(Photo credit: KHS)
Face to face with Dr. Kai Acker
50 years of PET in Hamburg – A look at the present and future
Developments, challenges and prospects for PET technology in Hamburg - When Heidenreich & Harbeck in Hamburg took its first steps in PET processing in the 1970s, nobody could have imagined that it would one day become a globally recognised centre for PET line solutions. Fifty years later, the PET division is now an integral part of KHS, a global mechanical engineering group, and a driving force behind innovative, sustainable packaging technologies.
The brand is changing - its DNA remains
Every company’s development involves stories that become embedded in its DNA. Despite the changes surrounding its independent company name and integration into KHS GmbH, has Corpoplast’s DNA endured?
Acker: Abandoning the established Corpoplast name as an independent company was a bold move, especially given its decades of success. However, ultimately, it was the right strategic decision to strengthen the PET identity within the KHS Group. Many customers identified more strongly with our products, such as Blomax or Plasmax, than with the Corpoplast brand name when it came to new machines and PET lines. Today, we naturally refer to the PET division or the PET location in Hamburg. The history has by no means been lost – it remains a strong part of our identity. Our goal was to achieve greater consistency in how customers perceive the brand.
System expertise instead of single machines
Today, KHS’s focus is on the line, rather than the individual machine, consisting of stretch blow moulding, filling, capping, labelling and, if necessary, coating modules. Does this mean that the focus is clearly on strengthening your position as a system provider?
Acker: Exactly. This is a key part of our ‘One KHS’ strategy. Our goal is clear: we want to present ourselves globally as a leading system provider offering fully integrated, technologically advanced complete solutions. We also sell individual machines, of course, but our focus is clearly on the line as a complete system. The same applies to our block systems, which we develop and offer across all locations. This demonstrates that the whole is much more than the sum of its parts. Thanks to our consistent, holistic approach, we create highly efficient, tailor-made solutions for our customers that are convincing in technological and economic terms.
Does this strategic orientation also offer organisational advantages?
Acker: Definitely! We benefit from clearly structured, centralised processes, a stronger global presence and intensive knowledge transfer within the KHS Group. At the same time, we have further developed our technical profile locally, particularly with regard to complex line solutions. Combining local strength with global thinking is a key factor in our success.
_______________________________________________
FACTS & FIGURES KHS PET DIVISION HAMBURG
- Founded as Corpoplast in the 1970s
- Integrated into KHS: 2008
- Main products: stretch blow moulding machines (Blomax), Plasmax coating
- Export ratio: over 90%
- Series production of the first stretch blow moulding machine for PET bottles
- 2002: Introduction of Plasmax barrier coating
- 2014: Market launch of the world’s lightest 0.5-litre PET bottle with screw cap for highly carbonated beverages, weighing only 10.9 grams
- 2018: Presentation of the InnoPET Blomax Series V stretch blow moulding machine, which reduces energy consumption by up to 40 per cent compared to its predecessor thanks to a new heating concept and other innovations
- 2019: Certification of KHS Corpoplast as a sustainable company by UmweltPartnerschaft Hamburg
- 2012: Construction of a 2,300 m2 commissioning hall to increase production efficiency
- 2015: Groundbreaking ceremony for a further 2,500 m2 assembly and commissioning hall
_______________________________________________
Looking back on 50 years of PET in Hamburg - from independence to Krupp, SIG and KHS - what impact have these waves of change had?
Acker: Little has changed for the employees at the site in terms of their day-to-day work. Innovations are driven forward from the site, so employees continue to identify with the products. Plasmax, for example, is a decentralised development here in Hamburg. I personally appreciate the fact that we operate with an entrepreneurial spirit within the Group here in Hamburg – in other words, we act as entrepreneurs within the company. However, with ‘One KHS’ – alongside our other German production sites in Dortmund, Worms, Kleve and Bad Kreuznach – we have established a joint market presence, like a harbour where all the boats dock and set sail together. This sense of solidarity within the organisation provides stability, particularly during times of change.
_______________
''At KHS, the focus today is on the line, not the machine. Integrating our operations across locations enables us to deliver highly automated block systems.'' - Kai Aacker.
_______________
Sustainability as a driver of innovation
Has “PET in Hamburg” developed positively in economic terms?
Acker: Yes, combining PET with Plasmax has contributed significantly to this development. We also see potential for growth in other areas, such as our aseptic block concept, which is generating interest in North America, Africa and the Middle East. Visible growth is underway at the Hamburg site: new halls have been built and further investments are planned. The positive development of our PET site is visible from the outside in the expansion of production areas and from the inside in the increasing number of orders and the growing importance of strategic projects.
What is the situation at other locations around the world?
