When French company, Sidel, developed its ACTISTM 48 machine for the high-speed production of barrier PET bottles for the beverage industry, it found that the existing instruments for measuring oxygen permeation or oxygen transmission rate (OTR) were tooslow. To solve the problem, Sidel and Systech Instruments, the leading British gas analysis specialist, collaborated on the development of a new, faster method of OTR analysis.The Systech Model 8700, the result of this collaboration, halves the time taken to test the barrier PET bottles.

With the Sidel ACTISTM 48 producing more than 30,000 (thirty thousand) barrier PET bottles per hour, existing test methods were completely inadequate for product qualification and quality tracking, even when statistical methods were used. The new system reduces the test cycle time from 24 to 12 hours but importantly allows up to elevensample bottles to be tested simultaneously using just one instrument. If increased testing capacity is needed, up to six instruments can be operated in parallel under the control of a single PC.

At such high production rates, fast product quality testing becomes increasingly important, as do running costs. The new system uses low cost nitrogen as the carrier gas, rather than the more widely used and expensive nitrogen/hydrogen mix and, to minimise downtime and maintenance costs, the oxygen sensor is automatically protected from damage by high oxygen levels. The new technology behind the Systech 8700, subject to a pending patent, is licensed by Sidel to Systech Instruments for worldwide marketing.

Sidel ACTISTM 48

The Actis™ process consists of depositing a thin layer of hydrogen rich amorphous carbon inside a PET bottle. By reducing CO2 loss and O2 ingress, the Actis™ process extends the shelf life of sensitive drinks like beer, CSDs, juice or tea packaged in PET bottles up to about 600 ml in size (bottle height under neck ring: 254 mm, diameter 75 mm).

The Actis™ treatment also brings significant savings in materials costs because bottle weights are lighter. For example, a 600 ml PET bottle for CSDs, weighing 28 g, has a shelf life of about 8 weeks. But that same bottle, when Actis™ treated and lightened to 23 g, has a shelf life of over 20 weeks, which results in an 18 percent savings in PET resin.

Systech Instruments Limited

Founded in 1984, Systech Instruments has developed into one of the leading experts in oxygen and moisture detection in the world. The company’s application and technology expertise has provided efficient and innovative solutions to oxygen analysis problems in many industry sectors. In addition to oxygen and moisture analysis and detection, Systech now supplies a wide range of analysers including industrial gas purity, modified atmosphere in food packaging and very precise measurement of oxygen permeation and water vapour permeation through packaging materials. As the company’s expertise and product range has expanded, the list of users has grown both in the UK and globally.

More information is available from:-

Craig Holmes
Systech Instruments Limited
17 Thame Park Business Centre
Wenman Road
Thame
OX9 3XA
Tel: +44 (0)1844 216838
Fax: +44 (0)1844 217220
Email: info@systech.co.uk
Web Site: www.systechinstruments.com