Ceepackaging

Technology

OTR reducing measurement time

Measuring oxygen transmission through bottle walls remains the benchmark test for barrier equipment qualification.  The Systech 8700 was originally designed to meet the challenge of faster and less costly OTR testing of ACTISTM treated PET bottles.  When Sidel launched the ACTIS™ 48 machine, its high output, in excess of 30,000 bottles/hour, overwhelmed conventional methods for qualification and quality tracking, even relying on statistical sampling.

The Systech 8700 measures OTR in 12 hours instead of the conventional 24-hour cycle.  The system measures up to 11 samples with a single instrument, yet requires only half the space of other instruments on the market.  Measurement capacity can be increased by operating several devices simultaneously.
Another special feature of the analyzer is its use of nitrogen, an inexpensive carrier gas, as opposed to a nitrogen/hydrogen mix.  Finally, maintenance costs are lower because the instrument sensor is automatically protected from exposure to high oxygen levels.

This new OTR analyzer is the result of close collaboration between Sidel and Systech Instruments Ltd., a British company that specializes in oxygen detection systems.  The Systech 8700 technology (Sidel patent pending) is licensed to Systech which manufactures and markets the system according to specifications and qualifications established by Sidel to meet the unique demands for speed and quality on high-output production applications.

Since it was introduced in 2000, Sidel’s ActisTM solution has been used to produce over two billion PET bottles with superior barrier properties for packaging carbonated and/or oxygen-sensitive beverages like beer, soda, tea, juice and sparkling water.
The Sidel Group is one of the world’s leading suppliers of equipment for packaging liquid foods. The Group has 5,000 employees worldwide and is a division of Tetra Laval.

Photo: The Systech 8700 cuts OTR testing time in half for barrier PET bottles.