SMI Group, the Italian-based pharma machinery major is now aggressive in marketing its rotary stretch blow moulder SR series 2-stage machine for production of PET bottles. In the last six months a new trend has caught on in the Indian formulation units to go in for PET bottle moulders. This led SMI to capitalise on the situation and has a set itself a target of selling five machines a year. Its sales plan is evolved around a three-pronged strategy to garner a good share from the Indian market where economical costs, energy saving and viability of the SR series is highlighted.

SMI manufactures the rotary stretch blow moulder SR series for PET bottles at its 37,800 sq. ft. production unit located in San Pellegrino Terme in Italy and has made a significant presence world wide. It is now looking at India where pharma majors like Warren Laboratories, Wockhardt, Elder Pharma have gone in for PET bottles. Companies like Zydus Cadila, Cadila Healthcare, Reckitt Benckiser, Kemwell and AstraZeneca Pharma India are contemplating on the practicality of the rotary stretch blow moulder technology. Research is on by some pharma companies here to determine the chemical reactions in the long run for certain liquid drugs that can be marketed in PET bottles, Krishna Prakash, marketing manager, SMI branch office in Bangalore told Pharmabiz.com.

According to him, the market for rotary stretch blow moulders is huge and he estimated that the Indian pharmaceutical formulation sector required a minimum 10 crore PET bottles a month.

A pharma company will need to invest between Rs. 1.5 to Rs.2 crore for purchase of SR series. The model range has been extended by 4 to 6 machine sizes. The output rates depend on the bottle size and shape. It ranges from 4,000 to over 22,000 bottles per hour (bpm). The ideal bottle size for Indian pharma companies is usually between 60 ml to 100 ml capacity. The SR series helps to saves power, which lowers the cost of each bottle now priced between 90 paise to Re.1, infomed Krishan Prakash.

The other features of SR series are reduced initial investment, low maintenance, easy/flexible control, high precision production process, easy operation parameters, superior quality of finished product, constant product quality through an innovative technology called 'intellicavity' that allows to monitor temperature profile, low machine noise, maximum level of hygiene, greater visibility of the entire production process, multi-language system, tele-assistance for immediate diagnostics, quick updation of machine software, real-time production data transfer, production of light weight bottles, quick mould change over and possibility of excluding one or more stretch blow moulding stations.

Although the glass bottles are cheaper than PET bottles, still many leading pharma units are keen to invest on the rotary stretch blow moulders. This is mainly because PET bottles are easy-to-handle and there will be no breakage as the present infrastructure of Indian roads caused immense problems for glass bottles to be transported.

The market for PET bottles is growing at 25 per scent annually. According to Krishna Prakash, the main competitor for SMI will be the Mumbai-based Ahura. "However, the company is hopeful to penetrate market where unique features, reduced cost of production and power saving of rotary stretch blow moulder SR series 2-stage machines make it a reliable long-term investment, he added.