Sidel – a provider of packaging solutions for beverage, food, and home care products in PET, can, glass and materials — has partnered with Yili Group, a Chinese dairy products producer and one of Asia’s largest dairy companies, to help it install a versatile aseptic lab filler.
The filler has been designed primarily for research and development and is situated in Yili’s specially constructed facility. It will enable the regional market leader to launch new products and adapt existing bottles, further enhancing its reputation for innovation.
Already in operation, Sidel’s aseptic lab filler has been designed with the customer’s specific needs in mind and will help Yili to lead the market in innovation and versatility while providing a platform to rapidly develop and launch products more efficiently.
Compact in scale, the versatile aseptic lab filler was conceived to enable Yili to research and test product designs, enabling test runs consisting of a small number of bottles with different shapes and sizes. Entirely flexible, the line allows Yili’s developers to customize any element of the test projects, ranging from the overall product to the specific neck, bottle format or capping.
In addition to the several types of aseptic filling processes for both still and carbonated drinks, this lab line can handle other types of filling processes, such as hot filling. Additional benefits include huge flexibility, simplicity of operation, comprehensive maintenance and troubleshooting.
Yili has also been supported by Sidel in meeting new demands for products, helping to maintain its leading position in the dairy market and to develop its presence in the market of other soft drinks.
The delivery of Sidel’s versatile Aseptic lab filler, along with a new EvoBLOW eHR with six cavities, benefited from a combination of expertise, both in China and across the world. The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic created many challenges during the assembly of the line. However, Sidel and Yili cooperated very closely to ensure the successful completion of the project. The installation and technical assistance were delivered fully through professional guidance, conducted remotely via virtual calls by Sidel, and executed on the ground by experienced engineers based in Greater China.
Sidel and Yili’s strategic partnership commenced in 2017. Sidel says its values of customer excellence, collaboration, innovation, and sustainability align with the Yili Group, which assessed equipment capacity, technical support, ability to innovate, product quality, sustainable development and service across the board in their search for a strategic partner.
Filippo Fu, Sidel Regional Sales director, China, said, “The official launch of the PET versatile aseptic lab filler in Yili’s Shanghai innovation center represents the further deepening of the strategic partnership between Yili and Sidel, from equipment supplying to all-round cooperation in packaging development, product development, resource and knowledge sharing.
In relying on Sidel’s new PET versatile aseptic lab filler, Yili will not only continue to consolidate and expand its leading position in PET dairy packaging but also lay a solid foundation to further expand its popularity and influence in the beverage industry. Yili’s choice also proves the value and contribution of Sidel in food safety, packaging innovation and sustainable development.”
The ongoing strategic partnership will enable Sidel to support Yili in leading in this area, with the newly-installed lab filler providing the means to develop designs and products which maintain an existing level of sustainability.
