PETpla.net Insider 10 / 2013

BOTTLE MAKING 48 PET planet insider Vol. 14 No. 10/13 www.petpla.net Graham Packaging uses Agr automated blow- moulder control and inspection for wide-mouth jars Peanut butter jar gets the vision treatment Global packaging company Graham Packaging Co. L.P., York, PA, is accelerating the shift from glass, paper and metal to PET. One example is the development of the 30- and 32-ounce hot-fill, wide-mouth jars for peanut butter and other viscous foods for the branded product market. To make the speciality jars, which must meet demanding specifications, Graham has deployed its proprietary blow- trim technology in tandem with Agr International’s OptiCheck vision-based inspection and measurement system and Pro- cess Pilot automated blowmoulder control system. Blow-trim challenges The manufacturing challenge of the blow-trim jars is two-fold: with a range of 63mm to 83mm, the jar finish is too large for standard preforms and blowmoulders, yet it must be perfect for proper capping. Complicating the task is the mandate to use a single blowmoulder to produce both bottles with a 43mm finish and larger jars. “The spindles on our Sidel blow- moulder are 43mm. Normally, to make a jar with our larger finishes, you would need a dedicated machine with larger spindles, plus special preforms and different handling equipment like unscramblers,” explains Don Waud, Graham Plant Manager. “It can get very expensive.” The patented blow-trim process allows a single Sidel unit to fabricate both types of containers. When run- ning the larger finish jars, Graham deploys a speciality mould inside the blowmoulder. The custom mould shapes a new set of jar threads along the side wall of the preform. The tech- nique permits the use of traditional preforms with a 43mm diameter finish, thus eliminating the need for special preform manufacturing and handling equipment. In a secondary process, the portion of the jar above the newly blown threads - the moil, or excess area - is cut off by a trimmer down- stream and subsequently recycled. Graham’s jar and bottle plant is co-located with the filling plant of an internationally known food proces- sor. The arrangement saves shipping costs while offering the stability of a long-term supply agreement and the agility of just-in-time manufacturing. In the close-coupled operation, the containers are blown and imme- diately conveyed to the filling plant