In the 1980 song “Lookin’ for Love” by Johnny Lee, the singer harmonizes about looking for love in all the wrong places only to find a friend and lover. In the beverage market, manufacturers aren’t on the hunt for love but are still searching for solutions that support a sustainable future.

“Everyone is looking for sustainability solutions,” says Jim Chow, product manager at KHS USA Inc., Waukesha, Wis. “This means equipment [that] uses minimum resources (energy and PET resin) and fully compatible with recycled PET material (rPET).”

Bryan Lee, plastics technology sales at Krones Inc., Franklin, Wis., also points to the impact that sustainability is having on the packaging industry.

“The industry’s focus on reducing carbon footprint has accelerated trends such as bottle lightweighting, increased use of recycled materials, and minimizing air and energy consumption,” he says.

Lee explains that Krones has remained committed to help beverage manufacturers exceed environmental standards.

“Our holistic approach ensures that every new technology or process we introduce is designed to reduce the ecological impact of plastic bottle production — reflecting our core value of responsibility for people and the environment,” he says.

Government regulations also are having an impact on advancements to support sustainable manufacturing.

“Regulatory changes and consumer expectations are shaping the future,” Lee says. “Governments worldwide are introducing new regulations, such as extended producer responsibility (EPR), to promote sustainable packaging.

“For example, South Korea’s upcoming mandate for label-less water bottles is driving innovation in product identification, such as in-mold labeling and laser engraving,” he continues. “Krones partners closely with customers to develop comprehensive line solutions, including self-manufacturing of preforms with our Prefero technology with close link to a blow molder, that not only comply with evolving regulations but also enhance product differentiation and consumer trust.”

Octeville-sur-Mer, Normandy-based Sidel’s Tommaso Tegoni, product manager of filling, and Enrico Savani, product manager of sensitive filling, also tout the impact of sustainability and regulations.

“Plastic bottle manufacturing equipment is being shaped by sustainability demands, regulatory changes, and evolving consumer preferences,” they say. “The introduction of new legislation, such as the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, has accelerated the industry’s shift towards eco-friendly solutions.

“These regulations require, for example, that plastic caps remain attached to bottles and set ambitious targets for reducing packaging waste and increasing recycled content,” the two continue. “The drive for circularity, has led the adoption of advanced technologies such as smart and precise heating, and mold innovations to support the production of high-quality bottles even with 100% rPET and light weights.”

KHS USA’s Chow explains that as beverage manufacturers prioritize sustainability, original equipment manufacturers are taking the steps to support that.

“Manufacturing equipment needs to be work with increased application with rPET where preform quality and color variation could be a challenge,” he says. “Usage of non-super clean rPET could be a risk of migration of toxic substance from the PET bottle into the beverage. Equipment [that] can provide technology to limit migration and ensure best beverage protection is desired.”

Chow explains that rPET Control eliminates rPET related process variations, but that just scratches the surface of the advancements in plastic bottle manufacturing.

“NIR (near infrared) heating technology provides up to 30% energy savings compared to conventional IR (infrared) in the preform heating oven,” he says. “DoGa (Double Gated) dual lane oven provides up to additional 30% energy savings compared to single lane oven and up to 40% reduction in heater boxes to achieve the most compact footprint and significant reduction in operation cost.

“Focus Heater steers energy area below the neck ring to move unused material into the bottle wall, resulting in up to 1 gram of material savings per bottle,” Chow continues. “CleverLoc mold hanger provides gentle closing and locking in a single motion with no additional clamping devices needed. The simple design with reduced moving parts gives the benefits of less wear and maintenance along with wider processing window.”

Krones’ Lee also calls attention to the role that digitalization is having on plastic bottle manufacturing equipment.

“Digitalization is transforming the food and beverage packaging industry,” he says. “At Krones, we are pioneering the integration of digital technologies across the entire production process. From real-time data analytics to predictive maintenance and smart line control, our digital solutions empower customers to achieve new levels of transparency, efficiency and reliability.”

“We are very optimistic with the future of plastic bottle as we continue to see year over year growth in the beverage industry.”

– Jim Chow, product manager at KHS USA Inc.

Designed for today’s market

Beyond sustainability, beverage manufacturers continue to see SKU proliferation’s impact their operations.

