SIPA is one of the leading companies in the packaging sector thanks to its 360° experience in plastic container production systems ( 1-step systems, stretch-blow molding systems and preform injection machines). The company ensured innovative solutions and a container development global service: from bottle design to prototyping, from turn-key solutions to after sales service.
In the packaging development, SIPA can offer solutions to increase technical and aesthetics container performance or providing solutions capable to reduce bottles and preforms production costs.
SIPA provides complete packaging development: preform, bottle, closures, label and secondary packaging up to palletizing. Furthermore SIPA can ensure rapid container prototyping to verify bottle performance and complete line filling and handling simulation.
With a constant attention to the product to be filled, SIPA continues its development of special and innovative solutions to guarantee the longer shelf life for sensitive products. The Industrial coating system, SIPA SmartcoatTM represents a very suitable solution for all products needing Oxygen and CO2 barrier.
SIPA SmartcoatTM solution is conceived to produce high performance barrier containers and consists on a dip coating technology, where two layers of proprietary organic coatings are applied onto the external surface of a PET or PP container. The first coating (base coat) is water based and gives the barrier performances to the container; the latter (top coat) is a mechanical and thermal protection to the inner layer.
Both layers are applied by means of a dipping and spinning technology: the thickness is regulated by adjusting the spin velocity. After a flash off into Infrared and hot air ovens, both coatings are UV cured.
SIPA SmartcoatTM offers barrier performance both for Oxygen and CO2 and Barrier Improvement Factor (B.I.F.) depends on the coating thickness applied on the container external surface.
In the last months, SIPA developed a new coated PET container for alcoholic and non-alcoholic beer which can withstand tunnel pasteurization at 65°C for 15 minutes.
Beer requires a strong protection from oxygen ingress and from CO2 loss. In general 1 or 2 ppm of maximum oxygen uptake are tolerated before beer products start degradation, while 15% of CO2 loss is considered adequate to maintain enough degree of fizziness.
Depending on different shelf life requirements, different barrier levels might be necessary in order to comply with specifications.
SIPA developed and tested 350 ml, 500 ml, 1 l e 1,5 l bottle sizes guaranteeing an excellent oxygen and carbon dioxide barrier allowing a shelf life from 6 to 9 months. For the PCO 28 mm neck finish of those containers, plastic Bericap caps with Oxygen Scavengers can be used.

Recyclability
SIPA coated PET bottles have been proved by Petcore organism as fully suitable for a bottle to bottle recycling. Moreover, migration and release tests were done in cooperation with Fraunhofer Institute from Germany, and such results were evaluated by American FDA which gave a Non Objection Letter for a bottle to bottle recycling.