Soft drinks in cans are booming in Tahiti

In among the turquoise waters of the Pacific and lush green volcanic mountains lies Tahiti, one of the world’s most remote beverage markets. And at the heart of this island market, Brasserie de Tahiti has been a well-established player for more than 100 years. Since 1914, the company has delivered a wide variety of beverages throughout the South Pacific region. What began in a simple wooden building is now a major local employer with a production facility covering more than 4.5-hectares. The company produces beer, wine, soft drinks, juices and water, including such brands as Polynesia’s iconic Hinano beer and Eau Royale spring water. In addition, Brasserie de Tahiti is a licensed bottler for well-known international brands, including Coca-Cola products.

25,000 cans per hour for the island market

In order to expand its production capacity, Brasserie de Tahiti is investing in a new canning line from Krones rated at 25,000 containers per hour, the maximum speed that can be achieved in the space available. The new line will complement an existing one and help ensure a reliable supply of products for the company’s 2,500 or so customers on Tahiti, Moorea and the outlying islands of French Polynesia. The line will fill Coca-Cola products as well as the company’s own carbonated soft drinks. “Our current line is a hybrid where both beer and CSD can be filled. By removing CSD from the current line and filling them on the new dedicated Krones line, production efficiency will reach another level,” says Martin Tutehau, Chief Executive Officer of the Brasserie de Tahiti.

From a technical standpoint, Brasserie de Tahiti is getting a solution that is both powerful and flexible: the heart of the line is a block-synchronized unit comprising a filler and a seamer from Krones. The Modulfill VFS-C delivers precise, product-friendly filling of carbonated beverages, while the Modulseam can seamer ensures that each container is properly sealed. A Checkmat FM-X inspection system provides dependable quality control. Likewise, the LinaTherm tunnel heater and Linadry container dryer are the perfect set-up for ensuring impeccable product quality and packaging. The dry end of the line incorporates two Variopac Pro packers, which enable efficient and flexible pack building. For bulk-can handling and for palletizing, Brasserie de Tahiti has chosen solutions from Kosme that deliver ergonomic operation and efficient supply of materials.
 
At the same time, the new line underscores the long-standing partnership between Brasserie de Tahiti and Krones. Brasserie de Tahiti has been running Krones machines for many years now, and this latest investment marks the company’s first turnkey order with Krones. With it, the brewery is putting its trust in the Krones Group as a one-stop shop delivering all the requisite technologies from a single source. That will mean fewer interfaces, clear lines of responsibility and smooth, efficient line operation that saves on resources. “Given the long-term relationship between our company and Krones, along with our remote location, a turnkey Krones system was the optimal choice to enhance efficiency across installation, training, and after-sales service,” says CEO Martin Tutehau.