KHS has established a remarkable new standard in food and drink packaging by developing one of the world’s lightest PET bottles for still beverages to date. Dubbed Factor 101, this innovative container, created in collaboration with Canadian-based Husky Technologies—a leader in injection molding technology—utilizes only 5.89 grams of material to hold 591 milliliters of product, which corresponds to the common 20-ounce size in the United States.
At drinktec 2017, KHS showcased the Factor 100 concept as a feasibility study featuring a PET bottle weighing approximately five grams with a 500 milliliter capacity. Since then, KHS has implemented several optimizations to advance its development. “With such extreme lightweighting, what’s known as the top load is especially important. This value tells us how sturdy the bottle is from a vertical perspective. It determines whether the container can be stacked or can survive transportation undamaged,” explains KHS packaging designer Fabian Osterhold in Hamburg.
Extremely Robust Lightweight
To enhance stability, KHS modified the shoulder design of Factor 101 and reinforced the bottle body with functional webbing. Additionally, Osterhold and his team crafted a base with a pop-in effect, allowing the base to slightly collapse inward under pressure, which increases internal stability.
The industry standard for top load thresholds is around 200 newtons; however, Factor 101 surpasses this at 220 newtons. Achieving this remarkable strength for a PET bottle used for still beverages required more than just reshaping the container. “The preform design also needed to be developed further,” emphasizes Osterhold. This is why KHS partnered with Husky—a company renowned in the PET preform injection molding systems sector and a long-time collaborator.
Challenging Coordination
Technically, the stretching factors from blank to bottle and the resulting preform dimensions were crucial. The relationship between length and wall thickness is particularly significant in injection molding. KHS focused on the specifications and capabilities of the stretch blow molder and bottle design, while Husky adapted the preform accordingly. “The focus here was on the exact profiling of the preform made possible by KHS technology,” asserts Osterhold. “Focus lamps in the heater on our InnoPET Blomax Series V ensure extremely precise temperature profiling, so no material remains unstretched, significantly reducing plastic usage.”
30% Less Material
Compared to standard lightweight PET containers that typically weigh seven grams for holding 500 milliliters of still water in the US market, the joint KHS and Husky product cuts material usage by 30%. Furthermore, it can be entirely manufactured from rPET, promoting sustainable packaging in the food and drink sector.
However, bottle geometry is just one aspect. “Line compatibility in high-capacity production—up to 90,000 bottles per hour—presented a significant challenge,” states Osterhold. Issues such as conveying, labeling, and secondary packaging were paramount. For instance, ensuring that the bottle does not topple during conveying required special attention to the bottle shoulder.
High-Speed Development
“Not only the weight but also the time in which the project was implemented are potentially record-breaking,” remarks Osterhold. Thanks to the effective teamwork between Husky and various KHS departments, they successfully concluded the project within just four months.
Great Market Interest
Husky first presented Factor 101 live at the NPE 2024 plastics trade show in Orlando, Florida, in May of last year. The industry’s response to this extreme lightweight has been noticeably positive. “The bottle in this form is especially relevant to contract fillers facing significant cost pressures,” believes Osterhold. The primary target markets include the United States, the Middle East, and South America, with initial projects already in preparation.
In a discussion with Frank Haesendonckx, head of Stretch Blow Molding Technology at KHS, and Michael Müller, Director of Aftermarket PET Tooling for Husky Technologies:
Haesendonckx: “Factor 101 is an excellent example of combining Husky’s engineering expertise in preform manufacturing with our proficiency in bottle design and production. Our joint aim is to achieve a high-quality, high-performing, lightweight result that neither could accomplish alone. Or, as I like to put it: for us, one plus one is greater than two.”
Müller: “We see great benefits in merging our technical expertise and look forward to leveraging this for future projects. Factor 101 serves as a starting point for broader discussions on lightweight programs and the optimization of existing packaging systems.”
Haesendonckx: “We aim to integrate more cost-efficient preform and bottle manufacturing with enhanced performance—beyond just Factor 101.”
Müller: “We share a common spirit and goal—working towards developing sustainable packaging solutions.”
