Page 58 - Plastics News March 2020

proDuCt news

Muller launches robot geared UAE’s Agthia launches new

toward more complex packaging 100% plant-based water bottle

uller Technology has recently launched its new M-Line bu Dhabi-based food and beverages company Agthia
Mautomation system to be used for injection molding AGroup has launched a new plant-based water
packaging. Evolved from the company’s earlier designs bottle. Named ‘Al Ain Plant Bottle’, the new product
and featuring some major refinements, the new integrated is environmentally friendly and said to be the region’s
M-line robot is highly flexible and versatile.Developed first water bottle made from 100% plant-based sources,
including the cap. The process involves converting
plants to a special polymer material obtained from
the fermentation of sugars contained in plants without
using a single drop of petroleum or its by-products.
The plant-based bottle is being developed at Agthia’s
new packaging technology centre in Al Ain, with the
manufacturing consuming 60 per cent less energy during
the entire process, the statement added. Initially, the
bottle will only be launched for B2B clients rather
than the mass market, confirmed Agthia group CEO
Tariq Ahmed Al Wahedi. While acknowledging that it
to considerably expand the window of applications for will be priced higher initially, he also said that the
packaging manufacturers, it has multiple mold types/ future pricing model will depend on both consumer
pitches and multiple cavitations (single to 48-cavity). This is demand and supply as well as the availability of the
an improvement over the current automation systems that raw material stock needed to create the bottle.“At
are restricted to certain molds and specified cavitations. the end of the day, supply and demand will dictate
According to the company, processors are adapting to the market and the customer will choose. We present
shorter-term business contracts that can negatively affect them with options and they choose what suits them.
overall machine utilization. John Taggert, vice president We have the capability to adapt. Today there is a bit
of engineering for Muller Technology Colorado, says, of limitation in having the raw material, but if it turns
“Our newly designed M-Line provides an unprecedented out there is good demand, eventually we can expand
level of flexibility and versatility that significantly raises capacities,” he explained. Agthia also announced a
machine output and efficiency.” John adds that the M-Line partnership with resource management firm Veolia
can allow an increase in machine utilization to near 90 to also create a recycling system for PET bottles. The
percent as compared to the current standard of sub-80
percent utilization rates.The M-Line features a low-cost
and highly flexible end-of-arm-tooling (EOAT), which can
be changed quickly. Built on one frame and designed for
a small footprint, the automation system does not require
any assembly.The M-Line enables processors to adapt to
the fluctuating market scenario and thus change their
production volumes accordingly. This facilitates them to
achieve higher machine utilization.The M-Line consists of
three models for various injection press sizes Currently,
comprising of three models for various injection machine PET collection initiative between Agthia and Veolia
sizes, The M-Line has been jointly developed by Muller will begin in March in Abu Dhabi, with the wider aim
Technology Colorado and its sister company, Swiss-based to implement the programme on a national scale. The
Muller Technology Conthey. entities will work together with customers, partners
and channels to enable the collection of PET bottles.

58
Plastics News March 2020 60