Sidel’s Super Combi Compact complete water line has opened the door for more business opportunities for Zulal Water Factory, in Sharjah, UAE. Running at up to 45,000 bottles per hour (bph), the line not only delivers increased productivity by 280%, but also helps the company save 56% on energy costs, when compared with their existing PET line. In addition, with the new, lighter PET bottle and optimization of utilities, there is a considerable reduction in the overall carbon footprint.
Zulal a part of the Sharjah Electricity and Water and Gas Authority was established by Sheikh Dr Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, the ruler of Sharjah in the UAE. In 1995, Zulal was the first government organisation to address this requirement and its vision is to provide clean, pure drinking water for all people in the region. The only water enterprise that provides 100% pure groundwater directly from the Hamdah wells in Sharjah, the water is certified by and packaging international standards for packaging drinking water.
The connection between Zulal and Sidel dates back to the late 1990s, when Zulal first installed a Sidel blower. In 2019, the company reached out to Sidel again for a new high-speed line to meet market demand. As a complete line solution provider, Sidel consulted the customer on packaging design and line capacity, as well as line design and layout to enhance the overall performance.
Productivity opens the door for more business opportunities
After 18 months of discussion, Sidel provided Zulal its Super Combi Compact water line, running at up to 45,000 bph. The layout was a key element of the line design for this project, because it had to be installed in the existing location. Sidel experts managed to accommodate the configuration of the Super Combi Compact and conveyors, as well as two packers, into that space, thereby achieving approximately a 25% overall space saving due to the redesigned accumulation, combiner and labeller.
The new line provided Zulal with greater line efficiency and productivity enabling further business opportunities. “After installing Sidel’s complete water line, we now have the capacity to supply our products to major airlines, hotels, schools and offices. We are really pleased with the enhanced performance,” said Ali Ahmed Ali Al Kindi, manager of the Zulal Department at SEWA.
New bottle design and sustainability goals
In line with SEWA’s sustainability policy, Zulal wanted to optimize its carbon footprint. By redesigning the PET bottles, and reducing their weight, the new bottle for 330ml and 500ml formats now weigh just 9.75 grams and 12.5 grams, which saved up to 0.65 gram and 1 gram respectively per bottle. It also contributes to reducing Zulal’s carbon footprint with considerable PET savings, namely an estimation of saving 215 kilograms for 330 ml and 331 kilograms for 500 ml per shift production run. Additionally, thanks to Sidel’s complete line solution, Zulal pays 56% less for energy, while increasing the productivity by 280% compared to their existing line.
