“I am very pleased with the ambition and courage of this young team, which is pursuing the same goal as our company: to commit to the most efficient and sustainable mobility possible,” says Sucheta Govil, Chief Commercial Officer at Covestro. “Similar to the ‘Sonnenwagen’ solar car project, we also support these students in exploring what is possible. In addition, we want to attract young people at leading universities to work with us on solutions for future mobility.”

Makrolon AG – the abbreviation stands for “automotive glazing” – was developed for glazing vehicles and is characterized by transparency and light weight. “With the RE variant, we can further increase sustainability by making greater use of alternative mass-balanced raw materials from biowaste and residual materials, as well as renewable electricity for the production of the plastic,” says Dr. Fabian Grote, Head of Global Technical Marketing Mobility in the Engineering Plastics segment. “In this way, we want to help make the circular economy a reality.” The company’s plastics have long been used in the automotive industry, enabling functional and more sustainable solutions with plenty of design freedom.

Less weight, improved aerodynamics

The results of the vehicle development are impressive: While muc023 traveled 242 kilometers on one kilowatt hour, today’s electric vehicles can only cover a distance of 5 to 10 kilometers with this amount of energy. “In the new prototype, we have once again significantly reduced the weight of the chassis and suspension,” explains Gleb Lialine, head of the TUfast team. “We also improved the aerodynamics, achieving a drag coefficient of just 0.13, and finally installed a more powerful motor and optimized the electrical control system.”

To challenge itself, the team takes part in international motorsport competitions, most recently the Shell Eco-marathon in Nogaro in southwestern France. At the Paul Armagnac race track, the Munich team competed against university teams from all over the world and came in 2nd place. In addition to the car’s very good efficiency, a newly developed system for autonomous driving was also put to the test, which is operated with cameras and LiDARs as well as various sensors. For LiDAR system requirements, Covestro offers polycarbonate plastics from the Makrolon ST (Sensor Transparent) product range that are transparent to the corresponding infrared wavelengths and allow sensors to be installed.

www.covestro.com

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STADLER Designs and Installs First of Three High-Efficiency MRF and Compost Refinement Plants for Terna Energy in Tripoli, Greece

Greek renewable energy company Terna Energy, part of the Gek Terna Group, is a leading player in clean energy production and the largest investor in Renewable Energy Sources in Greece. It further consolidates its role in sustainable development and circular economy through its integrated waste management projects. For this area of its activity, the company has chosen STADLER, the globally active German company specialized in the planning, production and assembly of turnkey recycling and sorting plants, as strategic partner in Public Private projects for the design and installation of Materials Recovery Facilities (MRF) in the Epirus region and now also in the Peloponnese. STADLER has now completed the commissioning and start-up of the latest facility, an MRF and Compost Refinement Plant in Tripoli, the capital city of the Peloponnese region, and two further projects in Sparta and Kalamata are in progress.

The new facility stands out for its high degree of automation and efficiency, and for its capacity to adapt to changing material composition. It produces consistently high-quality output, achieving outstanding recovery rates – above 90% for the organic fraction, plastic containers, bottles and paper, and 80% for biofilms and PE film. It is also designed to facilitate maintenance, with easy access to all components and motors for service.

High efficiency and adaptability for consistently high-quality output

The sorting plant receives mixed Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) with an input capacity of 30 to 40tph in a single line. It is processed to produce a high-quality output of recyclates and organic material. The former – PET, HDPE, PP/PS, Foils, Paper, Cardboards, Ferrous and non-Ferrous cans and containers –are sorted into automatic bunkers then baled. The latter, in fractions below 60mm from Anaerobic Digestion and 65-85mm from vessel composting, are further processed in the compost refinement plant with a capacity of 10tph, producing two fractions of clean compost with different specifications and material size.

STADLER’s design team developed a plant that delivers the high-quality output required by Terna Energy, effectively addressing the challenge presented by the peculiarities of the waste stream in the region: “The Peloponnese is a very touristic region, and this has an effect on the composition of the waste, with high variations in seasonal consumption and diversity of packaging,” explains Dimitris Blanas, Head of Sales Greece & Middle East at STADLER.

The process begins with two trommel screens then a STADLER STT5000 Ballistic Separator that separates the rolling, flat and screened fractions. At this stage of the process, Pellenc ST COMPACT optical sorters, seamlessly integrated with STADLER’s high-speed conveyors, come into play to sort waste by material and color on the two main lines: 2D for flat objects such as mixed paper, cardboard and film, and 3D for hollow objects such as bottles, containers and trays. These sorters, which feature Pellenc ST’s latest advanced technology, are perfect for the task with their compact size, low energy consumption and high level of performance, as well as their capability to manage the volumes and variations in the feed: “The high capacity of this equipment will be able to absorb the increase of waste volumes, says Steve Halpin-Gosset, Regional Sales Director, South Europe at Pellenc ST. “Thanks to their high scalability, sorting settings can also be adapted according to input stream composition changes.”

Effective collaborative approach ensures timely delivery

“We had a very short time for completing the assembly and the plant was required to run at full capacity on the first day of hot commissioning, because of the high volumes of municipal waste arriving and the lack of storage facilities,” explains Dimitris Blanas. Close collaboration with the teams from Terna Energy, technological partner Pellenc ST and suppliers was key to delivering on time. “We focused on effective coordination of all the teams, as well as careful timing of deliveries ahead of assembly to avoid wasting any time. Also, detailed checks and meticulous preparation throughout the assembly and cold commissioning phases were critical.” Steve Halpin-Gosset adds: “We have been working with STADLER for many years and have built a strong partnership. The quality of our relationship and the smooth interactions between our teams have guaranteed the success of this project.”

The entire project unfolded to the satisfaction of Terna Energy, as expressed by Diomidis Kamoutsis, Project Manager, who appreciated “STADLER’s solid design and quality equipment, together with the effective management of the project in all its phases – from designing to delivery, construction and commissioning. Their team was always available, fast in responding whenever an issue arose, coordinating and supporting the construction team, effectively collaborating with the other providers and suppliers on site. The fast delivery and installation were impressive.”

A strategic partnership for sustainable development and the circular economy

As part of its partnership with Terna Energy, STADLER has designed two further MRF and Compost Refinement plants with similar characteristics and capacity in the area of Lakonia and Messenia, also in the Peloponnese region, which are expected to start operation in the autumn. STADLER will support the three plants with a local service team and a dedicated maintenance storage center. These three plants, together with the facility designed and built by STADLER in Epirus, will be the most advanced MRF sorting plants in operation in the country.

For more information, visit http://www.w-stadler.de

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