PETpla.net Insider 04/ 2013

PREFORM PRODUCTION 24 PET planet insider Vol. 14 No. 04/13 www.petpla.net Mold-Masters: From hot runners to preform* Performance boost for installed preform systems by Waldemar Schmitke, Editor-at-large for PETplanet insider The PET market overall is showing cautious growth. Only in the emerg- ing markets and specialist niches is there evidence of higher growth rates. In the niche markets, small and medium capacities of up to 48 cavities seem to be the predominant features. However, there does seem to be an increasing demand for the refurbish- ment of existing PET installations in the preform mould sector. According to estimates, the volume is higher today than the current demand for original equipment. The reasons for this may be traced to the continuously shrinking life cycle of preform geom- etries as a result of lightweighting and the need to make more flexible use of existing equipment in response to pressure from the market (more pre- form formats with no corresponding increase in volume). Mold-Masters entering in the PET market Mold-Masters is a specialist in hot runner technology. The company has been involved for more than 50 years in the building and development of hot runners for the plastics industry. Asked why Mold-Masters has become involved in such a specialised market as PET, Mr. Richard Sieradzki responded as follows: PET repre- sents a very interesting market for Mold-Masters, In particular, the high population of preform systems and their requirement for refurbishment. However, the PET mould-making industry is relatively small and exclu- sive. The potential for supplying hot runners only to PET mould-makers is limited because the majority of suppli- ers have their own hot runner technol- ogy, consequently, the only way into this market is by way of a complete preform mould incorporating a com- petitive technology. It was this that led to the acqui- sition of Abba Canada, a long-term manufacturer of insert components for PET preform tools. The mould integra- tion and the performance test take place at Mold-Masters in Georgetown, Ontario, Canada. iFlow and iCool Technological features include iCool for the cold half of the mould and iFlow for the hot side of the mould (the hot runner). The PET activities are brought together globally in MPET. The emphasis is on the two-stage market, but there is also a requirement in the single-stage market, although here demand is limited to hot runners. The performance package is made up of mould and hot runner conversions and refurbishments for 2 to 144 cavity preform moulds. Interface adaptation is taken care of and conversion kits include preform unloading plates that are available for all preform systems currently estab- lished on the market. This doesn’t just include the exchange or replace- ment of moulds or insert components but also improves the performance of existing preform systems in terms of energy requirements and capacity. This is possible because of the iCool and iFlow technology, says Richard Sieradzki and this means a further competitive option for the industry over the OEMs. In addition, there is the possibil- ity of integrating moulds with a higher number of cavities into existing pre- form machines and thus achieving a considerable increase in output, pro- viding other peripheral activities are in place. Co-Injection For co-injection PET applications there is a proprietary hot runner devel- opment that can also be adapted to existing cold sides. This applies both to 2-stage and single-stage systems. The incorporation of an all-electric injection moulding unit up to 55mm screw diameter (which can be supplied) turns a mono-application into a co- injection system. www.moldmasters.com Richard Sieradzki, Global Vice Presi- dent MPET, Mold-Masters Richard Sieradzki Global Vice President MPET, left, and Waldemar Schmitke Editor at large PETplanet Some years ago, Mold-Masters made a decision to invest in the PET market. Richard Sieradzki, Global Vice Presi- dent MPET at Mold-Masters, explained to PETplanet insider, why Mold-Masters has become involved in such a specialized market. *The interview with Richard Sieradzki took place one week before the news of the Milacron and Mold-Masters merger broke. Mold-Masters announced on March 28 the completion of the acqui- sition of Mold-Masters by Milacron LLC.