Arpanon adopts Sidel's 9-gram PET bottle

Arpanon Beverage Company Limited is expanding its Sendai brand with an ultralight 600 ml PET bottle developed in cooperation with Sidel. The package weighs nine grams and is produced on a Combi line with an output of 36,000 bottles per hour. The solution combines packaging lightweighting technologies with a complete water bottling line. According to the data provided, the new design reduced bottle weight by approximately 30%, while electricity consumption per unit of production fell by 50%. The project was intended to reduce material use without compromising the parameters required during production, filling, transport and distribution.

"Our goal was to create a bottle that would reduce material use while maintaining the parameters required for efficient production and distribution," said Pavares Kiatsuarpanon, Managing Director of Arpanon. "The final design delivered the combination of low weight, strength and operational efficiency that we were looking for."

A lighter bottle while retaining strength

For its 600 ml bottled water range, Arpanon aimed to move away from its previous packaging specifications and achieve a lighter design without reducing production efficiency. The main challenge was to lower the bottle's weight while retaining the strength required during filling, transport and distribution.

Sidel applied a comprehensive approach to packaging optimisation. The result was a PET bottle with a 25/22 neck finish weighing nine grams. The design does not require nitrogen dosing, while providing top-load resistance of more than 30 kg. The approximately 30% weight reduction was achieved through work covering preform design, bottle development and line optimisation, while maintaining the required performance parameters.

Production on an integrated Combi line

In addition to developing the bottle, Sidel supplied a complete Combi line with an output of 36,000 bottles per hour. The system integrates blowing, filling and capping processes. Parallel development of the bottle and the production process enabled optimisation of the entire cycle and preservation of the lightweight package's properties during production.

The integrated solution is designed to ensure blowing process quality, stable bottle handling, reliable filling and high output. At the same time, it reduces energy consumption and the installation footprint while simplifying operating processes. Arpanon doubled production volume while reducing labour requirements to 25% of the previous level. Blowing pressure was lowered by approximately one third, and electricity consumption per unit of production fell by 50%. Production time was shortened by approximately 70%.

"Developing a nine-gram bottle that met the top-load performance requirements demanded careful optimisation at every stage of the project," Kiatsuarpanon continued. "By combining packaging expertise with line engineering, Sidel was able to support Arpanon in developing a solution that met its lightweighting targets while enabling efficient, full-scale production."

Lower material use and less waste

The project resulted in lower material consumption while increasing line efficiency. Combining bottle lightweighting with process optimisation also delivered a fivefold reduction in waste, improving material utilisation and overall resource efficiency. The lower package weight also contributed to the cost-effectiveness of the solution while operational requirements were maintained.

Combining Sidel's packaging design expertise with complete line optimisation made it possible to implement a solution for Arpanon's Sendai water range in 600 ml bottles. The project covered packaging design, bottle performance and production process efficiency.