Acker: Growth is currently taking place mainly outside of Germany. We have invested heavily in the USA, India and China in recent years. Since 2020, we have successfully manufactured stretch blow moulding machines and fillers in China. In India, we are already one step ahead. There, we manufacture complete production lines with capacities of up to 60,000 bottles per hour. Our site in Mexico is also performing well. We have increased our presence there to be closer to our customers and respond more quickly to market requirements. This gives us a clear strategic advantage.
How does KHS compare to its competitors, and what is its overall share of the PET market?
Acker: In 2024, PET accounted for around 50% of KHS’s business, which was the highest figure, ahead of cans at 30% and glass at 20%. However, these figures fluctuate depending on the market situation. During the PET crisis, cans were ahead with a share of 60–70%. When we compare ourselves with our competitors, we consider the whole portfolio and see ourselves as the market leader in the can sector. However, the competition is stronger than us in the PET sector. Nevertheless, I see significant opportunities for us to catch up in this area. It is also important to have a balanced customer portfolio comprising large key accounts and smaller private customers. This mix has proven its worth, especially during the pandemic. While key accounts held back on investments, our business with mediumsized customers remained stable. This resilience underlines the strength of our sales model.
Can you put that into figures?
Acker: As I said, PET accounted for 50% of our business last year, which is a significant proportion of our line business. While we don’t publish many figures, if you look at Salzgitter AG’s annual report, you will see that the technology division, which includes KHS, accounts for the largest share. We have recorded significant growth in this area from 2017 to the present day.
Just by looking at the entrance, you can see that something has happened here at the Hamburg site. It was completely different in 2015. Two new halls have been added. From my visit back then, I recall that around 50 machines were built per year. How many are there today?
Acker: Please understand that I am currently unable to provide detailed figures on our Blomax and Plasmax businesses. Due to the complexity of the current market situation and our ongoing internal analyses, we want to ensure that any data we present, both internally and externally, is reliable and well-founded.
Plasmax – breakthrough after two decades
As a former Corpoplast insider, I am also interested in Plasmax from another perspective: the technology was not initially accepted by the market. KHS stayed on the ball. Is it correct to assume that it was worth it? And if so, why?
Acker: In the mass market, complex innovations that ultimately increase the cost of the product tend to struggle.’ This was initially the case with Plasmax. It has always been a great development, initially designed to improve shelf life. However, the investment required for this optimisation and the additional machinery posed an economic challenge. The technology’s success today lies in the fact that it offers a clear cost advantage: Plasmax enables extreme lightweighting, which pays off, especially in the mass market and thus in the high-speed sector.
But it doesn’t take 20 years to realise that. Why did it take Plasmax so long to establish itself on the market?
Acker: If customers view Plasmax as CapEx, i.e. a one-off investment, it is expensive for them. We were only able to convince them when we presented good business cases demonstrating profitability through material savings. Customers recognise that the system pays for itself within a few years. Today, we have a steadily growing base of installed systems. The early years were naturally characterised by technical queries and scepticism in the market. Many customers were initially wary of this innovation, partly due to the high-tech process involved. India was the seedbed for today’s success story, which we have developed step by step with our customers. Once Plasmax is fully integrated into the production line, the system runs very stably, even in highperformance applications. However, it requires reliable servicing, which we have now established. Yes, it has been a long road, and we have had to do a lot of convincing, particularly in new markets such as India.
Are there specific applications in which rPET and Plasmax are combined?
Acker: Yes, absolutely. This is becoming increasingly popular. We have FDA approval for the technology. Plasmax helps minimise migration risks, particularly with non-homogeneous rPET grades. However, the technology does require a certain basic quality of the raw material to achieve convincing results when combining 100% rPET with Plasmax, for example.
Hats off to KHS for persevering. There were undoubtedly endless discussions about whether to continue, whether it was necessary and whether to scrap Plasmax due to the costs involved.
Acker: That’s true, and Plasmax is also proving to be a success story in economic terms today. We are still in the early stages in terms of installed quantities. However, we are witnessing a significant snowball effect in market development, simply because the technology’s advantages are so evident and substantial.
Focus on future technologies
Do you identify trends in customer requests that suggest how PET and its technologies might develop? In other words, are there any requests that necessitate new technologies or approaches to systems?
