IBP WORLD NEWS
FADEPLAST TURNED TO
SMI FOR THE PRODUCTION
OF EMPTY BOTTLES
NATURE, HISTORY, MUSIC AND CULTURE!
Colombia is full of beauty and particular
places, such as Buga, a hidden gem
in the heart of the Valley of Cauca,
where we also discover Fadeplast, an
entrepreneurial excellence, which chose
SMI compact stretch-blow moulders
from the EBS K ERGON range for the
production of PET empty bottles.

Production of Bottles in Pet for
Third Parties
Fadeplast Buga S.A.S. operates in the
field of manufacturing a wide range
of plastic products. Founded in 2013,
the Colombian company currently
boasts a prominent position among the
operators in the ‘converter’ sector, i.e.

manufacturers of containers intended
mainly for the plants of companies in
the ‘food & beverage’ sector.

To meet the strong demand for empty
bottles from the market, Fadeplast
20 turned to SMI for the supply of a fourth
compact rotary stretch-blow moulder
model EBS 4 K ERGON, which is added
to the three already supplied previously.

Since 2019, Fadeplast, has been
producing a wide variety of PET and
rPET containers using the latest
generation SMI stretch-blow moulders
of the EBS K ERGON series, a range of
compact high-performance machines,
which, in a single module, integrate
the preform heating furnace and the
stretch-blow moulding section; This
is the ideal solution to allow the user
of the system high flexibility and
maximum efficiency in the production
of various types of containers intended
for the packaging of water, carbonated
drinks, oil, sauces, household
detergents, etc. The EBS K ERGON
series by SMI offers the advantage of
allowing format changes to be carried
out quickly and easily and machine
management and maintenance
operations with great ease.

Looking After Lots of Brands
Fadeplast was created with the
aim of responding to the countless
requests from companies producing
beverages, food, detergents, which
need a wide range of empty PET and
rPET containers for bottling their
brands. Many operators in the sector,
especially small ones, carry out very
varied productions in their plants, with
the need therefore to frequently change
format to go from one type of bottle to
another or from one pack configuration
to another. These businesses must
therefore rely on the technology and
professionalism of companies such
as Fadeplast in order to have the
containers they need, without having to
INTERNATIONAL BOTTLER & PACKER | JULY 2025



WORLD NEWS
invest in the purchase of a stretch-blow
moulder to produce them internally.

Customers who turn to Buga’s
Colombian company know that they can
count on the expertise and attention of an
experienced partner, able to assist them at
every stage of the production process and
the choice of raw materials. For the blow
moulding of high-quality, high-performance
bottles, Fadeplast uses the best raw
materials available on the market and
continuously invests in new technologies
capable of ensuring high competitiveness,
as demonstrated by the purchase of four
compact stretch-blow moulders from the
EBS K ERGON series by SMI.

SMI Solutions for Fadeplast
The research and development of new
solutions, together with investments
in new technologies and cutting-edge
equipment, have allowed Fadeplast
Buga to specialise in the production
of lighter and more eco-sustainable
containers than traditional ones,
allowing customers to save on preform
material. Furthermore, thanks to the
use of efficient stretch-blow moulders,
during the blow moulding process, the
Colombian company is able to obtain
a perfect distribution of the material
on the walls of the container and to
blow it with the lowest possible weight.

Fadeplast uses high-quality and 100%
recyclable preforms, in perfect harmony
with the innovative concepts of the
‘bottle to bottle’ production system.

The containers made are suitable for
food, as they are blown with compressed
air filtered by special devices that prevent
the passage of bacteria and therefore the
contamination of the products to be bottled.

Rotary Stretch-Blow Moulder
EBS 4 k Ergon
The key benefits of the stretch-blow
moulder EBS K for third party production:
■ Plant that meets the needs of
flexibility, cost-effectiveness and
efficiency of large-scale production.

■ Simple and fast format changes, in
order to be able to quickly switch
from one bottle format to another
and immediately adapt to the
changing needs of the ‘converters’
customer companies.

■ Compact and ergonomic machine
design: the preform heating section
is integrated into a single module
with the bottle stretch-blow
moulding section.

■ Highly flexible and high-performance
technology, capable of processing
various formats on the same
machine (from 0.2L to 3L).

■ Solution also suitable for the
production of lightweight and
recyclable containers.

Coca-Cola Consolidated Invests $90m in US Site
Coca-Cola Consolidated, the largest Coca-Cola bottler in the US, has invested
$90m in a new facility at its site in Columbus, Ohio.

The sum has been invested in a
400,000 square ft distribution and
warehouse facility at the site on Rohr
Road, alongside two 15,000 square
ft buildings for equipment repair
services and fleet maintenance.

The warehouse can handle over
16 million cases of products
annually, and an average of around
75,000 cases daily, the company
said in a statement.

VISIT OUR WEBSITE | www.binstedgroup.com
The company added the site would
see inclusion of a Vertique semi-
automated system, which ‘improves
warehouse productivity, efficiency,
accuracy and working conditions’.

The new distribution centre will be
used to serve not just Ohio, but also
the neighbouring states of Kentucky
and Indiana.

“The investment we’ve made here in
Columbus is evidence of our focus on
■ Easy management and maintenance:
the blow moulding machine has a
low height and therefore no ladders
are required for maintenance
operations; In addition, the electrical
panels are grouped in a single, easily
accessible area.

■ System equipped with two-stage air
recovery fitted as standard.

■ Energy-saving furnace panels with
even heat distribution.

■ Reduced energy consumption: the
stretch-blow moulding carousel is
equipped with motorised ironing rods
controlled by digital drives, which do
not require compressed air.

■ Reduced furnace consumption:
optimized chain pitches according
to the preform diameter.

■ Reduced pre-blow and blow times and
improved quality of the bottles produced.

■ Less wear and greater precision
of management of the blow
molding machine, thanks to the
movement of the grippers based
on a system of preform grippers/
bottles without springs equipped
with desmodromic cams.

■ Control panel equipped with a simple
and intuitive operator interface.

 info@smigroup.it
 www.smigroup.it
 +39 0345 40111
growth in Columbus,” said Sam Meiner,
VP, mid-west market unit at Coca-Cola
Consolidated. This commitment to our
teammates and production capabilities
is a long-term dedication to improving
how we serve the world’s best brands
and flavors to our communities and
the people of Ohio.”
Headquartered in Charlotte, North
Carolina, Coca-Cola Consolidated
produces, sells and distributes
beverages from The Coca-Cola
Company and other partner companies
to approximately 60 million consumers
in 14 states and the District of Columbia.

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