CROWN Closures Europe Boosts Production Speed 33 Percent for Sumolis S.A.

PHILADELPHIA, April 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sumolis S.A., a Portuguese manufacturer and distributor of juices and other beverages, has increased production speed on one of its key product lines from 18,000 to 24,000 bottles per hour - a 33% jump - with the help of CROWN Closures Europe, an affiliate of Crown Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CCK) (Crown).

After completing an in-depth analysis of Sumolis' plant in Carnaxide, Portugal, Crown's Customer Technical Services (CTS) team installed a new, fully automatic S4B2M medium-range sealing machine (built by Crown) capable of running at faster speeds than previous equipment and offering improved reliability.

Believing the consumption of fast moving consumer beverages is showing a significant upturn, "a commitment to technological improvements, such as this new machinery, is vital to stay ahead of the competition," says Fernando Alves, Plant Director at Sumolis S.A.

Sumolis has been able to exploit this new equipment to dramatically increase the efficiency on its production line for juice products packaged in 20-cl glass bottles. The company packages other popular products, including major beverage brands such as Pepsico's Pepsi and 7-Up, on separate lines.

In addition to the increase in productivity, Crown also helped Sumolis improve its quality control on the juice line by installing a pneumatic twister for the 38-mm RTB (Regular, Twist, with Vacuum Button) closures (also supplied by Crown) into the cap chute. This ensures that caps are properly positioned for transfer from the feeder to the capper to minimize errors.

"Our job at CROWN Closures Europe is not just to provide the best closure for an application," says Juan Ignacio Navarro, Crown's CTS Manager for Spain and Portugal. "We also deliver the technological expertise to make engineering and operations improvements that customers carry through to the bottom line."

The new S4B2M sealing machine offers advancements including side chain glass control, a powered head with automatic glass height setting, electronic power drive control, customized infeed and outfeed conveyors, and stainless steel construction.

"We were extremely impressed with the technological advances CROWN Closures Europe has developed in the new S4B2M sealing machine and were equally impressed with the team's enthusiastic, flexible and professional approach to the project," says Alves. "They remained focused at all times and were fully understanding of our requirements."

Crown Holdings, Inc., through its affiliated companies, is a leading supplier of packaging products to consumer marketing companies around the world. World headquarters are located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

SOURCE Crown Holdings, Inc.