Sidel ACTIS™ Wins FBE 2026 Innovation Award; at CBB 2026 Forum, Sidel Shares How to Balance PET Packaging Lightweighting and Long Shelf Life

The China International Beer and Beverage Manufacturing Technology and Equipment Exhibition (CBB 2026) is being held at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. Sidel's ACTIS™ plasma coating technology has won this year's FBE 2026 Innovation Award. On October 13, Sidel was invited to deliver a keynote speech at the technical forum held alongside CBB 2026, where, centering on ACTIS™ plasma coating technology, it shared with industry peers its mature experience in extending shelf life, lightweighting design and cost optimization for PET packaging. Discussion at the forum was lively, and attendees showed strong interest in this coating technology that has already achieved large-scale commercial application. 1. ACTIS™: A "Stealth Armor" Already in Large-Scale Commercial Use. At present, small-capacity PET packaging for carbonated soft drinks and sensitive beverages is growing strongly, and the market is placing higher demands on product quality, production costs and production efficiency. Extending shelf life and reducing packaging costs are often difficult to achieve at the same time, and Sidel's ACTIS™ plasma coating technology is precisely a mature commercial solution addressing this industry pain point. The technology already has more than 30 production lines running stably worldwide, covering categories such as carbonated drinks, tea drinks and beer. Its principle is that, under vacuum conditions, with industrial acetylene gas as the carbon source, a nanoscale hydrogenated amorphous carbon coating is deposited on the inner wall of the PET bottle through a cold plasma process. This coating, invisible to the naked eye, can significantly enhance the barrier capability of PET material against gas molecules: oxygen barrier performance improved by up to 30 times, carbon dioxide barrier performance improved by up to 7 times, and water vapor barrier performance improved by up to 3 times. 2. Dual Compliance in Safety and Environmental Protection, Obtaining a "Pass" for the Chinese Market. ACTIS™ technology has passed food safety and recyclability certifications in major global markets. In 2017, the former National Health and Family Planning Commission officially listed "amorphous hydrogenated carbon" as a new variety of food-contact materials and articles. In international markets, ACTIS™ has obtained food safety certification in major markets including the United States FDA, the European Union and Japan, and has also passed the bottle-to-bottle and bottle-to-fiber recyclability certifications of the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) in the United States, as well as the recycling certifications of Europe's PETCORE, EPBP and authoritative local institutions in Japan. Wang Wei, Operations Director of Packaging, Moulds and Line Changeover Conversion for Sidel Greater China. The next step for PET packaging is not simply to use less material, but to use technology to make every gram of material more valuable. ACTIS™ winning the FBE 2026 Innovation Award is recognition of Sidel's sustainable packaging philosophy. We hope that through continuous innovation, we can help beverage companies find a balance between quality, cost and environmental responsibility, and also provide a workable path for the industry's green transformation. CBB 2026 will continue until October 15. Following the ACTIS™ coating technology, Sidel's sharing in the field of aseptic production is also worth looking forward to; Sidel experts will bring topics related to aseptic technology at the technical conference held alongside CBB, and industry partners are welcome to exchange and discuss with us. Contributed by Sidel