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A provisional patent on a new electric drivetrain has been filed by . The new drive design is intended for screw rotation on reciprocating-screw extrusion blow molders. It’s retrofittable on machines from VES or other suppliers, and VES has designed its first machine equipped with the new drivetrain. That machine is slated for completion by early in the second quarter and has already drawn interest from potential buyers, VES says.

According to VES president Tom Blaszkow, “Our drive system replaces some combination of an electric motor, belts, sheaves, thrust-bearing assembly, ball spline, extruder drive and hydraulic drive system with a single component that is electrically driven.” This simpler electric screw drive will yield a minimum of 15% energy savings and dramatically lower maintenance costs, Blaszkow says.

Blaszkow notes that a new machine equipped with the new drivetrain would cost less than a machine with today’s existing drive. And the cost of retrofitting an existing machine would be similar to a standard extruder drive replacement. The new drive is currently available as a retrofit kit.

It’s worth noting that VES has offered a reportedly unique all-electric reciprocating-screw blow molder since 2015. Blaszkow says the new drive improves even on that design by eliminating the extruder gear reducer, ball spline, thrust-bearing assembly, belts and sheaves.