Visitors can learn about some of the most rewarding projects with local and internationally recognized players and, of course, see the complete SACMI range, designed to help the industry transition towards greener lightweight neck and cap standards. Also on show: upgrades for existing production facilities to boost competitiveness and save raw materials and resources
Several years ago, in Ethiopia, Aquaddis chose the SACMI lightened cap+neck system to bottle still water, as did a local Pepsi Group bottler for their CSD line. Now SACMI aims to play a major future role, starting with participation at AgroFood Ethiopia from 8 to 10 June 2023.
On the extremely diversified Ethiopian market, SACMI is already the leading provider not just of plastic and crown cap lines but also preform lines, which feature a new range of machines and molds.
Our goal: to provide Ethiopian customers with close support so they can implement projects designed to reduce cap+neck weight - without any performance loss - and, more generally, boost the competitiveness and profitability of their plants.
SACMI laboratory and service
Many major African bottlers are now moving towards self-production of caps and preforms.
With SACMI, they’re able to take advantage of the comprehensive neck+cap development service provided by the SACMI Rigid Packaging Laboratory.
Opportunities include being able to make a complete switch - where new plants are established - towards new lightweight standards proposed by SACMI and approved by CETIE, such as the new 26/22 and 25/22 mm necks.
Yet that's not all: even for the PCO 1881 or earlier versions, which are still used extensively, SACMI offers ‘lightened’ solutions that give customers immediate, tangible advantages.
The present and future of the industry
One of the main reasons SACMI is heading to Agrofood Ethiopia is to provide local producers - starting with key existing customers - with a ‘model’ to help them deal with this transition and invest accordingly.
So how do we aim to achieve that? Through our expert understanding of each stage of production: via the Laboratory, this translates into a comprehensive set of solutions that range from cap compression machines to preform presses and dedicated vision systems for every phase of the process.
What’s happening in Ethiopia
Bottling small-medium still water products accounts for a large slice of the Ethiopian market.
Here, SACMI is generating considerable interest with solutions that look to the new 26/22 mm standard – in combination with a cap weighing just 1 gram - or even the 25/22, with an ultra-light cap that’s currently the lightest on the market (0.8 grams).
For the most common neck standard (30.25), SACMI can already provide solutions that lighten the neck by more than 30% (from 3.9 grams to 3.1 g), again in combination with a lightweight cap (1.5 grams).
On the 30.29 format a combination of 2.43 g neck + 1.25 g cap is already available. Advantageous lightweight solutions are also available for CSD where, even now, many manufacturers still follow standards that pre-date the PCO 1881.
Service
SACMI South Africa is the hub for all SACMI services throughout Africa, before during and after the sale. In addition to sending technicians to perform prompt on-site assistance and delivering original spare parts, the facility works alongside the Italian parent company, home to the Laboratory and the main product development services.
Visit the SACMI stand (E.1) at Agrofood Ethiopia (Addis Abeba, 8-10 June 2023)!