PETpla.net Insider 09 / 2015

PREFORM PRODUCTION 23 PET planet insider Vol. 16 No. 09/15 www.petpla.net Entering international markets by Kay Barton PETplanet in discussions with Yizumi: (f.l.t.r.:) James Zhang and Kay Barton We met: Mr James Zhang, Director & Deputy General Manager and Mr May Lam, Sales Assistant Yizumi Precision Machinery in Foshan City is a specialist in the manu- facture of injection moulding machines. The company came into being in 2002, initially occupying a 2000m² site. The name Yizumi means “spring water” and aims to represents wisdom, strength and permanence. At the time the com- pany was established, the management already had some 20 years’ experience behind it in the plastics sector. The PET sector constitutes a fundamental part of the company’s operations. The con- stant increase in demand for PET drinks packaging and the associated technical challenges prompted Yizumi to focus on the design and development of injection moulding machines for bottle produc- tion. 2005 saw the completion of the first stage of its new factory and a move into the National High-Tech Industrial Zone. Completion of the second stage followed in 2008. By 2010 two further plants had been built in the Foshan District of Shunde and in Wujiang. With the aim of opening up the US American market, in 2011 Yizumi took over HPM, a company from Ohio with a strong tra- dition behind it. This manufacturer of injection moulding machines, injection moulding moulds and hydraulic presses, with a history stretching back over 130 years and a good reputation in the USA, had been hard hit during the 2008 financial crisis and had been forced to close its doors. The decision to purchase on the part of Yizumi meant that the company was able to secure for itself, in addition to HPM’s forward-looking technology, any amount of potential in terms of its customer base. Another newly established firm that handles sales of HPM machinery locally is poised to pave the way into the North American market from now on. Since 2013 Yizumi has set up three produc- tion locations and two technology centres with a total of 1800 employees, including 63 sales offices in China and 25 sales agents spread across the globe. “To date we have designed and sold 200 machines, around 85% of which are on the Chinese market and the remaining 15% on the international market. Things are now really taking off!”, says James Zhang, Director and Deputy General Manager. “Taking into account potential opportunities in the global markets, we see, outside China, the best possible development oppor- tunities for PET in India, Indonesia and the USA. Here population size and pur- chasing power play a decisive part”. We meet Mr Zhang on Yizumi‘s exhibition stand at Chinaplas, where the company is showcasing its new high-speed second generation PET preform in the IMS System “PET-72A2”. The update from the previous model PET-48A is a comprehensive remould in terms of design and architecture. Based on this system, Yizumi is supply- ing a turnkey solution inclusive of dryer, chiller and dehumidifier. The system is designed for sizes ranging from 48 to 96 cavities. Plasticising operations on the 2-stage are carried out electrically. “Here we offer our customers a con- siderable advantage in energy saving”, says Mr Zhang. The plasticising pro- cess saves them a minimum of 30% energy expenditure by comparison with similar systems. The clamping mecha- nism ensures high clamping force and rapid preform ejection; the hydraulic system incorporates a reliable pressure reservoir. In addition, preform unload- ing is carried out using robotics which ensures gentle handling of the materi- als. The line is operated by means of an imported controller complete with intui- tive touchscreen. “The hot runners, the injection process and the robotics are controlled centrally from a computer. The cooling unit on the unloading robot cools the finished preforms to an ideal temperature”, continues James Zhang. “In the event of a need for modifications or maintenance works our team can step in and access the machine in real time by using remote maintenance facil- ities. They can also read off values and make the appropriate settings together with the customer”. “Our declared aim”, says James Zhang, “is to help our customers achieve improved rates of return and to give them a better experience. The current situation is that we have devised a 5-year Plan which is intended to put Yizumi on a world footing, primar- ily through working with international growth markets”. www.yizumi-group.com.hk Sample application:  Product: water bottle preform  Number of cavities: 72  Neck: 30/25 mm  Weight: 12g  Cycle time: 8.5s  Daily Output: 731,859 pcs.