Coca-Cola bottler installs aseptic PET line for in-house production

Sibeg Srl, a Coca-Cola bottler in Italy, is refreshing its beverage production strategy by moving select products in-house after previously relying on co-packers.

To support this shift, the company worked with French OEM Sidel to install its first aseptic polyethylene terephthalate (PET) production line at its Catania facility, which serves the island of Sicily.

The new production capability adds capacity for ready-to-drink teas and energy drinks at speeds up to 18,000 bottles per hour. This marks Sibeg’s first aseptic PET capability at the site, offering greater control over how sensitive beverages are produced, validated, and brought to market.

“For aseptic beverage production, product integrity and an extended shelf life are essential requirements,” said Mathieu Stauder, product manager of sensitive lines at Sidel, in an interview with Packaging OEM.

The installation integrates aseptic, secondary, and end-of-line packaging into a single operation.  

Inside the aseptic PET line

The focal point of the line is Sidel’s Aseptic Combi Predis, a dry preform decontamination system that meets operational standards across all stages of beverage production.

“Sibeg’s first-ever aseptic PET line needed to ensure the highest safety standards at all stages of the blowing, filling, and capping process with high throughput, efficiency, operator safety, and regulatory compliance,” said Stauder.

To achieve this, the system maintains hygienic conditions throughout bottle formation and filling by injecting hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) into the preform before it enters the heating stage.

“This results in activation of the H₂O₂ by the existing preform heating stage, ensuring a high level of decontamination while minimizing the sterile zone and controlling all risk of potential contamination,” Stauder said.

Operators continuously monitor critical production parameters to support sterility and food and beverage safety, regardless of liquid type.

The Combi Predis is also engineered for operational flexibility. Sibeg can run beverage formats on the same equipment and switch between ten different formats without requiring separate dedicated lines.

“Sidel’s Aseptic Combi Predis is built for high operational flexibility with very fast bottle-format changeovers, the ability to run many SKUs on the same machine with limited intervention, and filling technology that can handle different beverage types with minimal mechanical change,” said Stauder.

Beyond dry preform decontamination, the Combi Predis reduces water and chemical usage while ensuring product safety without preservatives.

The line uses 100% recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) bottles and passed the first-time aseptic validation protocol according to Coca-Cola Company standards.

Cutting plastic at the pack level

After filling and capping, bottles move to Sidel’s EvoFilm Stretch system for secondary packaging. Stauder explained that the equipment replaces traditional heat-based shrink wrapping and operates at ambient conditions.

“The EvoFilm Stretch lowers plastic use from 26 grams to 6 grams per pack and uses only 10 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy, leading to a 90% energy savings compared to traditional shrink-wrapping solutions,” he said.

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The stretch-wrapping process uses high pre-stretch linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) with a thickness of 10 to 23 microns, allowing automatic sealing and flexible wrapping operations.

“Without shrink tunnels or conveyors, the machine footprint is reduced, making the packaging lines more compact and cost-effective,” said Stauder.

From bottle to pallet

Finished packs are handled by Sidel’s PalKombi palletizing system, which automates transfer onto pallets for distribution.

Sibeg also implemented Sidel’s Evo-ON Flex software to guide operators during bottle changeovers, providing a real-time operational overview and digitalized standard operating procedures.

“The application provides a real-time, consolidated view of all scheduled changeovers across the entire work shift, improving planning and coordination between operators and maintenance teams,” said Stauder, adding that the software enhances operator proficiency and reduces unplanned downtime.

Bringing sensitive beverages under one roof

With the aseptic PET line now operating in Catania, Sibeg has centralized production of sensitive beverages under one integrated line.

“The complete aseptic PET line will enable us to diversify into energy drinks and tea production,” said Luca Busi, CEO at Sibeg, in a statement.