Acker: Our customers mirror current consumer purchasing behaviour, such as a desire for reduced material use, greater recyclability, and sustainability. This also applies to outer packaging. Today, we offer a full range of options, from film and paper packaging to adhesive dot solutions that eliminate the need for packaging altogether. However, implementation is highly complex. This is a good example of how customer and regulatory requirements can lead to innovation. My motto is that close dialogue with our customers is key to identifying the greatest potential. Not all ideas or requests can be realised immediately, such as producing and filling a bottle for home use with 3D printing technology. However, from a technological perspective, and given the growing pressure on bottlers and converters, we are continuously working to reduce energy, water and media consumption, as well as developing highly efficient energy concepts for factory planning and line layouts. Discussions surrounding Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions are currently playing a major role in this. I would say that our customer landscape is very heterogeneous. Our standard solutions should therefore cover most needs and be flexible enough to meet individual requirements. Customer feedback shows that we are doing this very well.
Recycling is not yet part of KHS’s machine portfolio. What are your thoughts on how this topic might develop in the future?
Acker: Currently, recycling is neither our core business nor our area of expertise. We don’t carry out any mechanical engineering activities in this area. But never say never. The market environment is changing, and technologies are converging.
Technologies are converging – that’s a good keyword in terms of possible future scenarios. In terms of the product life cycle, we have reached the mature stage of technology, but perhaps its potential has not yet been fully realised. How could things develop in the face of increasing cost pressure? Could the injection moulding machine be incorporated into the production line as part of a ‘blocking’ concept? Could the production of materials, including recycling, eventually be incorporated into the process? I am thinking here of melt-to-preform technology. The first approaches to this were made 15–20 years ago. The complexity may now be manageable.
Acker: ‘Melt-to-preform’ is an exciting approach for converters. I am torn on the question of whether injection moulding machines will form part of the production line in future. For certain customers, such as those producing the same product in large volumes around the clock, this could be ideal. They could particularly benefit from an improved energy profile. Other customers, however, want to retain flexibility when purchasing preforms. We need to keep a close eye on these potential conflicts and their respective opportunities and risks. We also have technological ideas for how to realise the ‘link’. Yes, we are naturally alert and open to new developments, but at present I see more advantages in a flexible, modular approach.
Let’s discuss the efficiency potential in production. Where are the biggest levers for energy savings in a PET line today?
Acker: The heating process for the preforms in the blow moulding machine is by far the largest energy consumer in the PET line. There is enormous optimisation potential here when you consider the CO2 balance. Our DOGA heating concept for the InnoPET Blomax V, which uses double-channel technology as a mechanical solution to increase energy yield, saves up to 40% of energy compared to single-channel stretch blow moulding machines with the same performance. This is a significant step for our customers, particularly in terms of OpEx. We also have ongoing projects in the area of media consumption, such as water, compressed air and CO2. The goal is to significantly reduce this consumption per bottle. This directly impacts our customers’ operating costs and environmental balance. Concepts for energy recovery and intelligently controlled, adaptive drive systems also play a role here.
Is better packaging now only measured in terms of operating expenses?
Acker: The goal is always to produce better packaging. All developments that ultimately have a positive impact on the cost and CO2 balance of the packaging – within the legal framework, of course – make an ecological contribution to producing better packaging with less energy consumption, less material, less waste, recycling options and Plasmax. We are naturally driven to offer the most cost-effective solutions possible, and ultimately, once the plant is up and running, it has to prove itself in terms of OpEx. That’s where we come in, and I believe that all innovations that help to reduce costs contribute to better packaging.
How is digitalisation impacting your plant development process?
Acker: Digitalisation is a key component. We are currently developing platform solutions that collect and evaluate cross-machine status data. Predictive maintenance is just one aspect of this.
It is also about transparency, process optimisation, and the end-to-end networking of production lines. We are investing heavily in this area and working closely with our customers. Openness is particularly important. Our customers want to decide for themselves which systems they integrate, and we support them in this. Some of our applications already use AI, such as inspection technologies, and these significantly help our customers to optimise their processes.
This question might be a bit cheeky, but: Given their background in mechanical engineering, are today’s machine and plant manufacturers capable of recognising the potential of AI for their own products, and of translating this into innovative solutions?
Acker: They have to! Otherwise, we as machine and plant engineers risk losing not only added value, but also our identity. We would be reduced to mere suppliers of steel and iron - with no strategic relevance in the digital PET packaging value chain. However, the central issue is how to handle data. We must not relinquish control of it. From our perspective, and as I understand it, the EU Data Act states that the data generated by a machine’s operation belongs to the customer. Therefore, anyone who buys a product is entitled to the data generated during its operation. While this creates uncertainties, it also opens up opportunities for partnership-based use. In my view, the biggest risk at present is that large platforms, such as cloud providers like Microsoft Azure, will centralise this data, evaluate it using AI, and gain insights that manufacturers themselves will no longer see. To ensure that we can tap into the full potential of future developments, we must stay alert and be open to learning.
Is it essentially about coexistence between human and artificial expertise?
