Mittelstandspresse
12.10.2026
Trailblazers: RHODIUS Mineralquellen and KHS realize pioneering project with re-sealable aluminum bottles
Long-term partners launch a new packaging system to the German market
Dortmund, 12.10.2026 (PresseBox) - When deep trust is combined with the courage to innovate, systems and solutions are produced that propel the beverage industry forward. This is precisely what RHODIUS Mineralquellen und Getränke GmbH & Co. KG and the KHS Group have achieved in engineering the first high-performance line for resealable aluminum bottles in Germany. To this end, 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 emphasizes. “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.
Open to new technologies and packaging systems
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 realizing innovations on a large scale. We fully trust in the technical and human expertise of this company.” When in 2025 aluminum bottles with a screw cap were to be included in the product portfolio, RHODIUS again decided to work with KHS, headquartered in Dortmund, Germany.
The specifications for this major project were demanding; both RHODIUS and KHS are among the pioneers launching resealable aluminum bottles in the high-performance range to the European market. In Japan, bottles like these have been a fixed feature of the packaging market for many years now; they’re seldom found in Europe, however. Yet they have several clear advantages over other beverage container concepts, explains 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, flavored 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 aluminum 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%.
Pioneering work under challenging conditions
RHODIUS wanted to have the new aluminum 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.
During planning, the KHS team once again profited from its excellent knowledge of the production site and its long-standing familiarity with local processes and customer personnel. “We ran through lots of different scenarios at the beginning of the project, integrating the new packaging into various lines in our minds,” says 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.”
Successful conversion of existing canning line
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 depalletizing, 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,” explains 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 – which is essential for a big beverage producer and contract filler like RHODIUS.
Conversion of the bulk depalletizer 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 aluminum 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.
Pilot project for the European market
RHODIUS buys in its pre-lacquered aluminum bottles with a screw cap from Japan, an important production location for this packaging system. “Only a handful of suppliers worldwide have mastered the manufacturing technology for light, resealable aluminum bottles. Unfortunately, as yet not a single one of them is operating in Europe,” says 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 labeler. This machine also gives the bottler additional flexibility: filled bottles can be individually designed and dressed with customized labels. This is of great particular benefit to a contract filler like RHODIUS. A KHS Innocheck LIS label inspection system performs a final quality control. Using a camera, it checks for label presence and correct label positioning.
Goals successfully achieved
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 praises.
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 400-milliliter bottles and a special Hallowe’en edition of Bluna. Further product launches are planned for the end of the year. “What’s more, we’re holding promising talks with national and international brands with a view to cooperation. And with each partnership we’re moving one step closer to our goal of enhancing Europe’s beverage and packaging industry with an innovative, high-quality container system.”
For more information go to: https://www.khs.com/en/company/news/press-releases
Why not subscribe to our newsletter so that you don’t miss any of the latest news? https://www.khs.com/en/company/news/khs-competence-web-magazine
Ansprechpartner
Alisa Altrock
+49 251 6255 6123
Zuständigkeitsbereich: PR consultant
Über KHS GmbH:
The KHS Group is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of filling and packaging systems for the beverage and liquid food industries. Besides the parent company (KHS GmbH), the group includes various subsidiaries outside Germany, with pro-duction sites in Ahmedabad (India), Waukesha (USA), Zinacantepec (Mexico), São Paulo (Brazil) and Kunshan (China). It also operates numerous sales and service centers worldwide. KHS manufactures modern filling and packaging systems for the high-capacity range at its headquarters in Dortmund, Germany, and at its facto-ries in Bad Kreuznach, Kleve, Worms and Hamburg. The KHS Group is a wholly owned subsidiary of the SDAX-listed Salzgitter AG corporation. In 2025 the KHS Group and its 5,769 employees achieved a turnover of around €1.649 billion.
Datei-Anlagen:
(4 MB)
1633281.attachment
“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. We know that KHS will always give us the best-possible solution, even with highly complex projects,” says Hannes Tack, managing partner of RHODIUS Mineralquellen.
(2 MB)
1633282.attachment
“We ran through lots of different scenarios at the beginning of the project, integrating the new aluminum bottle into various lines in our minds,” says KHS project manager Gerd Bodenheimer.
(8 MB)
1633283.attachment
RHODIUS procures its pre-lacquered, resealable aluminum bottles from Japan. The empty containers are processed by a KHS Innopal MPH depalletizer.
(4 MB)
1633284.attachment
The empty containers are transported from the basement to the filling line above by vacuum. The technology is from KHS partner H. F. Meyer.
(8 MB)
1633286.attachment
RHODIUS uses a KHS Innofill Glass DNRF filler for its aluminum bottles.
(5 MB)
1633289.attachment
The KHS Innofill Glass DNRF is a long-tube filler for low-oxygen pickup during filling.
(4 MB)
1633291.attachment
The KHS Innoket Neo labeling machine applies the DPG logo to the aluminum bottles.
(5 MB)
1633294.attachment
The 400-milliliters bottles run through the KHS packaging segment where they’re securely packed for transportation.
(876 kB)
1633297.attachment
The resealable aluminum bottle will first appear on German supermarket shelves for Bluna in a special Hallowe’en edition.
- Mehr Infos zu dieser Meldung unter www.pressebox.de
- zurück zur Übersicht
