Sidel contributes to Lesieur sustainability and flexibility vision with three Combi solutions for light-weighted rPET edible oil bottles

A transformation with quality, ergonomics and flexibility in mind

The transformation has been structured around the installation of three Sidel Serac Combis with blowing, filling and capping functions, which can produce 0.5 or 1 L formats up to 2 and 3 L at speeds ranging from 15,000 bottles per hour (bph) all the way up to 30,000 bph. “We decided to invest in an on-line blowing solution. Now, we have only five production lines, but we are able to increase our general production capacity thanks to Sidel’s high-speed solutions. There has been a very positive impact on production costs as well,” says Francis Arulraj, Project Manager at Lesieur.

With the new Combis, the heating and blowing technologies ensure consistency in bottle integrity. This technological change has improved not only quality, but also ergonomics. Sidel’s equipment takes up very little floor space; thus, it has helped the company remove conveyors and walkways and make the operators’ daily work easier. When it comes to format changeovers, not only are they easy enough to be done by the entire production team, but they also meet production and adaptability needs. The mould changeover time, for instance, is shorter and easier, which lowers production downtime. “We have also optimised our line’s availability thanks to the support of the Sidel packaging team. By rationalising the number of bottle formats from 22 to 14, thanks to a common outer diameter, we now have a much leaner way to approach our production schedule, while still being able to propose different shapes to our customers,” states Denis Trelhu, Production Manager.