RUSSIA – Global beer brewer, Heineken has launched two new PET bottles developed using PET Engineering’s interchangeable insert system technology.
The new bottle designs have been used for brands Tri Medvedya, Okhota and Okckoe by utilizing ITM solution- interchangeable inserts with a single mold.
The bottles are simple, eye catching and are said to offer a great flexibility given that the aesthetics and format can now be easily modified using interchangeable inserts.
With the new design, it is possible to apply new decorations, move and resize the label area and alter the capacity of the bottle, giving room for future possible down-sizing to 1.3l and 1.25l formats.
Italy-based PET Engineering supplied 115 sets of molds for seven Russian factories, equipped with lighter, lub-free composite components and treated for a greater durability with the application of the ceramic coating.
This ensures high wear resistance combined with a low coefficient of friction, bigger resistance to corrosion and an antibacterial and self-cleaning action.
PET Engineering, which designs creative and feasible packaging was acquired by Sidel Group last October further expanding the company’s portfolio of packaging solutions.
The new bottling solution allows manufacturers to produce multiple formats and aesthetic differentiations without the need for a new mold.
The ITM solution makes use of inserts to provide endless customization possibilities.
“In this way, our bottlers can easily update their packaging, for example by revamping or changing imagery, creating a whole new branding and issuing limited edition bottles, all with minimal investment as they only have to change the inserts, not the mold,” said a PET Engineering representative to PackagingInsights.
“In fact, Heineken Russia will no longer have to buy new mold sets should it want to revamp the image of its products – it can instead just use simple inserts, which ensures significant savings.”
Heineken recorded double-digit volume growth in Russia in its first quarter results, mainly driven by its premium portfolio and the inclusion of licensed brands Miller Genuine Draft and Staropramen.
