The plastic bottles and containers market was at USD 104.28 billion mark last year. And, by the end of the year 2026, it is going to reach USD 152.18 billion mark. This market will register a CAGR of 5.3% between 2021 and 2026. For the past 20 years, plastic packaging has seen an overwhelming rise. As a result, the demand for recyclable plastic packaging materials is increasing. These encouraging market trends have also increased the demand for Molds for ONE Step Machine.
The segmentation of the plastic bottles market at a glance
- Raw Material Type (Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)
- Poly Propylene (PP)
- Low-density Polyethylene (LDPE)
- High-density Polyethylene (HDPE)
- End-user Verticals – Food, Pharmaceutical, Beverage, Cosmetics, Household Care), and Geography.
The introduction of PET and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) polymers is resulting in the ever-growing demand for high precision containers for bottled and soft drinks markets. The entire world is now accepting plastic as a product. And, a wide range of innovative, affordable, and sustainable solutions are in the market.
This blog explores some of the primary reasons why PET packaging solutions are getting popular across the globe for a countless number of applications:
- Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) is innovative, adaptive, and cost-effective
Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) is one of the most used packaging materials. The factors that drive the popularity of PET as a packaging material are:
- Innovative
- Cost-effective
- Easy to work with
- Adaptive
- Molding ability
- Amazing shatter resistance, and
- Recyclability.
PET also finds applications in the carpet and clothing industry as fiber. The bottling industry finds it unmatched in creating different types of containers. All this happens with the support of and Molds for One step ISBM.
- Thermal stability
A large number of manufacturers operating in the beverage sector make use of the hot-filling process for the safe and sound packaging of their products. This process eliminates all the possibilities of spoilage organisms in whatever is packed. The hot-filling process needs plastic containers to be heat resistant. Thus, they can withstand the higher levels of temperature. For the past 10 years, PET packaging solutions providers have been offering containers for filling around 85 degrees C.
There were times when the use of vacuum panels was in trend for controlling the collapse of containers (hot-filled) during the cooling process. Vacuum panels used to limit the possibilities of design freedom, particularly in various beverage applications. Therefore, the industry as of now has adopted a panel-less technology to meet the design needs of products such as:
- Juices
- Isotonics
- Ready-to-drink teas
- Enhanced waters, and
- Non-traditional beverages.
The new-age panel-less technology has opened up new avenues in creative designs. It has introduced an all-new generation of innovative PET packaging solutions. The solutions introduced are suitable for custom-made shapes and sizes of containers.
- Incredible Barrier capabilities
Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) naturally has satisfactory barrier capabilities. But some products might need some extra barriers. It is important because oxygen permeation can drastically impact the shelf life of products. The PET industry has overcome this challenge by using multi pronged solutions. These include multilayer containers, monolayer barrier resins, and coatings. Each barrier technology used in the packaging industry is either passive or active.
A passive barrier technology prevents oxygen penetration into the walls of the bottles. It also prevents carbonation from exiting. So, an active barrier system absorbs all the oxygen present in the commodity packed. But, an active system absorbs the oxygen located in the product, in the headspace of the container, and the sidewalls of the container.
A passive barrier technology proves to be more effective when it comes to performing consistently over time. It involves either one or even more middle layers in the Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) layers in the PET containers manufactured using ASB Molds or Molds for One step ISBM.
- Amazing design flexibility
The advent of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) containers has changed everything. The CPC players have also realized the need and importance of designs and shapes. They started using PET containers to differentiate their products. Some of the top capacities of PET that make it easy to work with include the following:
- It is easy to form and shape in any desired way
- It is easy to emboss and de-boss
- It is easy to process with so many decorations techniques
- It is cost-effective, and offers better results in the quickest turnaround time.
PET offers amazing design flexibility in sterile applications. In aseptic processes, manufacturers sterilize products and packages before stocking. Since the containers don’t need to be heat resistant, there are more choices in design and weight in the PET containers manufactured using ASB Molds or Molds for One step ISBM.
- Sustainability and productivity
Packaging is a very competitive and dynamic industry. The lightweight attributes have made PET the most powerful contender. Productivity improvement is yet another aspect wherein PET excels. Considering injection molding alone, PET converters have made a paradigm shift. They have taken a giant leap from 16-cavity to 144-cavity tooling. Apart from it, the cycle time has also come down.
Recyclability also plays a pivotal role when it comes to achieving sustainability. Almost all PET packaging solutions including soft drink containers have recyclability. The entire packaging industry has realized the importance of recyclable PET containers. ASB Molds and Molds for One step ISBM play a great role in the manufacturing of countless PET containers.
Concluding Remarks
Acme Drinktec Solutions manufactures ASB Molds and Molds for One step ISBM in India. The company provides molds for making containers of PET, PP, PC, TRITAN, and many others. Over the years, the company has distinguished itself in the ASB molds industry. It provides high-quality customized and enhanced solutions. The company has the most advanced CNC and VMC machines. These machines play the supporting role of fine-tuning. It also has a fully-integrated unit equipped with a state-of-the-art CAD/CAM station.
The facility also houses an advanced mold assembly shop with a testing and bottle inspection facility. Acme Drinktec Solutions always adopts the best-in-class processes. It always ensures smooth operations with minimal wastage.
