As a major packaging innovation, KHS has developed one of the lightest PET bottles for still beverages, weighing just 5.89 grams for a 591ml format. The project, referred to as Factor 101, was completed in four months in close collaboration with Husky Technologies.
“With such extreme lightweighting, the top load is especially important. It determines whether the container can be stacked or survive transportation undamaged,” said Fabian Osterhold, packaging designer at KHS. The final design withstands a top load of 220 newtons, exceeding the industry standard of 200 newtons.
To ensure structural integrity, KHS reinforced the bottle’s shoulder and body and introduced a ‘pop-in’ base that increases internal pressure under load. The preform design was also refined to meet the requirements of stretch blow molding.
“Focus lamps in the heater on our InnoPET Blomax Series V allow precise temperature profiling, ensuring full material stretch and minimizing plastic use,” Osterhold explained.
Compared to typical PET bottles in the US weighing about seven grams, Factor 101 reduces material by 30% and is compatible with rPET. It is designed to run at speeds of up to 90,000 bottles per hour, with adjustments made for conveying, labeling, and shrink packaging.
Frank Haesendonckx, Head of Stretch Blow Molding Technology at KHS, said, “This is a clear demonstration of what’s possible when we merge bottle design with precision preform engineering.”
Factor 101 was showcased at NPE 2024 in Orlando and has drawn strong interest from contract fillers in the US, Middle East, and South America.