PETpla.net Insider 10 / 2020

TOP TALK PETplanet Insider Vol. 21 No. 10/20 www.petpla.net 11 developments related to air recovery systems have been envied and copied by others. I must add that confiden- tiality and trust between AF and the blowing manufacturers is paramount, we are well known for keeping their confidences, which is one of the rea- sons we are able to work so closely with them. The compressor of course is the beating heart of the bottle line. If that fails, the line stops; if it cannot give pressure, the line stops; if the com- pressors ancillaries are not correctly matched or fail, the line stops. So we must look at every possible conse- quence when new developments are initiated. It is right that light weighting the bottles has resulted in lower blow- ing pressures. This meant compres- sion ratios would be changed between compression stages. What effects had to be considered? The compres- The Atelier Francois team at the BrauBeviale 2019 sor cooling system had to be revised, could we lower the motor power? Lower pressures mean larger air dryers as more volume passes through them, which ultimately means more capital cost and more power to achieve the specification of air quality. So, eve- rything must be taken into considera- tion before its introduction and we have encouraged close dialogue in the past, now, and in the future with those blow moulding equipment manufacturers who value environmental and sustain- able developments. PETplanet: Can you also tell us what developments/improve- ments are next on the agenda? Alard: Over the last two years the plastic industry has faced a bar- rage of negativity, however common sense recognised that the plastic bottle was not the common enemy and PET bottle lines are still increas- ing worldwide. Beverage companies are now looking to use up to 100% recyclable material so we cannot see any market shift short term towards new technology or bottle material design especially in the Covid-19 era. Beverage companies will be looking at maintaining margins and keeping their customer base in a world where the hospitality / tourism industry is on its knees. I see for the immediate future a lower capital expenditure on new machinery but a higher income from maintenance and retrofits to keep the older machinery going. We already have installed a dedicated upgrade department and identified customers who can benefit from upgrades. PETplanet: When is retrofitting worthwhile and when do you recom- mend a customer to invest in a new compressor? product development caps & closures design high cavitation moulds multi-component moulds closure production systems after sales service competent – professional – inspiring Dr.-Walter-Zumtobel-Strasse 9 | 6850 Dornbirn | Austria | www.z-moulds.com L9 model PET compressor, 35bar, 500 kW, 3,300m³/h