Husky showing 50% rPET preforms at Drinktec

Munich’s triennial Drinktec trade fair is the global expo for everything connected to making beverages and liquid food, from processing the contents to packaging and shipping them. During show week, Husky will be showing off a 72-cavity HyPET Recycled Flake (RF) 300 preform molding system, which includes the company’s High Performance Package (HPP), by running 50% virgin and 50% post-consumer PET food-grade preforms.

The product is a 34.7g EcoBase preform, a design first presented at NPE2009, and the best news is that it will be made on the same 10.5-second cycle one expects when running 100% virgin PET material. The EcoBase design, which was introduced at NPE2009 this past June, enables an additional 2.5% resin savings.

System enhancements supporting the high level of rPET include in-line melt filtration to eliminate black specks and other contaminants that could affect bottle quality, and a new extruder design to improve processing of pellet and flake blends. The preforms are being blown into 1.5-liter carbonated soft drink bottles on a Sidel blowmolding machine in a different Drinktec exhibit hall so attendees can check the finished bottle quality.

Drinktec began on September 15, and will close on September 19. Closing day is the same day as the opening of Munich’s famous Oktoberfest. Coincidence? We’d say the Drinktec organizers have superb timing. —[email protected]