Vöslauer Mineralwasser GmbHSustainability and resource conservation in PET for Vöslauer

With its market share of over 40%, Austria’s Vöslauer Mineralwasser GmbH ranks top of the Austrian mineral water market. In addition to bottling and distributing own brands such as Vöslauer Mineralwasser or Vöslauer Flavours, the company also produces the brands Almdudler, Pepsi Cola and 7up under license.

Into the future with rePET: Sustainability, conservation of resources and profitability

In 2018 Vöslauer became the first Austrian company to develop marketable 100% rePET (recycled PET) bottles. Vöslauer aims by 2025 to produce all PET bottles from 100% rePET. Another paramount requirement is efficient and CO2-saving transport to their recycling partners. To achieve this, all PET bottles are pressed into bales, with energy- and resource-conservation a top priority here. The result is obvious: high bale weights ensure fully utilised transport capacities. Long plant service life is also very important for Vöslauer.

The solution APK-D55 for PET: Ecologically effective, reliable operation and future-oriented

The fully automatic Austropressen APK-D55 channel baling press was selected as the answer to Vöslauer requirements. A specially designed in-feed system with perforator was added for reliable supply of the plant.

• PET bales weighing 300 kg are produced with 550 kN pressure force and for a calculated 135 m³/h throughput.

• A perforator will fully empty bottles containing any residual fluids. This will guarantee stable and heavy bales.

• To ensure resistance to any aggressive residual fluids (sugar from lemonade), the conveyor system is manufactured using entirely stainless steel (Niro).

• The channel baling press is furthermore protected with a special epoxy resin coating. Exchangeable HARDOX base plates ensure low wear and increased service life.

• A 22 kW drive with sensor-controlled switch-off should material infeed fail will guarantee efficient use of energy.

• Specially developed hydraulic units and an oil care system (cooling, heating, cleaning all in one) ensure energy-efficient operation and serve to extend the service life of hydraulic equipment and fluid.

• A patented cutting system will minimise jamming of material, energy consumption and wear of cutting tools.

• The fully automatic Austropressen DRILLFIX 4-fold bale binding system will ensure trouble-free and wire-saving operation. Reliable and trouble-free binding is assured by a wire insertion system.

• The channel baler communicates with the internal network to automatically log machine data (number of bales, operating hours, error messages).