Kingsmoor Packaging PET container for Costa’s club sandwich
The British packaging company Kingsmoor Packaging (KPL), producer of thermoformed containers based in Somerset (UK) has realized a premium thermoformed rPET container for the sandwich club of the world-famous British coffee-shop chain Costa Coffee, on a WM Thermoforming Machines thermoformer FC 780 E Speedmaster Plus.
The lightweight clear pack, featuring a base and lid design, was produced to launch Costa’s Christmas sandwich menu.
Kingsmoor Packaging holds an AA grade BRC certificate, the highest standard in food-manufacturing industry, demonstrating their continued commitment to offering their customers the very highest levels of quality assurance and they are producing mainly with FC 780E vacuum/pressure machines made by the Swiss based company WM-Thermoforming Machines. The contribution of companies like KPL is of great importance for the development of a sustainable packaging strategy and a recycling mentality.
KPL manufacture food grade packaging solutions in APET, PP and HIPS – as well as rPET, which contains at least 50% post-consumer recycled waste and at least 30% industry recycled waste, covering mostly salads and sandwiches that are destined for major retailers and coffee outlets.
According to producer’s feedback there is a difference in cutting force required between virgin and rPET material of about extra 10% for rPET, but sheet extruders and tools manufacturers, after tests and trials, have estimated that the additional force may go up to 20%.
This extra percentage depends on the origins of the recycled material and on the washing/recycling process used.
With regards to the forming process, the IV (intrinsic viscosity) drop will determine how well the material is formed and how deep the forming can be.
Another factor that affects the cutting force required is the quality of the recycled material: if the quality is good then the difference is not so big, but if the quality is low it can require more cutting force.
FC 780 E Speedmaster has a forming area: 780x 570mm, forming press with a clamping force of 30 tonnes and cutting press rated at 60 tonnes. The machine is equipped with a “Venturi” vacuum generator, a servo plug system and a 3-axis robot to pick-up formed parts with round or irregular shapes and used when A/B/C stacking is required.
The machine is equipped with a Wi-Fi connection to WM’s aftersales service based in Stabio (CH) and it also has the support of a local service engineer.
FC 780 E is available also in IM version, which allows forming and cutting in the same station, and in IM2 version, which has been presented at the latest PLAST exhibition in Milan, with servo clamp-frame movement, which can be also used to drive the plugs.
