Beverage maker boosts productivity using compact bottling line

Coca-Cola FEMSA has chosen Sidel’s Super Combi for its carbonated soft drinks (CSD) line in Jundiai, Brazil, increasing overall line productivity and operating at 39,000 bottles per hour. It can also handle up to 10 bottle formats from 0.2 to 2 L, while reducing the overall footprint of the line with a more efficient use of space within the facility.

One of the largest Coca-Cola franchises in the world, Coca-Cola FEMSA serves more than 270 million people with a portfolio of 134 beverage brands, including carbonated soft drinks, water, juices, teas and energy drinks. It operates 56 manufacturing plants and has 249 distribution centres across Latin America.

With demand for CSD growing across the region, the drinks maker opted for Sidel’s Super Combi for its CSD operations following the successful installation of the solution at the company’s water line at the Bauru plant.

The Sidel Super Combi is an all-in-one solution that integrates five key units — preform feeder, blower, labeller, filler/capper and cap feeder — into a compact smart system. The design provided a 30% reduction in footprint compared to standalone equipment, which made it suitable for the site. The solution was able to replace the existing wet block equipment and seamlessly integrated with the remaining production set-up.

Engineered as a closed and compact system, the solution is designed to minimise contamination risks by reducing the number of transfer points and potential exposure to contaminants. It also helps make lightweight PET bottles by reducing transfer distances and minimising mechanical stress, allowing for thinner bottles.

The drinks maker also uses Sidel’s BlendFILL system which integrates the mixer and filler tanks into a single unit, streamlining operations.

Sidel also installed the Evo-ON Care and Performance apps, allowing the drinks maker to optimise line performance with actionable recommendations to solve efficiency losses. This app is designed to help increase overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) by making it easy to track, understand and address machine inefficiencies, ensuring that production units meet their performance targets.

Coca-Cola FEMSA uses 100% recycled PET (rPET) preforms in its bottle production, and the Sidel Super Combi is fully compatible with rPET.