A modern plant set in a breathtaking landscape
In the heart of the Tsitsikamma National Park, an area inhabited only by Mother Nature and with no risk of external pollution, Tsitsikamma Crystal Spring Water company has been investing in bespoke machines of the latest generation, like the SMI ECOBLOC® ERGON integrated system for blowing, filling and capping PET containers up to 4,000 bottles/hour.
To bottle their natural, pure and clear water branded as Tsitsikamma Crystal, the South African company uses 5 L containers with a sinuous design and a large body, designed to facilitate the grip and transport, that SMI subjected to a lightweight process from 96.5 to 72 g in order to obtain a lighter and more eco-sustainable bottle.
The product quality is an essential element for Tsitsikamma Crystal Spring Water, that indeed uses only packaging materials that allow to protect and maintain the water purity; the PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate), of which 5 L containers are made, is a thermoplastic resin suitable for food contact subjected to rigorous tests defined by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the American Government body that regulates food and pharmaceutical products.
The advantages of SMI solution
To bottle 5 L mineral natural water in PET containers with a production capacity up to 4,000 bottles/hour, Tsitsikamma Crystal Spring Water uses a SMI integrated system from theECOBLOC® ERGON series that stands out for several advantages:
• compact and flexible solution;
• integrating the stretch-blow moulding, filling and capping functions into a single machine offers several economic advantages, since it does not require a rinser nor conveyors between blower and filler and accumulation;
• precision and fast operation, thanks to the electronic operation control, motorized stretch rods and use of high efficiency valves controlled by flowmeters;
• reduced energy consumption: the stretch-blow moulding module is equipped with a double-stage air recovery system, that allows to reduce energy costs related to the production of high pressure compressed air;
• high energy efficiency thanks to the IR lamps mounted on the preform heating module;
• reduced maintenance and management costs
