Rising customer demand has prompted Montgomery Waters (Montgomery, Powys / UK; www.montgomeryspring.co.uk) to acquire an additional PET production line from Swiss machinery provider Sidel (Hünenberg; www.sidel.com). With the new line, Montgomery Waters will be able to produce water bottles in four formats, from 330ml to 2l, at speeds of up to 31,000 bottles per hour.

The company supplies still, sparkling, flavoured and vitamin-enriched water under its Aquaroma, Celtic Spring and Aquavit brands, and also provides a bottling operation for other manufacturers.

The line features Sidel’s latest generation equipment, including the compact blow-fill-cap Combi solution along with the roll-fed labeller SL70, which is said to give changeover times 30% faster than previous labeller generations and 40% less downtime required for maintenance. Conveying, shrink wrapping and palletisation equipment are also included.

“Increased demand from both consumers and our customers meant we needed to invest in an additional line – one that offered maximum flexibility and could be integrated with the solutions we had already installed to provide operator flexibility across our lines, reduce training needs and maintenance costs," said Paul Delves, managing director of Montgomery Waters.

Sales of bottled water continue to grow globally. According to market research firm Euromonitor International, sales increased by 28% over the period 2007-2012, and it estimates a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5% from 2014 to 2018. The growth in demand is attributed to healthier lifestyle choices and consumers seeking more natural sources of hydration.