SIG Combibloc Introduces Bottle Made of Paperboard
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SIG Combibloc, Germany, part of the New Zealand based Rank Group, has introduced a bottle made of "cardboard." Known as combidome, the new packaging combines the best features of a carton pack with the best features of a bottle. Combidome looks like a bottle, and thanks to its shape, stability, and smooth pouring action, it is also just as easy to handle. And in addition, combidome offers all of the proven and unrivalled benefits of a carton pack in terms of product protection, environmental, and economic considerations. The entire carton pack—from the base to the dome that gives it its distinctive bottle shape and its name—is manufactured from a paperboard composite.
Markus Boehm, chief market officer (CMO) at SIG Combibloc, notes that "with combidome, we have created a carton pack that offers a new dimension in differentiation and convenience, and brings with it all of the proven environmental benefits of the beverage carton."
The slim, sturdy combidome carton sits very comfortably in the hand. The carton pack consists of two sections: a carton body composed from the base to the dome of paperboard composite, and the screw cap domeTwist. Inside the combidome filling machine, the two components are assembled into the finished carton pack, aseptically filled, and securely sealed. The single-action domeTwist screw cap is positioned in the center of the package's top, and is easy to open. At 28 mm, the inner diameter of the closure is particularly large, ensuring smooth pouring and enabling consumers to drink conveniently straight from the carton pack.
In an initial stage, combidome is designed as a packaging solution for non-carbonated soft drinks. The protective composite structure of the combidome carton is composed primarily of raw paperboard and polymers. At around 75%, paperboard is the main ingredient of this composite structure, and gives the carton stability. The inner polymer layers form a liquid barrier for the beverage; the outer layer keeps moisture out. Added to this is a thin aluminum layer, which protects the product from light, oxygen, and external odors. This means nutrients and vitamins in the aseptically filled beverages are retained for a long time, with absolutely no preservatives—and as long as the carton pack is left unopened, there is no need for refrigeration.
The combidome filling machine (photo below), is capable of filling up to 12,000 carton packs per hour.
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