Acker: Yes, exactly. The enormous strength of mechanical and plant engineering lies in its indepth understanding of processes. For example, a film manufacturer knows exactly how to control a roll so that the film remains the same thickness at different speeds. This specific expertise cannot be replaced by a generic AI platform. The great opportunity lies in linking this expertise with data intelligence in a targeted manner. This is where real optimisation potential arises, provided a basis of trust can be established with customers for jointly using data.
_______________
''Plasmax is a success story – because it makes bottles more costeffective today.'' - Kai Acker
_______________
What solutions do you envisage for overcoming such barriers to technological advancement?
Acker: So far, the market has shown us that customers are reluctant to pay for purely digital services, such as apps. Only when the added value is clearly measurable, for example through higher OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness), will a viable business case emerge. At the same time, cybersecurity and regulatory frameworks such as the Cyber Resilience Act must be considered. Understandably, customers have high IT security requirements, especially when it comes to remote access to production-critical systems. Achieving the right balance between innovation, data protection and security will be crucial for future success.
What role do new manufacturing technologies, such as 3D printing, play in the field of blow moulding?
Acker: We are currently particularly interested in using 3D printing for prototype production, for example for complex components with undercuts. In series production, there is not yet a cost advantage, even for small quantities of components for blow moulding machines. However, I believe this will change, particularly with regard to spare parts or customised components. Another important point to consider is that 3D printing is changing the way we think about design. In the future, our engineers will need to approach design differently, with new degrees of freedom. That is an exciting challenge.
_______________________________
Further details
- Design for recycling Recycling criteria must be considered from the outset of the design process for preforms and bottles: use single-type materials, avoid disruptive additives and labels, and opt for monomaterial solutions that are as simple as possible.
- Strengthen closed-loop systems Expanding closed material cycles (bottleto-bottle) is essential. This requires global investment in modern sorting and recycling technologies, as well as optimised return and collection infrastructure, ideally with standardised collection systems at a global level.
- Increase the use of recycled materials The use of rPET in new packaging should continuously increase. In this regard, ensuring the quality, food safety and supply security of the recycled material is crucial.
- Transparently communicate life cycle assessments To credibly position PET as a sustainable solution, its environmental impact must be transparently recorded, improved and communicated throughout its entire life cycle, including its carbon footprint, energy consumption and water usage.
- Expand international cooperation Innovations in the PET sector increasingly result from cross-industry cooperation between plant manufacturers, materials researchers, brand owners, and recycling companies. These alliances must be actively promoted.
_______________________________
And what about alternative materials, such as carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) or green steel, in beverage technology engineering?
Acker: Using CFRP can offer weight advantages for certain components, but it is expensive. Green steel, i.e. steel with a reduced carbon footprint, is more a question of procurement and framework conditions. If legally defined quotas are introduced, this could become relevant. The important thing is that innovation must be technically and economically viable. Our position on this is clear: no symbolic technology, but measurable benefits for the customer.
Groundbreaking innovations have made PET such a success. But will it remain so successfull?
Acker: Yes, due to its well-known technical and functional advantages: It is lightweight and shatterproof, and can be produced efficiently in different volumes and designs. From an environmental perspective, its excellent recyclability in a closed loop is particularly impressive, provided that the appropriate infrastructure is in place. Compared with glass, PET is much lighter, making it the most practical and sustainable packaging solution in regions with limited access to clean drinking water.
What does it mean for KHS today, and especially for the Hamburg site with 50 years of PET experience, to remain at the global forefront of PET packaging?
Acker: To stay at the forefront of PET packaging, we must provide comprehensive, sustainable solutions that consumers can understand. To ensure PET remains a sustainable, highperformance packaging solution in the long term, taking a comprehensive approach across the entire product life cycle is more important than ever. The following approaches and solutions are central to me and KHS: designing for recycling, strengthening closedloop systems, increasing the use of recycled materials, communicating life cycle assessments transparently, and expanding international cooperation (see further details).
We must carefully consider the design and market launch of our PET packaging to ensure it represents a sustainable solution for our customers. At KHS, we are open to all solutions. Of course, we also discuss different approaches internally - similar to the decision between an open Android system and the closed Apple system. Both models have their advantages and disadvantages. We believe that a certain degree of openness is crucial in order to respond flexibly to customer requirements. Our goal is to offer suitable solutions regardless of the preform used by the customer, whether in terms of lightweighting, bottle design, coating or secondary packaging.
Thank you very much for talking to us. We wish you every success for the next 50 years of PET in Hamburg!
The comPETence center provides your organisation with a dynamic, cost effective way to promote your products and services.
magazine
Find our premium articles, interviews, reports and more
in 3 issues in 2025.
