Boosting quality and efficiency
The complete high-performance line provided by Sidel delivers optimum water quality. It includes the all-in-one Super Combi solution for blowing, labelling and filling, with the unique ground level preform infeed system, EasyFEED™, and the top ergonomic cap feeder, Gebo OptiFeed®. These pieces of equipment all ensure that Mai Dubai’s high quality standards are met including:
- Safe and clean conditions are ensured by EasyFEED with its UV lamps. In addition, a dedusting system for preforms is integrated into the blower, while a deionizing system on the caps chute further boosts the hygienic conditions.
- At the labelling stage, quality and efficiency are also met by three labelling stations, all equipped with an auto-splicing system, delivering consistent uptime by ensuring non-stop production. Bottles are scuff- and scratch-free, improving the quality of the end-product. This is due to the ease of handling of lightweight bottles, enabled by labelling between the blowing and filling stage.
- The accurate, reliable no-contact filler features a reduced enclosure kept in overpressure with high-efficiency particulate-absorbing (HEPA) filters. This results in a protected environment around the filling valves, and an easier to clean area using less sterilising agents and time.
- Gebo OptiFeed’s features enable smooth cap handling. Its inspection system improves efficiency by automatically detecting cap quality and colour.
Continuing down the line, the seamless shrink-wrapper EvoFilm® meets Mai Dubai’s key requirements for maximising efficiency by minimising downtime. It also manages nested packs – where bottles are offset so they can be closely packed – and gives stability while reducing the pack’s footprint, bringing cost savings in logistics.
Additional features of the new line include, the high-speed, high-level pack infeed, PalLinear palletiser. It features a fully robotic layer preparation, RoboSmart, offering flexibility and saving time as well as being easier to operate.
In addition, Mai Dubai was so impressed with Sidel’s Efficiency Improvement Tool (EIT®), the all-in-one line performance software, that it has now installed it on its other packaging lines.
Exceeding expectations
Mai Dubai appreciated Sidel’s smooth implementation of the line and ability to meet deadlines but exceed expectations: “We were very impressed with Sidel’s adaptability and understanding of our requirements,” says Mohamad Usman. “They delivered a line that was faster than our original specification. Sidel also met our additional request for bottle strength improvement. Within 15 days they had done a Failure Mode and Effects (FME) analysis and come up with a solution. With Emirates Airlines as a flagship client, premium, distinctive and reliable packaging is important to Mai Dubai.”
Meeting consumer demand
The new installation is enabling Mai Dubai to respond to the growing demand for bottled water in the UAE, which already has one of the world’s highest per capita water consumption, as consumers opt for healthier products and move away from sugary drinks to no-calorie options.
Achieving sustainability goals
Consumers are also increasingly influenced by the environment when making purchasing decisions. Mai Dubai promotes PET as a sustainable product and runs education initiatives about plastic recycling with local schools. The company’s clear commitment to sustainability is also demonstrated through its energy strategy. The entire plant is run on renewable energy, generated from its more than 52,000 rooftop solar panels – an area equivalent to all the windows in the Burj Khalifa, the iconic Dubai skyscraper and the world’s tallest building. For the past two years Mai Dubai has been net positive, generating more power than it uses. “Sidel is, of course, one of the respected suppliers in the industry,” concludes Alexander van ’t Riet. “When we compared the services that we needed, the equipment, the digital technology, and the solutions that were important to us such as energy consumption, we decided that Sidel would be the right partner for us.”
[1] UAE Sort Drinks Market Insights 2021 – Key insights and drivers behind the soft drinks market performance. Source – Global Data
