Amcor PET Packaging has launched the Rebound line, which the company claims sets a new standard for hot-fill polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles. The new line has been developed to offer improvements to aesthetic and functional issues that have until now challenged hot-fill bottle design.
For a start, Amcor says that Rebound provides a significantly lower propensity to denting, increased label support area for less label crinkling and improved top load performance. Furthermore, Rebound's structural attributes and design elements are scalable, which enables bottle production ranging from small, single-serve sizes all the way up to larger, multi-serve containers.
Amcor's focus on advancing PET bottle technology has resulted in bottles with 50 less vacuum retention than conventional, hot-fill PET versions. The decrease in vacuum retention means that filled containers are less prone to denting, helping to insure that the bottles will retain their intended shape all the way through the distribution cycle.
"Our new Rebound technology is yet another example of an Amcor's initiative which addresses both customer and consumer needs," said Russ Hubbard, vice president of product development. "Listening to our customers needs and delivering on those requirements is a key component of our partnership philosophy."
Rebound technology also increases the label flat-area by 100 per cent. This is accomplished by eliminating the need for three of the standard six vacuum panels seen on hot-fill bottles today. Since Rebound panel technology absorbs considerably more vacuum than standard panels, Amcor has been able to eliminate every other panel on a round container - each eliminated panel is replaced with a flat area to support label application.
Rebound technology also enables molded bottle panels to become a major design element rather than an engineering requirement. Packagers can now depart from traditional rectangles and into other label panel shapes-such as triangles, freeform shapes, etc.-to create additional branding opportunities.
Amcor PET Packaging is a global manufacturer of PET plastic packaging for the food and beverage industry. The company operates 48 plants in 18 countries. Its parent company Amcor offers a broad range of packaging solutions, and sales for the 2003 fiscal year ending 30 June 2003, topped €8 billion.