Chinese bottled water producer Nongfu Spring has invested in a second high-speed Sidel bottling line to extend its production capacity even further, having installed its first PET Combi line for 4 litre water bottles in early 2014.
The second bottling line will double Nongfu Spring’s capacity and increase output by 14,000 bottles per hour – the same capacity inherited by the brand when it installed its first PET Combi bottler two years ago.
When Nongfu Spring decided to switch from HDPE to PET for its 4 litre bottles, the company was looking to create a bottle to stand out on the supermarket shelf. Nongfu Spring also wanted to achieve a more cost effective and sustainable production process for the family bottle format. The inherent properties of HDPE result in certain constraints in bottle design, lowering bottle appeal and perceived value for consumers, Sidel said. The PET bottle is fully transparent and light, requiring less material to produce and creating less waste compared to a HDPE bottle, which lacks clarity and needs more material to manufacture. The PET bottling line also offers lower total cost of ownership through its capacity for higher production output than a HDPE line.
Nongfu Spring’s first PET 4 litre bottles were commercially launched in the Chinese market in 2014 and received a positive response from Chinese consumers. The bottles met the growing market demand for family-oriented packaging in China, which registered growth in sales of 53% in the 4 litre bottled water format in 2013. Since the launch of those PET bottles, Nongfu Spring has seen its sales increase significantly in this market segment. Based on the success of the first production line running in the main Nongfu Spring site southwest of Shanghai, the company renewed its confidence in Sidel by acquiring a second line based on the same Combi 14 technology.
The Combi offers a reliable operational level that has enabled Nongfu to boost its overall productivity and maintain a competitive edge in supplying 4 litre water bottles. The Combi, manufactured in the Sidel Beijing plant, was fully tested in-house to ensure a quick and smooth installation.
Nongfu Spring water is one of the leading brands for natural mineral water in China. Drawn from natural water springs in various parts of China, Nongfu Spring’s bottled water is one of the most well-known on the domestic market, commanding a 22% market share in China’s competitive bottled water segment in 2013. In addition to the family size 4 litre bottles, regular 380ml, 550ml and 1.5 litre formats are also available.
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2024