“Flexibility and efficiency are essential in today’s dynamic market,” Krones’ Lee says. “The growing variety of SKUs means more frequent changeovers, which can lead to increased downtime. Krones addresses this challenge by integrating advanced robotics and automation into our packaging lines, enabling rapid, precise format changes, such as our MouldXpress rapid mold change technology. This not only maximizes overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) but also empowers operators to focus on value-added tasks, while our systems ensure consistent, repeatable results.”

KHS USA’s Chow also stresses the importance of flexibility and efficiency to support diverse portfolios.

“With increased product changes, quick and easy product change over becomes more important for the equipment because this will help maintain higher machine availability,” he says. “More SKU may also result in increasing need for better bottle barrier performance from bottle manufacturing equipment for longer product shelf life.”

Sidel’s Tegoni and Savani note that original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are developing machinery with these needs in mind.

“Manufacturers now require machinery that can handle frequent changeovers, multiple formats, and rapid adjustments to production lines,” they say. “Sidel has responded by developing automated solutions that allow for quick and easy configuration changes, minimizing downtime and ensuring production efficiency even as the number of SKUs grows. This flexibility is essential for meeting the needs of brands that want to offer a diverse product portfolio while maintaining operational efficiency and safety.”

OEMs also are tapping into artificial intelligence (AI) to support plastic bottle manufacturing.

“AI is unlocking new possibilities for quality and efficiency,” Krones’ Lee says. “Artificial intelligence enables smarter process adjustments, faster and more accurate inspection, and proactive defect detection in bottles, caps, and labels.

“By continuously monitoring environmental and material variables, AI-driven systems can autonomously optimize machine performance ensuring consistent product quality and reducing waste,” he continues. “For example, our cutting-edge Contiloop AI technology measures the most important container parameters and environmental parameters inline and readjusts the blow molding process if necessary.”

KHS USA’s Chow explains that the company employs AI in areas where it generates added value such as more efficient processes, better product quality or improved services.

“All while placing great importance on transparency, data security and, above all, ethical standards,” he says. “At customer sites, for example our AI-supported inspection system for testing closure and sealing integrity is already in use, making a real contribution to quality assurance in beverage production. Other solutions are currently being developed, including proactive detection of anomalies to increase line availability, causal AI for root cause analysis of faults and smart self-service support.”

Sidel’s Tegoni and Savani explain that AI can support predictive maintenance, real-time quality control and process optimization.

“For example, Sidel’s Qual-IS tool uses AI to proactively monitor and prevent potential quality issues in aseptic production lines, while the IntelliADJUST system uses real-time data to ensure optimal material distribution and consistent PET bottle quality,” they say. “AI-powered analytics platforms, such as the Evo-ON software suite, collect and analyze equipment data to provide actionable insights, enabling manufacturers to maximize uptime, reduce waste, and improve overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). As AI technologies continue to evolve, their role in driving efficiency, consistency, and innovation in plastic bottle manufacturing will only grow.”

As OEMs continue to innovate their equipment to support the need for plastic bottles, suppliers remain optimistic about the future.

“We are very optimistic with the future of plastic bottle as we continue to see year over year growth in the beverage industry,” Chow says. “We will continue to focus on market needs and provide the best overall solution.”

Krones’ Lee further points to the industry’s dedication to innovation to support what’s to come.

“Innovation and partnership will define the next era with advancements in sustainability, digitalization, and automation leading the way,” he says. “At the recent drinktec in Munich, Krones unveiled a first-of-its-kind PET ‘line of the future’ called Ingeniq, which combines software, equipment and service into one seamless operation.”

Sidel’s Tegoni and Savani detail the plastic bottle manufacturing equipment will see it’s future defined by innovation in sustainability, digitalization and automation.

“Equipment will increasingly be designed to accommodate higher levels of recycled content and minimize resource consumption,” they say. “AI and IoT technologies will become standard, enabling predictive maintenance, real-time process optimisation, and enhanced quality control. The industry will also see greater adoption of flexible, modular systems that can quickly adapt to new product formats and market trends. As regulatory pressures and consumer expectations around sustainability intensify, manufacturers will need to invest in equipment that not only meets today’s requirements but is also future-proofed for the evolving landscape of packaging.”