KHS Plasmax Technology acknowledged in North America
The world's biggest market demands the innovative barrier method for PET bottles
The installed base of InnoPET Plasmax systems is continuing to grow on the North American market as well. Packaging manufacturer Ball Corporation’s Plastic Packaging Division, Americas, recently installed its second InnoPET Plasmax 12D for coating PET beverage bottles at its plastic bottle manufacturing facility in Chino, California. The InnoPET Plasmax machine is designed to coat the insides of PET bottles with a barrier comprised of an ultra thin, completely transparent layer of glass. When it comes to protecting the product, the silicon oxide (SiOx) barrier coating lends PET packaging characteristics exhibited to date only in glass bottles. The inert, tasteless SiOx prevents oxygen from penetrating the barrier-coated PET bottles and carbon dioxide from escaping from them. This enables the filled product to have the long shelf life customers demand without making any compromises whatsoever with regard to quality. The outstanding attributes of the glass barrier have been acknowledged by Ball customers from various sectors of the trade, including the brewing, wine, and spirits industries. Because the Plasmax barrier coating is maintained regardless of the length of time and the prevailing conditions, empty barrier-coated bottles can be stored prior to filling for an almost unlimited period. An additional important aspect that is contributing to the growing popularity of Plasmax-coated PET bottles – and not only in North America – is their high degree of environmental friendliness. Bottles coated with a Plasmax barrier can be completely recycled bottle-to-bottle and are thus clearly sustainable from the point of view of conserving resources. The InnoPET Plasmax process from KHS also enables beverage and food companies to bottle sensitive beverages in PET without any restrictions with regard to product quality and appearance. Wendy Nyberg, senior marketing director of the Californian wine producer Sutter Home, explains, "We rely exclusively on Plasmax barrier-coated PET bottles from Ball for filling wine in our 187 ml bottles. The plastic bottles weigh only one sixth of what the glass bottles weigh and they're much smaller, so consumers get the same amount of wine in a smaller, unbreakable, environmentally-friendly bottle. What's more, they also fully meet our demand for top quality, as the taste of our wines remains unaffected thanks to the glass barrier coating." To meet growing demand, Ball has expanded its installed barrier-coating capacities. Both InnoPET Plasmax 12D machines can be quickly and flexibly adapted to cope with different types of PET bottles as necessary.
