Sidel’s Super Combi Compact complete water line opened the door for more business opportunities for Zulal Water Factory in Sharjah, UAE (Zulal). Running at up to 45,000 bottles per hour (bph), the line delivers increased productivity by 280% and helps the company save 56% on energy costs compared with their existing PET line. In addition, with the new, lighter PET bottle and optimization of utilities, there has been a considerable reduction in the overall carbon footprint.

Zulal was established by H H Sheikh Dr Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Court Member and Ruler of Sharjah, part of SEWA (Sharjah Electricity and Water and Gas Authority) in the UAE. The company’s vision is to provide clean, pure drinking water for all people in the region. In 1995, Zulal was the first government organization to address this requirement. It is the only water enterprise that provides 100% pure groundwater directly from the Hamdah wells in Sharjah. The water is certified by international standards and packed according to the highest international standards for packaging drinking water.

The connection between Zulal and Sidel can be dated back to the late 1990s when Zulal first installed a Sidel blower. In 2019, the company reached out to Sidel again for a new high-speed line to meet market demand. As a complete line solution provider, Sidel consulted the customer on packaging design and line capacity and line design and layout to enhance the overall performance.

Greater productivity opens the door for more business opportunities

After 18 months of discussion, Sidel provided Zulal the Super Combi Compact water line, running at 45,000 bph. The layout was a key element of the line design for this project because the line had to be installed in the existing location. Sidel experts managed to accommodate the configuration of the Super Combi Compact and conveyors and two packers into that space, thereby achieving approximately a 25% overall space saving due to the redesigned “Accumulation Combiner and Labeller.”

The new line provided Zulal with greater line efficiency and productivity, enabling further business opportunities. “After installing Sidel’s complete water line, we now can supply our products to major airlines, hotels, schools, and offices. We are pleased with the enhanced performance,” said Ali Ahmed Ali Al Kindi, manager of the Zulal Department at SEWA. As Sidel’s motto goes, “Performance through understanding,” continuous communication with clear information played a key role in this cooperation to better understand consumers’ needs and achieve goals.

New bottle design and production line aligning with sustainability goals

In line with SEWA’s sustainability policy, Zulal wanted to optimize its carbon footprint. By redesigning the PET bottles and reducing the weight, the new bottle for 330ml and 500ml formats now weighs just 9.75g and 12.5g, which saved up to 0.65gm and 1gm respectively per bottle. It also contributes to reducing Zulal’s carbon footprint with considerable PET savings, namely an estimation of saving 215kg for 330ml and 331kg for 500ml per shift production run. Additionally, thanks to Sidel’s complete line solution, Zulal pays 56% less for energy while increasing productivity by 280% compared to their existing line.