packaging | PET preforms
Above left: A 72-cavity SIPA preform mould mounted in the company’s XForm 300 machine
Above right: SIPA’s standard three-cycle preform cooling system. An optional six-cycle version is available
components - essential to allow for the very different processing temperatures. The coinjection machines use the same two-stage ‘screw and plunger’ injection system employed on the company’s mono-layer systems for the main PET component and a conventional reciprocating screw system for the minor barrier layer. Husky is initially targeting its coinjection technology
at producers of CSD preforms looking to lightweight without sacrificing shelf-life. Lightweight CSD preforms with around 2-3% of a barrier such as Mitsubshi Chemical’s MXD6 polyamide meet most CO2 retention requirements. Coinjection technology can also provide the ability to ‘tune’ the barrier content for seasonal variations.
Looking further ahead, Rivollet sees potential in UHT milk packaging. “In Latin America we are seeing a number of producers taking a chance on PET,” he says. Today, he says these markets are mostly using mono-layer packaging with TiO2 providing both the white colour and essential UV protection. However, TiO2 reduces the transfer of thermal energy and slows the reheat blow moulding process. Achieving longer shelf-life will require the use of multi-layer packs using TiO2 for the white surface over a UV blocking carbon black mid-layer. Rivollet says milk packaging is a demanding
Right: SIPA’s XForm 300 preform
system was
shown for the first time in public at NPE in the US
18
coinjection application becasue the UV barrier must be complete across the full surface of the bottle, including the gate at the base. This can be controlled in its coinjection moulding system. It is also possible to shift the position of the black UV blocking barrier layer closer to the inner surface to minimise the amount of TiO2 required to achieve the desired white appearance. While Husky continues to dominate
the PET preform market, competition is intensifying. Italian PET machinery and tooling manufacturer SIPA has long offered preform moulds and production systems. It stepped up its activity in the sector in 2012 with
INJECTION WORLD | April 2015
www.injectionworld.com
the launch of its XForm 500 preform moulding system and has since added two smaller systems – XForm 150 and XForm 300 – developed in partnership with Canadian company Athena Automation (set up by Husky founder Robert Schad). The XForm 300 system had its first public showing at the NPE exhibition last month.
Alternative solutions SIPA preform sales manager Stefano Baldassar says the company’s strategy is to offer a genuine alternative to Husky, with all of its XForm production systems designed to provide full compatibility with existing Husky mould tools, take-off and vacuum plate systems (its earlier PPS systems would not accept so-called legacy tooling). He says PET preform systems and tooling now makes up 50% of SIPA’s business and claims the company, part of privately-owned Zoppas Industries, is now the largest supplier of preform moulds up to 144-cavity. Baldassar says the company has in excess of 50
XForm 500 systems in operation and more than 10 XForm 300 systems in production. Sales of the smallest XForm 150 systems are in the high single digits. “Practically all of our systems are going to customers that only use Husky,” he says. “Customers are willing to change but they need a reason to. This market is not built on up-front cost in terms of assets – they want performance first.”
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