PETpla.net Insider 05 / 2010

CAPPING / CLOSURES 38 PET planet insider Vol. 11 No. 05/10 www.petpla.net “One Stop” strategy a success for Swiss mould maker Swiss injection mould maker Schöttli AG specialises in the production of high- performance moulds with a high number of cavities, combining high output and short cycle times, as well as the company’s end-to-end Cax concept and the pooling of all core competences under one roof. Tried and tested modular concept Widespread globalization and the corresponding pressure to reduce costs create an ongoing demand for injection moulds with an ever higher number of cavities. This is the core competence of Schöttli AG, be it single face or stack moulds. Schöttli’s modular concept for tool design has proven very successful. Optimised over many years, this concept applies to the construction and production of all of the company’s injection moulds, even those designed for complex clo- sures. The modular concept is said to offer several advantages: The clamp system with its uniform  opening geometry allows maximum freedom of product design. Cavities in close proximity to each  other allow a compact mould design and the selection of the smallest possible injection mould- ing machine for production. Optimum temperature control and  the deployment of innovative mate- rial and coating combinations pro- mote very short cycle times. Components are optimised for  mould and production so as to ensure easy exchangeability of functional elements and low main- tenance. In addition the cavities are easily accessible, which facilitates the cor- rection of errors without the need for removing the mould from the machine. “X-Light” economises on material and costs Increasingly strict environmental directives in industrialised nations have had a significant impact on the closures industry. The positive effect is that the environmentally friendly use of material resources also reduces production costs. “The idea of using less material to protect the environ- ment is motivating”, says Rainer Klass, Product Manager of Schöttli’s packaging department. Developed by the company as a result of cus- tomer and market analyses, the new “X-Light” screw cap proves that saving material does not necessarily compro- mise product functionality. “Two years ago standard screw caps had an average weight of about 1.6g. The “X-Light”, which is produced in our 96-cavity mould presented at the NPE in 2009, meets the same The 1g “X-Light” is a development of Schöttli AG