US beverage producer Crystal Geyser Water (Calistoga, California; www.crystalgeyser.com) has launched its “Tejava” premium iced tea in a new hand-sculpted 18-oz PET hot-fill bottle from Amcor Rigid Plastics (Abbotsford / Australia; www.amcor.com). The package design, described as the first of its kind, integrates a life-size tea leaf motif with three-dimensional qualities, which creates the illusion of holding a bundle of tea leaves.

Crystal Geyser said the new PET container extends the Tejava product offering beyond its 1-l and 12-oz glass packaging, allowing it to penetrate the on-the-go consumer market while also expanding its national footprint. Retail distribution in the US began in early June, and the water producer said it believes the new proprietary bottle will set a new packaging standard in the RTD tea category.

The company’s initial design idea required Amcor to go beyond its traditional CAD capabilities, combining elements of seven software systems adapted from the gaming, animation, movie, and automotive industries. While the focus was on maximizing the design, it also had to be ensured that the bottle met important performance requirements. Amcor’s advanced engineering team performed Finite Element Analysis (FEA) modelling to predict the container’s performance behavior. Its “PowerFlex” technology features a patented panel-less design, said to provide the freedom to create various designs along the walls.

The design and manufacturing techniques allow the patented bottle to absorb vacuum via a specially designed base, and a “unique” diaphragm within the base draws upward as the liquid cools, Amcor said. The bottle’s geometric characteristics are designed to enable the inverted cone-shaped diaphragm to deflect upward as the vacuum is created.