KHS InnoPET Blomax Series V stretch blow moulder helped Asahi to maintain sustainable production

Innopet

The InnoPET Blomax is one of the most reliable and efficient machines of its kind (Credit: KHS Group)

Japan-based Asahi Soft Drinks has selected KHS’s InnoPET Blomax Series V stretch blow moulder for sustainable production of its Rokko water brand.

The KHS blow moulder enabled Asahi to produce PET bottles with sizes between 600 millilitres and two litres for still water Rokko No Mizu.

Asahi Soft Drinks produces brands such as Wilkinson in Japan. It is also a shareholder in beer brands such as Tsingtao in China, Pilsner Urquell in the Czech Republic and Grolsch in the Netherlands.

Asahi Soft Drinks, which has eight production sites, provides products ranging from ciders and teas through milk beverages to still and carbonated mineral waters.

The firm bottles its Rokko No Mizu water at the location of the same, which is near to the cities of Kōbe and Osaka.

In a statement, Asahi Soft Drinks said: “We clearly aspire to technological leadership which is why we focus on sustainability, efficiency and state-of-the-art technology.”

The Series V is currently producing 600-millilitre to-go bottles and large two-litre receptacles of still Rokko mineral water

The Series V is currently manufacturing 600-millilitre to-go bottles and large two-litre receptacles of still Rokko mineral water. KHS system is used to produce around 200 million containers per annum.

The InnoPET Blomax stretch blow moulder enables to save up to 40% in energy compared against its predecessor through applying a completely new heating concept.

The near-infrared (or NIR) heater centrally deployed in the closed reflector tunnel forms the nucleus, while the preforms pass the centrally arranged heating units to both the left and right in the heater.

KHS has combined its patented Airback air recycling system with new EcoDry air management system in the Series V system. It helps to apply the residual air from the blowing and recycling process to replace a separate air drier in the base mould area, as well as in the blow wheel.

KHS Corpoplast Asia-Pacific product management and area sales head Matthias Gernhuber said: “When a Japanese company like Asahi trusts in us thanks to the notable efficiency and reliability of our machines, then that’s a great honour indeed.”

In November 2019, KHS unveiled the next generation Innofill Glass DRS filler, which features a modular design for maximum flexibility.