Ducona heats up sauce market with Sidel’s PH technology

Ducona Holland BV, a prominent family-owned PET packaging specialist, has announced a leap into the condiment sector following the installation of Sidel’s SBO 8 EvoBLOW blower.

The investment, centred on specialised preferential heating (PH) technology, allows the manufacturer to produce high-quality flat PET containers for sauces while slashing material usage and energy consumption.

The move marks a turning point for Ducona, which produces over 300 million bottles annually across 500 SKUs. By adopting the EvoBLOW system, the company has successfully expanded its portfolio beyond water, juices, and syrups into the technically demanding shaped-sauce container market.

Producing non-cylindrical or flat containers has historically presented challenges in wall-thickness distribution. Sidel’s preferential heating technology addresses this by specifically modulating the temperature profile of the preform, ensuring that the plastic stretches uniformly into complex, asymmetrical shapes.

“The Sidel Preferential Heating technology provides much better quality for the top-down flat bottles at a competitive cost compared with the traditional blowing process,” said Gerben Schepers, CEO of Ducona. This precision has allowed Ducona to achieve a remarkable 10% reduction in packaging weight without compromising the structural integrity of the bottle.

Sustainability and energy independence are core drivers for the Dutch manufacturer, particularly as the Netherlands faces restricted electricity availability. To counter this, Ducona has installed 8,800 solar panels to meet 30% of its energy needs, making the high-efficiency Sidel blower a critical fit for its operations.

The EvoBLOW system features a double air recovery system to minimise energy waste, but its true value lies in its ability to process recycled PET (rPET), which now accounts for 80% of Ducona’s total production volume.

“If you produce rPET, the process window is more restrictive than if you blow virgin bottles,” Schepers explained. “With the Sidel Preferential Heating process, we achieve superior packaging quality with a better bottle base shape, whatever the recycling rate.”

In a trade environment defined by rapid turnarounds, Ducona guarantees shipment within 48 hours. This ambitious service level is supported by Sidel’s quick-change technology, enabling the manufacturer to pivot between different moulds and designs at a speed of 16,000 bottles per hour.

The partnership between the two companies now spans over three decades, with Sidel providing a turnkey service that includes packaging design, mould testing, and operator training.

“We are very satisfied with the new equipment, which offers higher output, better cost efficiency, and packaging light-weighting that helps us gain market share,” concluded Schepers. By combining advanced heating tech with a massive rPET throughput, Ducona is positioning itself as the go-to partner for sauce brands looking to balance premium aesthetics with a reduced carbon footprint.