Beverage producer and contract bottler, Rhodius Mineralquellen und Getränke GmbH & Co KG and the KHS Group have announced the first high-performance line for resealable aluminium bottles in Germany.

An existing KHS canning line with a maximum capacity of 50,000 cans per hour was extended to cater for the new container format – known as the Alu Bottle – and subsequently recommissioned in just nine months.

Rhodius Mineralquellen has trusted in KHS’ expertise for more than 50 years. Since their first joint undertakings, the two companies have developed a close partnership, as Rhodius managing partner, Hannes Tack, emphasised. He said: “KHS has been a reliable partner at our side since 1970. The team understands exactly what we want and need and knows our premises inside out. This knowledge is extremely valuable, especially when implementing highly complex projects.”

This long-term partnership is also reflected in the numerous investment projects of the past few years, where RHODIUS opted for KHS technology as its preferred choice. The beverage producer and contract filler for well-known brands such as Bluna and afri cola now operates six KHS lines – three for cans and one each for kegs, glass and PET bottles.

According to Tack, both companies share a strong pioneering spirit: “We’re extremely open to new technologies and packaging systems. KHS is the ideal partner for us when it comes to realising innovations on a large scale. We fully trust in the technical and human expertise of this company.”

In 2025, Rhodius once again decided to work with KHS to add aluminium bottles to the portfolio. In Japan, bottles like these have been a fixed feature of the packaging market for many years now; they’re seldom found in Europe. Yet they have several clear advantages over other beverage container concepts, explained Tack: “Lots of brands are looking for high-quality alternatives that can be incorporated into existing closed-loop systems and which will help them stand out from their competitors at the point of sale. Our packaging system provides them with great opportunities, especially for trend beverages in the RTD segment such as functional drinks, flavoured water and energy drinks.”

Tack claims that the new setup combines the high functionality and convenience of resealable bottles with the optical and tactile value and recycling properties of aluminium cans. According to a study carried out by packaging market research institute GVM, in Germany over 99% of all beverage cans are recycled; the European average is 76%.

Rhodius wanted to have the new aluminium bottle with a screw cap integrated into an existing KHS line at its bottling plant in Burgbrohl, with the clear instruction that ongoing operation was not to be disrupted. The limited amount of space and ambitious schedule of around nine months for implementation were also a challenge.

“We ran through lots of different scenarios at the beginning of the project, integrating the new packaging into various lines in our minds,” said KHS project manager, Gerd Bodenheimer. The system supplier’s 3D line design program was a great help here.

“This allowed us to play out every conceivable setup with little effort, move existing lines around and include potential new machines,” said Bodenheimer.

A KHS canning line already in production with an output of up to 50,000 containers per hour was eventually selected. Rhodius then invested in new depalletising, filling, labeling and inspection technology for the conversion. An unconventional solution was found for the filling section of the line, with an Innofill Glass DNRF glass bottler being used instead of a classic can filler.

“We deliberately went for a long-tube filler. The long tube gently inserts the beverage just above the container base, forcing oxygen to the top and thus ensuring optimum oxygen values in the product,” explained Thomas Hüser from technical sales at KHS. With its volumetric flow metering, the glass filler can process a broad spectrum of beverages without any loss in quality.

Conversion of the bulk depalletiser also called for an unusual approach. Without further ado, both the existing and new KHS Innopal AS 1 HZ machines were moved to the basement of the production shop. Two canners were also decoupled from one another. The new array allows both empty cans and empty aluminium bottles to be delivered to a single place for all lines. Another key task was to convey the empty containers to the filling line above. The perfect solution was ultimately provided by a vacuum conveyor built by KHS partner H. F. Meyer.

Rhodius buys in its pre-lacquered aluminium bottles with a screw cap from Japan. “Only a handful of suppliers worldwide have mastered the manufacturing technology for light, resealable aluminium bottles. Unfortunately, as yet not a single one of them is operating in Europe,” said Tack. With its new investment, Rhodius is driving the development of the European market and at the same time promoting regional production.

For legal reasons, the containers lacquered in Japan are supplied without a deposit logo. Rhodius then applies the DPG label using a KHS Innoket Neo labeller. This machine also gives the bottler additional flexibility: filled bottles can be individually designed and dressed with customised labels. A KHS Innocheck LIS label inspection system performs a final quality control. Using a camera, it checks for label presence and correct label positioning.

The converted line was successfully commissioned in July 2026. “All processes ran smoothly from planning through installation to commissioning. A project of this size usually takes more than a year. The fact that we completed this conversion in nine months during ongoing operation is a brilliant achievement by all those involved,” Tack highlighted.

To ensure a trouble-free transition to full operation, Rhodius personnel were present during both installation and commissioning, with the KHS team teaching operators directly on the line. Specific further training on maintenance is also being provided. For smaller maintenance jobs and servicing, the KHS ReDiS remote maintenance system is to be used. This combination of on-site instruction and digital courses supports operation, maintenance and continuous line operation.

The revamped line has again reached its initial maximum capacity of 50,000 bottles per hour and already processed the first saleable products. To start with, Rhodius is filling its own water brand into 400ml bottles and a special Halloween edition of Bluna. Further product launches are planned for the end of the year.