Blow Molding: Economical PET Machine Molds Two Different Bottles Alternately
PET Technologies has a new reheat stretch-blow machine for bottles of 3 L to 10 L.
A new model reheat stretch-blow molder from has two independent cavities that can produce two different bottles in alternate cycles by switching back and forth between two blowing units, each equipped with a separate block of valves. One cavity can also be shut down to optimize production.
The new APF-5 automatic machine is designed for blowing bottles from 3 L to 10 L at up to 1600 bottles/hr for sizes of 3 to 8 L and 700 bph for 10 L. (A machine for smaller sizes was shown at NPE2018.) It is described as an economical machine, built in Ukraine for the Austrian-based company. . It has electric and pneumatic drives. Features include a B&R control system, mold-closing system analogous to rotary machines, eight-zone preform heating system, and air recovery that reuses high-pressure air to fulfill 100% of low-pressure air requirements. In addition, a special air-cooling system reportedly provides uniform temperature throughout the preform body—especially important for production of large bottles from thick-walled preforms.
Two PET Technologies machine were installed in the U.S. last year. One, the first of the company’s automatic machines in this country, is an APF-3002 with output of 3000 bph and bottle sizes up to 3 L, operating in Arizona. The other is a specially modified semi-automatic UPF-30 machine that can create PET jars with a neck diameter of 120 mm and volume of 0.5 gal or 1 gal. It’s used to make water dispensers for pet feeding systems from Moderna Products in Gaffney, S.C.
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