Posts Tagged ‘High Volume’

SB Rotary Blow Molding Machines

Monday, March 7th, 2011

I have talked with many customers over the last several months about our high speed “SB” Rotary Blow Molding (RBM) systems for small bottles. The applications have been expanding as the process works for any where the parison is contained in the neck. The advantages that they all say we have as compared to other shuttles, recipes and wheels are:

• No complicated takeout systems or bottle knock out devices

• No complicated tooling (shear steels, blow pins, deflashing, etc) to maintain

• High operating efficiencies of the production line

• No complicated hydraulics and greater energy savings

• Much small machine requiring less floor space

• Because of the simplistic design it requires less people

• Much high quality bottles than can be made on other type of machines

Recently I talked with a customer that said our competitor told them the SB process “does not work”, I said “does not work, what do you mean?” the competitor says that your machine produces unblown bottles, the process does not work with no tails and it takes 3 people to run the line”. So I then put him in touch with a customer that has been running our SB system, very successfully, for 4 years. After the conversation he told me “you are right, he loves his machine and says he has less than one operator”. The moral of the story is, don’t believe what you hear from competitors. With the Wilmington’s SB system, things CAN BE too good to be true. It’s simple and better than any other process on the market today, I hope you will call me to find out the truth about the SB RBM systems.

910-431-1003 or email me at: jnewman@wilmingtonmachinery.com

-Jeff






Blow Molding Process Comparison: Wheels (Continuous Extrusion)

Wednesday, April 7th, 2010

Rotary Wheel Blow Molding Machinery

The rotary wheel blow molding machines are the machine of choice for very high volumes of containers for markets such as liquid detergent and juice in North American markets. Wheels are typically chosen over shuttles because of processing ease (and cost) due to single parison technology and lower cost per container for high-volume applications. This is especially true for coextrusion and multilayer applications. Machines can be designed to handle a wide range of container sizes, but are typically committed to a narrow range of container variation after built. Because the containers are blow with a needle (instead of blow pin), it is not unusual to blow containers in a neck to neck configuration to increase the production output. Wheels come in various configurations including indexing, continuous motion, vertical (like a ferris wheel) and horizontal (like a merry go round). Some even now have the capability to produce calibrated neck containers, such as a reciprocating screw (Intermittent extrusion). Most, however, rely on downstream trimming equipment to trim and finish the container.

PROS:

  • Lowest cost method for high volume production requirements
  • Simple design and controls for maintenance
  • Single parison well suited for multilayer application for repeatability and cost
  • Easy to utilize IML
  • Can achieve very high production volume from a single machine

CONS:

  • Typically can not be converted to different number of cavities after being built
  • High investment requires commitment to high volume production situations
  • Requires secondary trimming and finishing equipment

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Blow Molding Process Comparison: Reheat Stretch Blow (2 Step)

Wednesday, April 7th, 2010

Injection Stretch Blow (2-Step)

This process is also almost 100% for PET applications. The processes utilizes preforms made on a stand-alone injection molding machine, stored and then reheated and stretch blow similar to the 1-step process above. Here, however, the preforms are blown at a lower temperature allowing the maximum amount of biaxial orientation and therefore the maximum strength to weight ratios. The reheat process can be for ultra high output type applications such as carbonated soda bottles while other machines can be smaller for medium to high production requirements. Major machinery manufactures include Sidel and Krupps.

PROS:

  • Can be very high speed production (40,000 containers / hour)
  • Produces a very high strength-to-weight ratio container
  • Can purchase or make preforms
  • Primarily PET material
  • Machines for low and medium volume application are becoming available

CONS:

  • Can not mold handleware
  • Not capable of polyolefins
  • Must have a separate preform mold and injection molding machine or purchase preforms
  • For low volume production, if special design preform is required, cost can be expensive

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