Anticipating the development of PET on the yogurt and fresh dessert markets due to the implementation of a circular economy around this material, Serac is now offering to blow PET cups on its SBL machines with the same quality level as for bottles.
Crystal clear transparency
To all dairy products manufacturers looking for the transparency and shine of glass with the weight and shock resistance benefits of plastics, PET blowing is today the best-in-class solution. Cups thermoformed on FFS machines from PET rolls remain slightly milky and matt whereas one can hardly tell the difference between a blown PET cup and a glass one.
Pristine clear cups will be the ideal jewelry box to reveal either the naturality or the sophistication of premium recipes.
Design freedom
The blow-molding technology offers more freedom in design than thermoforming. It allows to produce cups with a top hole smaller than the bottom size. Yet, this kind of shape is iconic of authentic and even home-made yogurts in many countries and is often sought after to endorse sustainability claims.
Serac of course proposes to blow such cup shapes, but also other existing ones to stick to the rules of all market segments.
The preferential heating option offered on Serac’s SBL machines could also help develop new shapes, just as it allows to blow oval, square and complex-shaped bottles on different markets.
Recyclability
Blown PET cups are 100% recyclable and can also be made of rPET, which is approved for food contact. They thus meet the objectives of authorities such as the European Union, which wants all containers to be recyclable by 2030. They could be used in a « cup to cup » circular economy to drastically reduce plastic waste.
Carbon footprint reduction
Finally, the on-site blowing solution offered by Serac is also an opportunity for manufacturers who purchase glass, terracotta, cardboard and even plastic preformed cups to reduce their carbon footprint.
Gains relate for all above quoted cases to transport emissions from the packaging manufacturing site to the dairy factory and come from the very low weight and volume of preforms. Gains also relate to all the downstream transport emissions when PET cups replace much heavier materials such as glass or terracotta.
Reliable blowing process
Serac’s blowing units ensure ultimate quality through extremely precise heat profile management, maximum time allocated to heating and blowing and smooth transfer systems. They thus allow to stretch lightweight preforms up to their limits with an homogeneous thickness and no partling lines.
Particularly reliable, the high precision SBL units can produce up to 18 000 cups per hour (depending on cup size) and are thus suitable for premium segments.
In complete packaging lines
Coupling its cup blowing units with its expert dosing systems and its linear filling machines, Serac offers a complete, performant and highly flexible solution for premium yogurts and sophisticated desserts packed in PET cups.
With this new offer, Serac again confirms its ability to be an innovation partners for its customers.