Postobón expands production capacity with Triple KHS line installation

COLOMBIA – Postobón, a leading South American beverage company, has significantly boosted its production capabilities by installing three new KHS production lines simultaneously.

This strategic move is designed to meet the increasing demand in Colombia, the continent’s second-largest market after Brazil, with a population exceeding 50 million.

The collaboration between Postobón and KHS has quickly demonstrated substantial synergies, leading to the integration of various block systems across the newly installed lines.

This multi-line installation highlights the strength of their partnership and underscores the efficiency and strategic advantage gained through their combined efforts.

Historically, Postobón’s partnership with KHS focused on the provision of stretch blow molders. However, in 2018, the Colombian bottler expanded this collaboration by acquiring its first block system from the Dortmund-based supplier.

This initial setup included an InnoPET TriBlock for water in plastic bottles, integrating a stretch blow molder, labeler, and filler with a maximum capacity of 54,000 bottles per hour.

The system’s advanced neck handling from preform to finished product was a key technical advantage.

Additionally, KHS’s Bottles & Shapes program facilitated the development of a specialized 600-milliliter bottle that is both lightweight and material-efficient, while the Innopack Kisters SP’s multifuel burner provides flexible heating options using either natural or propane gas.

César Bohórquez, Postobón’s National Project Manager, praised KHS as a leading plant engineering manufacturer, renowned for its advanced technology in high-speed lines.

He emphasized KHS’s crucial role as a technology partner, highlighting their ability to develop comprehensive and efficient systems aligned with Postobón’s growth objectives.

Impressed by the performance of the first line, Postobón quickly ordered two additional KHS block systems within 18 months.

The second line, operational in Bogotá in 2021, features a BloFill duo block for the hot filling of juices, teas, and energy drinks, with an optional nitrogen dosing feature.

The third KHS line, installed in 2023, is a TriBlock system designed for carbonated beverages such as Pepsi Cola.

The new HotFill+ line is particularly notable for its technical excellence. Operating at a rate of 2,250 half-litre bottles per hour per station, it has a total capacity of up to 54,000 containers per hour, making it the fastest KHS line of its kind globally.

This impressive performance is attributed to the optimization of container weight by KHS’s Bottles & Shapes experts and the line’s highly stable process control.

The versatile line handles 13 products across three categories, with eight different formats ranging from 200 milliliters to 1.5 liters.

The third KHS line further expands its capabilities by processing both water and carbonated soft drinks.

This setup includes an InnoPET TriBlock equipped with a KHS roll-fed station for hot-melt wrap-around labelling, achieving a maximum capacity of 54,000 bottles per hour.

It accommodates a range of formats, from 300 and 400 millilitres to 1.0 and 1.5 litres, as well as the popular 2.5-litre container widely used in Colombia.

The latest technological partnership between KHS and Postobón has been the installation of a new KHS InnoPET Blomax V stretch blow molder.

Integrated into an existing PET line by Postobón’s converter Iberplast at the Caloto bottling plant, this advanced system can produce up to 45,000 bottles per hour in sizes ranging from 500 millilitres to one litre.

The bottles produced on this line are filled with beverages such as juice, tea, and energy drinks, processed at temperatures of up to 85°C.

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