Coca-Cola makes three investments in Germany

From north to south, east to west – with many regional plants, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Germany (CCEP DE) produces soft drinks for all of Germany. In three of those plants, the company is now upgrading its production capabilities with new kit from Krones.

New returnable-glass line for small bottles

Back in late 2022, CCEP DE decided to add another glass line, this one for returnables, to its plant in the northern German city of Lüneburg. It was a very intentional decision, prompted by high demand for soft drinks in glass bottles. In keeping with the company’s strategy of supplying the markets with locally produced goods as much as possible, CCEP DE is therefore scaling up its production capacity. Right now, it is in the process of installing a second returnable-glass line next to the existing Krones line, which was built in 2019. All components of the new returnable-glass line will be to the latest state of the art and feature energy- and water-saving operation. Laying out the new line to fit on a footprint of 1,600 square meters requires the utmost precision. Delivery and installation of the multi-ton machinery also demand painstaking exactitude in both planning and implementation. The new line will run 60,000 containers per hour, filling soft drinks into 0.2- and 0.33-liter bottles.

The new line is not only one of the fastest lines in operation at the company's German sites. It is also one of the most technologically advanced ones, as plant manager Francis Driessen describes it: “The new returnable glass line is important for the Lüneburg site. I’m really pleased that the company is investing such a huge sum in our plant. The new line makes us one of CCEP’s most state-of-the-art production facilities in Germany.”

A crane was used to unload the Lavatec D bottle washer … Image credits:
CCEP DE/Adrian Müller
… and bring it into the production hall. Image credits:
CCEP DE/Adrian Müller
CCEP DE made the intentional decision to increase bottling capacity for returnables. Image credits:
CCEP DE/Uli Deck
Francis Driessen, plant manager at the Lüneburg site Image credits:
CCEP DE/Adrian Müller

The returnable-glass line

Filling soft drinks into small bottles (0.2 and 0.33 liter)
Rated at 60,000 containers per hour
Scope of supply: turnkey line with a Lavatec D bottle washer and Linajet crate washer, Contiflow mixer with syrup buffer tank Modulfill HES filler, Ergomatic Pro labeller, various inspection systems, two Linapac II packers, and two Modulpal Pro 3A palletizers

Partial upgrade of a returnable PET line

The project in Bad Neuenahr is essentially a complete overhaul of an existing line for 1.0-liter returnable PET containers. This is the line’s second upgrade from Krones. Back in 2013, Krones integrated a new Lavatec D bottle washer into the line. Now, it was time to bring the rest of the line (except the filler) up to the latest state of the art.

What makes this project special is that it marks the first time that Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Germany has chosen the “sniffer” Aircontronic inspection machine. The system stands right at the start of the line, even before the bottle washer, and reliably detects possible contaminants such as chemicals, aroma compounds or other unwanted substances. Any bottles flagged by the sniffer are immediately removed from production because they are no longer suitable for use in the returnables loop.

The returnable PET line

Filling soft drinks into 1.0-liter returnable PET containers
Rated at 36,000 bottles per hour
Scope of supply:
- Update part of the line with a Contipac unpacker, Linajet crate washer, Rotomat decapper, various inspection systems for empty and filled bottles, Smartpac packer, two Modulpal Pro 2A machines for palletizing and depalletizing
- Process technology: Contiflow mixer and VarioClean CIP system

In Bad Neuenahr, an existing returnable PET line from Krones was outfitted with new technology. Image credits:
CCEP DE
A low-loading truck brought the machines – here, the Rotomat decapper – into the production hall. Image credits:
CCEP DE
With the exception of the filler and the bottle washer, Krones delivered all new machines for the line. Image credits:
CCEP DE

Block replaces individual machines

The Genshagen plant in Ludwigsfelde, in the German state of Brandenburg, is a facility dedicated exclusively to the filling of non-returnable containers. The production capacity consists of three lines. In the oldest, which was installed in 2000, Krones replaced the centerpiece: the filler. An impressive machine weighing in at around 20 tons, it was lifted into the Coca-Cola production hall from above by a heavy-duty crane. This change is, in fact, a real technology upgrade for the entire line, because instead of individual machines for stretch blow-molding, filling and capping, CCEP DE has opted for a combined block solution from Krones.

The Contiform Bloc BF is equipped with the latest generation of the Contiform stretch blow molder, and the Modulfill VFS filler uses fully electronic PFR (proportional flow regulator) valves, which permit infinite adjustment of the flow velocity. A capper and a Checkmat CI-C cap inspection system round out the current scope of supply from Krones. The new block was brought online in summer 2024 and produces around 30,000 large (1.0 to 2.0 liter) containers per hour.

The Genshagen site near Ludwigsfelde handles only non-returnable PET containers. Image credits:
CCEP DE/Kai Bublitz
Krones supplied a new blow molder/filler block for an existing line. Image credits:
CCEP DE/Kai Bublitz