Page 81 - Glass Machinery Plants & Accessories no. 3-2021

Charlotte Pike

2021. The healthy drinks, no- machine that’s capable of produc-
alcohol and low-alcohol mar- ing a wider range of sizes. In total,
kets saw a significant boom Beatson Clark will have recently
following lockdown and it’s installed six new IS machines -and
noticeable that more consum- refurbished another- providing
ers are choosing healthy adult greater flexibility in terms of the
soft drinks such as kombucha variety of possible containers that
fermented tea. The company can be made.
recently launched new prod- The company is also investing
ucts and formats across all in three new palletisers, one of
its sectors: beverages, food which can pack multiple formats -
and pharmaceuticals. Beaton thereby improving flexibility.
COVID-19 Clark has launched new drinks A new Europacker is to be
Though many businesses were bottles, including its 330 ml installed, able to create smaller
hit hard by the pandemic, Beatson Alpha for beers and soft drinks packs, which again improves flexi-
Clark weathered the storm capa- and its new 330ml Champagne bility. Furthermore, the installation
bly. If anything, it’s in a stronger Style Beer and a new range of of a new Messersì shrink wrapping
position now than it was before liqueur bottles will be coming machine has already improved the
Covid-19 struck. Packaging for soon. Said Pike: ‘We’ve added quality of the packaging.
food and medicine was a neces- some new Powders to our phar- Looking further ahead, both the
sity during lockdown and, as a maceutical range as well as a 500 white flint and amber furnace will
result, the factory remained open ml Marasaca bottle and 370 ml be rebuilt in the next five to six
throughout the pandemic - with Orcio Jar, both of which have years and there’ll be a new batch
strict Covid measures in place. been added to our food range.” plant besides.
“At the start of the pandemic The new furnaces will be fitted
in 2020 the food market was very INVESTING FOR THE FUTURE with furnace condition monitoring,
buoyant with people working and Successful businesses like which uses radar to monitor the
eating at home and dining out Beatson Clark never stand still. thickness of the refractory. This
being restricted,” noted Charlotte Instead they invest for the future helps Beatson Clark to judge more
Pike, Marketing Manager at in their constant search for ways accurately when repairs or rebuilds
Beatson Clark. to improve. are required. It will also allow for
Pike spoke of an upturn in The company has replaced greater control, since the status
demand, especially for essential one of its white flint IS machines of the furnace will be constantly
ingredients such as spice jars. with a new GBP 2.7M production monitored.
The brewing sector struggled at
first but started to pick up again
towards the summer as hospital-
ity venues began to reopen. The
pharmaceutical market remained a
little slow as lockdowns and social
distancing meant there were fewer
colds and other viruses in circula-
tion. “2021 got off to a flying start
as local restrictions eased,” she
said. “As the weather improved
and lockdowns eased, the beer and
pharmaceutical sectors picked up
while food fell back to around its
normal pre-pandemic level.”

NEW PRODUCTS
With confidence returning to the
market and the company exceeding
its budgeted targets over the year,
Beaton Clark saw an increase in
NPD projects towards the end of

GMP&A 3/2022 79