Combibloc RS expected to replace standard structure for dairy products and drinks
Germany: SIG Combibloc has launched combibloc RS (resilient structure), a compos- ite structure that it claims further improves system stability during processing while contributing to even better environmental performance.
In the medium term, this new laminate will become the standard composite structure for all combibloc and combifit formats used to fill liquid dairy products (LD) and non-carbon- ated soft drinks (NCSD) on SIG Combibloc filling machines, said the company.
“For customers, the use of the new combibloc RS structure will mean a further improvement in our system robustness,” said Norbert Garitz, head of product management rechnology at SIG Combibloc.
“The fact that less material is required also reduces the overall weight of the package, which in turn has a positive effect on environ- mental performance. The carbon footprint of each package will be reduced by up to 6% with the use of combibloc RS – compared with the previous structure. And of course, the proven quality and product safety will still be ensured.”
Another benefit with the ‘robust structure’ is “greater tolerances in machine settings during processing, particularly when sealing the top
and bottom of the packages”, said Dr Jannis Ochsmann, technical project leader global technology at SIG Combibloc..
“The most important advantages of the new structure are fewer downtimes and even lower waste rates,” he said.
The combibloc RS structure is characterised by a new material composition that optimises the properties of the carton. A different polymer is used for the inner layers than the standard structure used to date, making the new standard structure particularly robust for processing.
The outer layer, which is printed, and the innermost layer, which comes into direct con- tact with the product, were already optimised during the process of developing the current standard structure.
“For SIG Combibloc, combibloc RS repre- sents the next key stage of development in ensuring that customers receive exactly the products that the market needs, while being economical for our customers,” said Garitz.
SIG Combibloc in 2015 achieved a turnover of EUR1,720 with about 5,000 employees.