To meet the growing demand for bottled water in the Saudi Arabian market, Health Water Bottling Company (HWB), a leading bottled water supplier in Saudi Arabia producing water under the Nova brand name, has recently acquired a complete PET line from Sidel that will boast one of the fastest turnover rates in the world, according to the equipment supplier. With the new line, which embraces the last generation of Sidel Matrix™ equipment, HWB will be producing PET water bottles in 330- and 600-mL formats at a speed of 134,000 bottles/hr by February 2015.
In recent years, demand for bottled water (both still and carbonated) in the Saudi Arabian market has risen dramatically and is forecast to grow even further in future years. Off-trade sales volume of bottled water rose by 52.4% between 2007 and 2012, growing from 1,063 to 1,620 million liters sold, and has come close to surpassing the sales of carbonated beverages. The increase in demand has been attributed to the growing population of Saudi Arabia. The nation recorded a 2% increase in population in 2011, and water, being such a fundamental necessity, drove up the demand for bottled water.
In light of this increasing demand, the turnout rate of Nova branded bottles is crucial, says Sidel. The new PET packaging line will allow HWB to stay at the forefront of this growing market by boosting its annual water production capacity, thereby sustaining its industry-leading position.
During the 15-year relationship between Sidel and HWB, the water bottler has purchased different standalone equipment from Sidel, including blowing machines, fillers, and others. The company was operating lines that featured technologies from several different suppliers, which did not optimize the overall line efficiency in terms of energy cost and wastage. This is one of the reasons for HWB making the subsequent decision to choose one solutions provider for a complete line to ensure line performance. HWB says Sidel was selected because of its expertise in engineering know-how and the high performance of its equipment and services.
“We have been using Sidel’s equipment in our lines for many years now and have consistently been satisfied with their service and after-sales support. We have decided that, due to their superior knowledge and technical capabilities, Sidel would be the best option for us in terms of a complete line,” said Harry Nowers, Plant Manager at HWB.
According to Sidel, its Matrix system offers a higher level of performance, very fast changeover times, greater oven efficiency, and improved uptime. HWB’s new line will be equipped with two Sidel Matrix Combis, integrating blow-fill-cap in one enclosure. Because of the neck-handling and positive transfer of bottles between blow molding and filling, the equipment is not bound by the limitations imposed by air conveyors, allowing it to offer greater design freedom in terms of bottle shape and the ability to package lightweight bottles at high speeds. Moreover, its overall efficiency, ergonomic and hygienic design, compact size, easy maintenance, and lower energy consumption will all contribute to real cost reductions for HWB, says Sidel.
