China Resources C’estbon Beverage Co. Ltd (C’estbon Beverage), China’s top two bottled water brand, has chosen Sidel’s innovative complete line packaging solution to help deliver its expansion in big format water production. Featuring Sidel’s newest EvoBLOW XL blower in a Combi configuration, the new lines can produce 12,000 4.5L or 6L bottles per hour, supporting C’estbon Beverage’s position as leading innovators for packaged water.
C’estbon Beverage has sold over 130 billion bottles of water to date. China is experiencing a strong demand for water packaged in large bottles, and this format is expected to witness a 5.9 per cent compound annual growth rate[1]. To help deliver the expansion in production needed to meet this consumer trend for large format water, C’estbon Beverage partnered with Sidel, leading global provider of packaging solutions for beverage, food, home and personal care products, to create a customised solution.
By installing Sidel’s Combi complete line, comprising EvoBLOW XL, SF100 Filler, EvoDECO labeller, conveyors, packer and PalLinear palletiser, production has increased to 12,000 4.5L or 6L bottles per hour.
Yan Quan, GM of C’estbon Beverage (Yixing) said, “The collaboration between C’estbon and Sidel can be traced back to nine years ago. We know Sidel understands our commitment to delivering better product quality, healthier and more eco-friendly solutions for the entire beverage portfolio. As such, we trusted them to develop a bespoke solution to aid the expansion of our big format water production, and we have been very pleased with the capability and results from Sidel’s EvoBLOW XL blower in Combi configuration.”
Fastest blower for large PET containers
With over forty years of packaging and blowing expertise, Sidel launched its EvoBLOW XL machine for large containers in September 2023, a solution built on Sidel’s proven performance and designed for multiple markets.
Available as a standalone or integrated combi solution, EvoBLOW XL is a versatile machine that can provide a high level of quality and extended performance for a wide range of bottle formats for up to 8L to 10L. It features flexible oven configurations with a wide choice of bottleneck dimensions which demonstrates its flexibility to handle many types of large bottles.
EvoBLOW XL also achieves high production efficiency with the highest market blowing outputs, up to 18,000 bottles per hour (bph) and 98 per cent proven Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE). The user-friendly functionality is designed to ensure efficient changeovers and offer a high level of flexibility. The ergonomic embedded mould handling tool means that heavy mould positioning is simplified and safe.
Optimum quality of complete lines for large formats
C’estbon Beverage selected Sidel’s complete Combi for water line which features the newest EvoBLOW XL blower, producing 12,000 bottles per hour in two formats: 4.5L and 6L.
The highest quality of water is ensured by the hygienic design of the Combi, which is equipped with a preform de-duster, requires no contact filling, only stainless-steel parts are in contact with the product, automatic dummy bottles for CEP and UV lamps on the cap chutes. Packaging integrity is maintained thanks to the Sidel Inspection System controlling every step of bottle production.
In addition, the EvoDECO labeller is equipped for two different labelling applications: roll-fed and hot melt. The packer is flexible, handling both cartons and films, and the PalLinear palletiser is a high-level infeed, for maximum space availability.
Strong local manufacturing capability in China
This line was assembled and delivered by the Sidel Beijing plant to highest specification. Sidel Beijing plant has a strong local production capacity and has been continuously promoting local delivery and sustainable development for nearly twenty years.
The Sidel Beijing plant integrates the company’s global and local resources while strengthening its regionally based research and innovation capabilities, helping to quickly respond to the needs of the domestic market. The team based at the Beijing plant deploy its expertise to support customers to deliver high-quality products rapidly meeting consumer demands.
Karma Huang, Sidel Sales Director, said, “After many years working in the China market, and by building many of our packaging innovations here in Beijing, we understand the challenges and opportunities facing beverage manufacturers. Thanks to our expertise and existing relationship with C’estbon Beverage we were able to fully understand their requirements for big format water packaging and offer a complete line Combi solution that perfectly met their needs.”
[1] Data taken by Global Data – March 2023
