The beverage industry's sustainable packaging efforts has resulted in the weight of a 500 ml water bottle being driven down to 9.0 grams.
Nalbach's NECOSORT-III new generation unscrambler has met the challenge with its superior lightweight bottle handling capabilities.
With the beverage industry’s push to “lightweight” bottles in an effort to reduce cost and ecological footprint, traditional methods for placing bottles on to a production line such as depalletising-single filing or the use of older technology unscramblers has become problematic.
Going back 15 years, most bottling companies would use depalletising systems to introduce empty bottles to the filling line.
At the time, 500 ml CSD bottle weights were in the 35-40 gram range and 500 ml water bottles were in the 23—28 gram range.
As lightweighting began in the late 1990s, depalletising of bottles proved to be inefficient with fallen bottles being a significant problem.
Bottle unscramblers are introduced to eliminate the problem of trying to maintain bottle orientation off the depalletiser.
With an unscrambler it doesn't matter if the bottles fall over during the depalletising process.
From the depalletiser, the bottles will be conveyed in mass to the unscrambler, which has the responsibility of orienting the bottles in an upright position.
Recently, bottle lightweighting efforts have increased with the beverage industry’s sustainable packaging goals.
Subsequently PET bottle weights have been significantly reduced. Over the last 3 years 500 ml water bottle weights have fallen from 15 grams to 9 grams.
Older generation unscramblers have had problems handling such lightweight bottles as they rely heavily on gravity in the unscrambling process.
The design of the new generation NECOSORT-III unscrambler ensures that bottles are positively held, moved and controlled throughout the unscrambling process and do not rely solely on gravity.
This provides a system that reliably handles the lightest bottles in use today.
In addition to its lightweight bottle capabilities, the NECOSORT-III is capable of sorting a wide range of bottle types and sizes.
The unique vertical drum design, has only 2 moving parts, is tolerant of damaged bottles and has the smallest footprint in the industry.
With no reciprocating motions, complicated mechanisms, or hard to adjust container handling parts the NECOSORT-III provides low maintenance, high reliability and carries a three (3) year warranty!
The NECOSORT-III is available worldwide through Nalbach’s direct sales and manufacturers reps.
More information or eatwell@nalbach.com