There are many well-known benefits and savings associated with PET bottle light-weighting efforts. Along with the benefits there are some associated challenges, especially with regards to bottle processing and field performance. These are most evident in the shelf-life performance qualities related to CO2 and water loss.
To address these issues, Agr International recently introduced a new capability for its Pilot Profiler In-The-Blowmolder thickness management system. In addition to the precision material distribution control for PET bottles, the Pilot Profiler system can now monitor shelf-life for CO2 or water loss at the point of production by incorporating a version of the M-RULE container performance model. This provides plant managers with a continuous status of the predicted shelf-life performance as well as the capability to proactively manage critical bottle parameters to maximise the shelf-life of containers in production.
This new feature is the result of the combination of two proven products; Agr’s Pilot Profiler thickness management system and the M-RULE Container Performance Model. These components have been integrated to provide an on-line tool that can not only effectively monitor material distribution to a very fine degree as needed for the successful production of ultralight bottles, but also monitor the shelf-life performance of those bottles at the same time.
Agr’s Pilot Profiler system with M-RULE affords bottle manufacturers the means to non-destructively monitor bottle production on a continuous basis for changes in bottle performance characteristics, including shelf-life performance. The Pilot Profiler system, installed within the blowmolder, precisely measures material distribution, and any changes thereof, on every bottle produced. Wall thickness data captured by the system is automatically entered into the M-RULE model. From this data, shelf-life performance is continuously calculated and presented for individual bottles or user-defined subgroups.
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