SHERIDAN, WYOMING – Jan. 23, 2025 – CR Beverage, a leading Chinese bottled water brand, has partnered with Sidel to install three high-speed aseptic complete lines, significantly expanding its production capacity for sensitive beverages like teas, juices, and carbonated drinks. This investment comes as CR Beverage seeks to meet the growing demand for healthier, higher-quality drinks packaged in eco-friendly materials.
Meeting Growing Consumer Demand
CR Beverage, already a dominant player in China's bottled water market, is committed to diversifying its product portfolio and offering consumers a wider selection of premium beverages. This expansion aligns with GlobalData's prediction of a 4.6% compound annual growth rate in the Chinese beverage market from 2023 to 2027.
Building on a successful eight-year collaboration with Sidel, CR Beverage has once again chosen Sidel's innovative packaging solutions, this time to enhance its aseptic production capabilities.
High-Speed Aseptic Lines for Enhanced Production
Sidel installed three complete aseptic lines across CR Beverage's Yixing and Chengdu plants. These lines feature:
- Aseptic Combi Predis FMa: For tea and plum juice production.
- Aseptic Combi Predis FMac: For high and low acid products and carbonated drinks with 28 and 38 bottle necks.
The Chengdu plant line also includes four EvoDECO labelers and conveyors. These lines now produce an impressive 54,000 bottles per hour (bph) for 450ml formats and 27,000 bph for 1L formats.
A CR Beverage VP commented on the successful collaboration: "We have successively introduced bottled water lines and aseptic lines from Sidel, and all of them have been successfully put into production. Especially the aseptic lines have passed the aseptic validation in one go and reached the rated production capacity as scheduled, demonstrating the professional level and high synergy of aseptic technology. We believe that we will have more extensive cooperation in the future.”
Sidel Aseptic Combi Predis: The Advantages
Sidel's Aseptic Combi Predis offers a dry preform decontamination solution that prioritizes:
- Simplicity: Streamlined design for easy operation and maintenance.
- Speed: High-speed production capabilities to meet growing demands.
- Safety: Dry hydrogen peroxide mist sterilization ensures food safety and product integrity.
- Sustainability: Reduced water and chemical consumption for a minimized environmental footprint.
- Cost-Effectiveness: Low total cost of ownership without compromising performance or safety.
Aseptic Validation Success and Local Expertise
Sidel's commitment to local production and support is evident in the success of these installations. In 2024, Sidel celebrated the fifth anniversary of both its local Aseptic Predis manufacturing and its dedicated aseptic laboratory at its Beijing plant. This local focus has enabled Sidel to deliver over twenty Aseptic Predis Combi units throughout China and Asia.
Remarkably, all three aseptic lines for CR Beverage, produced at the Sidel Beijing plant, achieved a 100% one-time pass rate for aseptic validation.
Tang John, Sidel's Execution Project Management Director for Greater China, highlighted the significance of this achievement: "All our aseptic complete lines installed in the country in 2024 passed the aseptic validation test with impressive results. This is an extraordinary achievement and highlights the dedication and teamwork of our outstanding team, as well as our leadership and expertise in aseptic technology. This success showcases our leadership in aseptic technology, with proven reliability and performance that differentiates us from both local and global peers.”
A Partnership for Future Growth
The successful implementation of these aseptic lines underscores the strong partnership between Sidel and CR Beverage. Sidel's commitment to innovation, local support, and sustainable solutions aligns perfectly with CR Beverage's ambition to expand its beverage offerings and meet the evolving needs of the Chinese market.
About Sidel:
Sidel is a leading global provider of packaging solutions for liquids, foods, and home and personal care products. With a focus on innovation and customer satisfaction, Sidel offers complete line solutions, including equipment, services, and digital solutions, to help producers optimize their production efficiency, product quality, and sustainability performance.