packaging | PET preforms
Right: Netstal claims its new 144-cavity PET-Line 5000 machine cuts energy use by 10%.
Energy consumption, footprint and speed of mould change are key priorities for PET preform system buyers, according to Baldassar. The XForm 300 system demonstrated at NPE last month uses a compact two-platen clamp that reduces footprint by up to 40% compared with current alternatives, he says. The hybrid machine employs a two-stage ‘screw and plunger’ injection system with electric plasticising and hydraulic injection. Fast clamp travel is electric via dual ball screws and incorporates KERS energy recovery. Ejection is also electric but with a hydraulic boost facility provided to detach the preform from the core (the machine is equipped with two ejector systems to ensure compatibility with old and new mould tools). Final clamping and injection is powered by a triple-servo pump hydraulic system. No accumulators are used and oil life is said to be around 5 years. The result is a highly energy efficient production
system capable of handling moulds up to 96-cavities, according to SIPA. The NPE demonstration system was producing 38mm neck finish preforms weighing 24.7g on a 72-cavity mould produced by SIPA. It was running with the company’s standard three-station post cooling system, but the company also offers a six-station version for thicker parts. The XForm 300 system is designed for mould changes of less than 2.5 hours. The standard machine specification includes a built-in crane to simplify handling of the transfer and vacuum plates during mould changes while access to the mould area is further improved by not linking the transfer system to the moving platen. The platen area is also spacious, allowing it to accommodate larger tools. “These machines are going to technical customers running special applications. In one case we were able to offer a 300 tonne machine when the competition required 400 tonnes,” Baldassar claims. The ability to run legacy tooling is also a
priority for US machinery maker Milacron, which unveiled its first PET preform produc- tion system at NPE (at least its first since the 1970s). The company’s decision to re-enter a market already dominated by one leading player – Husky –
Right: Milacron has designed its M-PET 300
preform system with new PET packaging
formats in mind 20 INJECTION WORLD | April 2015
may seem at first surprising. But Milacron’s acquisi- tions of melt control specialist Mold-Masters in 2013 and coinjection technology firm Kortec last year have, together with its existing machinery divisions, given it a powerful and comprehensive suite of technologies. And the company is looking beyond mono-layer PET bottles.
Forward thinking “Having platforms like this is really part of our future,” says Rick Sieradzki, vice president and general manager of the M-PET Mold-Masters business unit. He cites data from market analysis group Euromonitor estimating global packaging demand amounts to around 4.1 trillion units of which PET to date accounts for around 410bn units. “We are positioning to go after the other 90% - there are a lot of opportunities for us.” Sieradzki includes Kortec’s KlearCan thin wall
technology for production of PET containers with integral EVOH barrier layer, which can compete with metal cans or glass jars in long shelf-life applications, among these new opportunities. Kortec says several brand owners have successfully validated the perfor- mance of the technology and one has now moved on to consumer acceptance trials that could lead to a commercial launch in 2016. Milacron also needs a machine platform to exploit the proven Kortec preform coinjection technology (supplied on a Husky platform prior to its acquisition). The M-PET 300 system demonstrated at NPE was a
mono-layer system producing a standard 10g CSD preform on a 6.5s cycle using a Milacron-manufactured M-PET Mold-Masters PET mould and hot runner. The M-PET 300 system is built around a 300 tonne direct drive servo-electric clamp taken from the Ferromatik F-Series line coupled with a two-stage injection system combining an electric plasticising unit with a servo-hydraulic shooting pot. Milacron’s REX barrel heating system is used to minimise energy losses. Sieradzki says variation across the 96 cavities is within 0.06g. The fast cycling clamp system has been selected with thin wall PET
www.injectionworld.com
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