Sidel has introduced StarLite-R Still, a new base designed for high-speed production of lightweight 100% rPET bottles ranging from 0.25 to 2.5 litres for non-carbonated beverages such as water, juices, milk, and edible oil.
Major food and beverage producers are seeking new designs that can range from simple lightweight options to more sophisticated, weight-optimised shapes, while always remaining compatible with high-speed production," explained Mikael Derrien of Sidel. "The goal is to lower production costs by reducing container weight, decreasing blowing pressure, and cutting energy consumption, while also limiting environmental impact in response to new regulations and consumer demands.
The market currently offers bottle bases suitable for lightweight containers and high production speeds, but all of these designs have been developed for virgin PET bottles. Sidel’s StarLite-R Still is the only solution specifically designed for recycled PET that delivers the high performance required in this highly competitive sector, Derrien added.
Balancing production speed with material type and bottle weight is a complex challenge for manufacturers who must maintain consistently high performance. However, StarLite-R Still achieves this through precise base shaping and efficient material distribution. Its innovative design also allows for easy retrofitting onto existing production lines with maximum flexibility, while the lower blowing pressure required further enhances the sustainability credentials of this solution.
Advanced Design for Optimal Performance
The StarLite-R Still bottle base, developed using Sidel’s patented technology, features precise material distribution and optimal stretching, as well as enhanced venting that facilitates shaping and an efficient base cooling circuit, ideal for the high processing temperatures of rPET. The new design prevents base deformation and breakage - a crucial factor in ensuring bottle integrity during production, conveyor transport, storage, shipping, and end-use.
The rounded mould base edge improves shape definition during the blowing process and enhances resistance to defects such as bursting during processing. This feature is particularly important for lightweight bottles, which are more prone to such issues due to their thinner material. With a high base incidence, the structural design prevents deformation, ensuring excellent functionality and stability even under high-temperature conditions. The base also delivers reliable performance at high production speeds, thanks to efficient cooling, which prevents deformations and defects while maintaining consistent quality even at elevated output rates.
Energy Savings and Versatile Compatibility
The bottle production process can be carried out with 20% lower blowing pressure, thanks to the improved venting of the StarLite-R Still base mould. The carefully designed grooves and vent holes allow air to escape efficiently from the mould, ensuring perfect base shaping even at lower pressures. This results in reduced energy consumption and production costs without compromising quality.
Furthermore, the base is compatible with a wide range of bottle weights, including ultra-light 7g bottles for the 500ml format. It also offers manufacturers greater versatility, as it is suitable for round, square, and rectangular bottles, as well as single-serve and multi-serve formats ranging from 0.25 to 2.5 litres. Additionally, it can be used with both transparent and white PET.
The new base can be seamlessly integrated into existing production lines and is certified for high-speed manufacturing across various bottle formats. It enables production speeds of up to 2,700 bottles per hour (bph) per machine for single-serve formats and 2,400 bph per machine for multi-serve formats. StarLite-R Still can also be used with virgin PET and is compatible with Sidel’s EvoBlow, Universal, and Series 2 blowers.
