Joint Venture on Coating for PET Bottles

MAINZ 24.09.2004 (PROTEXT/ots) - On September 1, SIGCorpoplast, the Hamburg based machine maker, and SCHOTT AG, thetechnology group with headquarters in Mainz, formally foundedSCHOTT SIG Barrier Technologies GmbH.

The new company has its headquarters in Mainz and willdevelop and manufacture coating modules for use in beveragefilling machines. Clear barrier layers help preserve beveragescontained in plastic bottles for a longer period of time. Bothcompanies have worked together for several years before electingto enter into this joint venture. As a result, the newly-formedcompany already ranks as the global market leader in this field.

Over the next 3 years, the revenue we achieve with coatingmodules will triple and make up a high double- digit million Eurofigure, says Dr. Udo Ungeheuer, Chairman of the Board ofManagement of SCHOTT AG. The company expects this to eventuallylead to as many as 50 new jobs in Mainz.

Combining the Advantages of Plastic and Glass

Several million coated bottles clearly document thesuccessful application of PET barrier technology to juice andsoft drink packaging, for example. A coating facility with thename PLASMAX generates transparent and completely recyclablebarrier layers on the inside of PET bottles. This glass-likecoating enables us to combine the advantages of both glass andPET, including gas impermeability and resistance to breakage,explains Dr. Stephan Behle, Managing Director of SCHOTT SIGBarrier Technologies GmbH. The inside coating prevents PET fromreleasing material into beverages, adds Behle.

Diversification to include other Plastics

The primary objective behind the joint venture is to developnew methods of coating plasma and supply SIG Corpoplast withPICVD coating components for use in food packaging. However,this is not solely limited to the PET segment. It will alsoencompass containers made of other types of plastics. PICVDstands for Plasma Impulse Chemical Vapour Deposition, a conceptthat SCHOTT originally developed to coat and refine glass. WhenSCHOTT founded HiCotec in 2001, the company extended the use ofPICVD coating technology to plastic applications.

The coating module manufactured in Mainz for use in PLASMAXwill be marketed exclusively by SIG Corpoplast in Hamburg.Installation and sales will be managed as they were in the past.SIG Corpolast will also have sole responsibility for after salesservice.

SIG and SCHOTT expect this joint venture to result in moreeffective bundling of the individual potentials for innovationthat exist in both companies and, therefore, benefits forPLASMAX customers. SIG Corpoplast and SCHOTT AG each hold a 50%share in the new company and the management team consists of onemanaging director from each of the two organizations.

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Press Photos and more information is available athttp://schott-multimedia.de/Presse-2/Joint-Venture_SCHOTT_SIG/

SIG is a leading global supplier of packaging materials,facilities and service to the beverage industry with leadershippositions in select markets. The SIG Beverages division is oneof the worlds leading suppliers of systems used to manufactureplastic packaging, as well as complete system solutions for thebeverage industry. For 30 years, SIG Corpoplast has been aglobal leader in constructing, marketing and providing serviceon machines and systems used to manufacture PET bottles. Thecompanys line of machines includes BLOMAX Series III stretchblow molding machines that offer an output of more than 40,000PET bottles per hour, as well as PLASMAX coating machinesdesigned to improve barriers, increase quality and deliver alonger shelf life for sensitive beverages contained in PETbottles. In fiscal 2003, the SIG Group and its some 9,000employees generated sales of approximately 1.9 billion Euros.

SCHOTT is an international technology group that sees itscore purpose as the lasting improvement of living and workingconditions. For this purpose special materials, components andsystems are developed. The main areas of focus are the householdappliances industry, optics and opto-electronics,pharmaceuticals and regenerative energies. The SCHOTT Group hasa presence in proximity to its customers through its productionand sales companies in all its major markets. It has 18,700employees producing worldwide sales of 2 billion euros. Thecompanys technological and economic expertise is closely linkedwith its social and ecological responsibility.

Press Contact at SCHOTT Matthias Reinig ?Tel. +49 (0)61 31/ 66-40 94 Fax +49 (0) 61 31/ 66-40 41 email: matthias.reinig@schott.com http://www.schott.com

Press Contact at SIG Corpoplast Carsten Lurz ?Tel. +49 (0)40/ 67 907 350 Fax +49 (0) 40/ 67 907 93 50 email: carsten.lurz@sig.biz http://www.sigbeverages.com

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