Italian water bottler AQua Vera has once again chosen Sidel for the installation of a new complete polyethylene terephthalate (PET) packaging line at its Castrocielo site.
This move comes as the company seeks to increase its production capacity for high-quality still water in PET bottles.
The decision was influenced by the successful collaboration and performance of the Sidel Combi installed in 2016.
The new turnkey bottling line from Sidel is set to enhance AQua Vera’s production capabilities, particularly for its 500ml bottles, with an output of up to 20,000 bottles per hour.
The installation of the new bottling line is scheduled for early next year, ahead of the peak mid-year demand.
AQua Vera CEO Fabrizio Quagliuolo said: “We appreciate Sidel’s collaborative attitude towards the successful delivery of each of our projects. The teams at Sidel are always on hand to support us, even when we’re facing issues in other areas not directly related to the manufacturer’s equipment.”
The expansion aligns with the company’s growth strategy following the acquisition of the ‘Vera’ brand from Nestlé in 2020.
AQua Vera operates three plants across Italy, with two owned facilities located in Castrocielo and Santo Stefano di Quisquina, and a third plant under a co-packing contract until 2026.
The water bottler has already deployed Sidel’s Combi at Castrocielo, which integrates blow moulding, filling, and capping processes while reducing energy and resource consumption.
Combi is designed to manage contact-free filling for AQua Vera’s water hygienically and safely while minimising energy usage when compared with previous blower models.
The machine also reduces water and chemical consumption as it has a smaller filling enclosure.
Quagliuolo further added: “Sidel provided the right design layout with user-friendly operations at its heart, while ensuring it remained cost-effective. Similarly, Sidel has taken overall responsibility for project management of the line to ensure its efficiency and best performance.”
Recently, Sidel introduced Eco-Audit, a comprehensive service designed to help manufacturers optimise the environmental footprint of their packaging lines.
