Water producer splashes out on new bottling technology

One of Armenia’s largest mineral water producers, Jermuk Group, has invested in a series of technologies from KHS to expand its PET and glass water bottling capacity. Thanks to the installment of KHS technology across the board, Jermuk can now meet the growing demands of the domestic and international markets.

Available in Europe, the Middle East and the US, Jermuk is a well-known brand of bottled mineral water and natural spring water.

In 2010, Jermuk Group constructed new production facilities, which included KHS PET and glass bottle filling systems, with further expansion occurring in 2017 to meet growing market demand. Jermuk approached KHS for its filling and stretch blow moulding technology, also purchasing pallet technology, clean-in-place (CIP) and blending systems, a shrink packer and KHS’s holistic Bottles & Shapes consulting program, which optimised Jermuk’s bottle designs.

Following the 2017 restructure, problems in the production process emerged. Jermuk’s entire production line was supplied by KHS, with one exception: Jermuk had opted for another manufacturer to supply its labelling technology and was not satisfied with the results.

Labelling the problem

The labelling quality of Jermuk’s initial choice of labeller did not live up to the bottler’s expectations of a premium product. Although the labels themselves and the bottles were flawless, damaged labels were a frequent occurrence. Together with KHS, Jermuk determined that the third-party labelling technology was the culprit: it was unreliable and not precise enough for the paper labels being used.

Determined to provide a high-quality product to its customers, Jermuk rectified its choice of labelling technology and, in 2018, commissioned a KHS Innoket Neo labeller on each of its two lines.

Jermuk Group President Ashot Arsenyan explained, “The problem was solved as soon as the two labellers were put into operation. The quality of the packaging is now 100% compatible with our special product.”

Oliver Schneider, KHS Vice President of the Eastern Europe region, said: “At up to 25,000 bottles per hour for the glass line and a maximum of 20,000 for the PET line, for KHS the project is more in the low-capacity range; the chances of further growth in Armenia are thus good.”

Image caption: Jermuk water in green glass bottles is filled entirely using KHS technology. Image credit: Jermuk Group.