Scented water bottles
No silicone, no function – live production of mouthpieces for air up bottles at the K 2025 trade fair.
Set up your appointment at K 2025 now.You don't have to wait long. Teenagers come into the air up showroom all the time. They only want one thing: the coveted scented water bottle. The water bottles have created real hype. But what most of us don’t know: Silicone is what makes this bottle work. At K 2025, WACKER’s booth team will be producing the mouthpieces of these trendy water bottles live.
Set up your appointment at K 2025 now.What is special about air up bottles? A scent pod is placed on the mouthpiece of the bottle. The scent of the pod creates a taste in the mouth when drinking water. Depending on the pod, tap water can taste of apple, orange or even iced coffee. Originally introduced by students in Munich, the principle quickly caught on worldwide. Ashton Kutcher and Pepsi invested in the former start-up, and stars such as Kim Kardashian posed with the bottles. Today, teenagers share unboxing videos of their air up bottles on TikTok.
Short supply chain: We, together, in Europe
Although the bottles are internationally acclaimed, founders Fabian Schlang and Co. have opted for "Designed in Germany, made in Austria" for their latest bottle – made possible by the silicone experts at WACKER, the elastomer injection molder RICO and the plastics manufacturer Greiner. "Our bottles should be produced where our most important customers are," says Schlang, explaining this step, "We are very proud that the production chain is now as short as possible." The air up Click bottles are manufactured within a radius of just 140km: The liquid silicone rubber comes from WACKER in Burghausen, RICO manufactures the mouthpieces in Thalheim near Wels, and less than half an hour's drive away Greiner produces and assembles the bottles, which are marketed by air up in Munich.
That’s truly remarkable for trend-setting products with their fast and frequent design changes! But: "We always knew that there were world-class manufacturers here in Europe who we wouldn't have any problems with in terms of material quality, for example," enthuses Fabian Schlang.
The heart of the bottle
Fabian Schlang explains the technical challenges involved in developing and producing the difficult mouthpiece of the air up Click bottle.
Without the mouthpiece, there wouldn’t be the hype. It’s the heart of the bottle. Of course, the silicone component seals the bottle and ensures it doesn’t leak. When the lid is closed, however, it also seals the scent pod airtight. Just like a perfume bottle, it prevents the delightful aromas from evaporating. When the bottle is opened, the wave-like edge of the mouthpiece slightly raises the scent pod. Two fine holes in the mouthpiece and the scent pod, less than a millimeter in size, slide precisely over each other. They allow air to flow from the outside through the pod and into the mouth when drinking – the basic principle of air up that requires absolute precision in the manufacture of the components.
"This shows that our liquid silicone is an absolute all-rounder. And, of course, it’s dishwasher-safe, food-safe and tasteless."
Dr. Christian Anger, Senior Marketing Manager for Silicone ElastomersInjection molding with liquid silicone: Eight in one go
The mouthpiece of the bottles. Silicone reliably seals both water and scent pod. It enables easy opening of the bottle and flavored drinking at the same time
The combination of these different functions in one mouthpiece is the result of joint component development. "We must have tried out 20 different versions before we reached the final shape," recalls Roland Schmutzhart, who works in sales at RICO. RICO has built a complex tool with elaborate 3D geometry. The good processability and flowability of the silicone now enables the mouthpieces to be produced in an 8-cavity mold.
Strikingly bright colors
Christian Anger, Senior Marketing Manager at WACKER, was involved in the development of the mouthpiece for the air up Click bottles and had the right type of silicone at the ready
In the end, what makes the scented bottles so popular? Design, function, but also at first glance: The colors! "Things change very quickly," says Schlang, "Today you want to wear a green T-shirt, tomorrow a blue one. It's the same with the colors of our bottles." This year alone, at least 27 different colored versions of the mouthpiece are planned. In WACKER's color lab, these are always mixed precisely and translated into liquid silicone. "It is time-consuming to mix a color so that it looks exactly as the designer intended in the injection-molded component," explains Anger.
As simple as the mouthpiece looks at first glance: It is the most technically demanding component of an air up bottle. The customers have no idea. They simply enjoy sipping the particularly good-tasting water.
Experience the live demo for yourself at the K 2025 from October 8 to 15, 2025 in Düsseldorf, in Hall 6, Booth A10!
Live production at K 2025
WACKER will be manufacturing the mouthpieces of air up’s Click bottle with ELASTOSIL® eco LR 5003 live at K 2025 from October 8 to 15, 2025 in Düsseldorf in Hall 6, Booth A10. The non-postcuring and resource-efficient liquid silicone rubber is particularly suitable for the large-scale manufacture of products in the food industry and other sensitive areas – without postcuring. Come and visit us!
At RICO in Hall 13, Booth A06, you can see the entire product cycle of the air up straw - from development to the finished production process.
Set up your appointment at K 2025 now!