Clearpack Automation is a complete packaging line supplier for PET molding companies. It is the Indian distributor for Italian company SMI, which manufactures machines for PET blow molding. SMI has been in business for over five decades and is one of the biggest manufacturers and suppliers of complete beverage packaging lines.
“Typically, a complete beverage bottling line comprises of a blow molding machine, filling machine, capping machines, shrink wrapping machine and a palletizing machine. Of all these machines, some come from SMI and a recent tie-up with another Italian company specializing in label applicators, named PE Labeling Machine, has now allowed us to grow our umbrella of offerings to the industry. Together with PE Labeling Machine, we will now be able to supply label applicators in India,” says Ambrish Rupak, deputy general manager of Clearpack Automation.
At pacprocess, Clearpack displayed a high-speed blow molding machine, EBS 4K from SMI Italy. The machine runs at 8,800 bottles an hour. It can blow mold 8,800 500 ml bottles every hour while the speed goes down with the increase in bottle volume. The same machine can produce 7,500 2L bottles an hour. The machine displayed at the stand was already sold to one of Coca-Cola’s bottlers in India. It also displayed a compact shrink bundling machine from SMI Italy for making 50-micron PE films for shrink wrapping a set of bottles. “Our major customers in the country are Coke bottlers and we have also sold our machines to some breweries across the country. Bisleri and Parle Agro are some of our other customers. The beverage market is growing continuously and the consumption
of packaged beverages is increasing in India. We’re witnessing close to 25% growth every year. The CSD juices have grown by 25% in 2018. These trends reflect the growth of bottled beverages and its consumption in India,” adds Rupak. Rupak believes that the beverage industry has seen a sea-change in the recent past with a fall in the consumption of carbonated beverages and an increase in healthy beverage options available in the market.
“Before targeting plastics, one must keep in mind that excessive use of paper will also harm the environment. Paper as an alternative will require pulp and wood and cutting trees is not the ideal solution that we should be looking at. Plastic over the years has filled in the gap. It is one resource that the industry has been able to offer at a cheaper rate with no adverse impact on the environment. It is the indiscriminate littering of plastic that has filled our landfills. If plastic is used judiciously, I don’t think it will ever be a problem. Despite all the talk on the use of plastics, PET remains one of the most prominent sources of beverage
packaging in the country,” Rupak shares.
Talking about the show, Rupak says, “The response is pretty good. Even on the first day, we witnessed a decent footfall. Our technology is gaining a reputation in the market. Along with the blow molding machine, the shrink bundling machine is also getting a good response from the visitors. We hope we get more inquiries in the coming days.”
