Wine in PET

The family firm José García Carrión (JGC) has now begun bottling wine in PET. At its facility in Daimiel, the company has invested in the first PET line with a cleanroom for wine in PET in Spain. With an output of 14,000 containers an hour in three-shift operation, JGC bottles regional still wines, Sangria, and the lightly carbonated Tinto de Verano.

The preforms are fed to the blow-moulder via a hopper loading system. The Contiform S8 and the entire line are currently equipped for a 1.0-litre container weighing 38 grams, a 1.5-litre container weighing 43 grams, and a 2.0-litre size weighing 52 grams. The blow-moulding machine is directly BLOC-synchronised using insulated transfer starwheels with the Volumetic filler, a volumetric model that shares an enclosure with the screw-capper. The screw caps themselves are fed in from above. Fill level and correct closure fit are monitored by a Checkmat inspection unit located directly at the filler’s discharge. The Glideliner conveyors transport the full PET containers first to a dryer, before they are dressed in wrap-around labels by a Contiroll labeller. Another Checkmat verifies that the label is correctly positioned. Finally, a Variopac Pro non-returnables packer assembles shrink-wrapped six-packs or trays, which after a handle has been fitted are palletised and passed to the high-bay warehouse.

"PET is more convenient, more affordable and lighter than glass", explains proprietor José García Carrión. “And we wanted to exploit these advantages for wine as well. The transportation costs alone, given present-day prices for fuel, are at least 30 per cent lower than for glass bottles." For José García Carrión, the experience gained with wine in PET is more than merely a successful experiment. "It’s an innovation ranking with the introduction of wine in composite cartons more than 25 years ago, and which may revolutionise the markets yet again."