PETpla.net Insider 12 / 2020

PREFORM PRODUCTION PETplanet Insider Vol. 21 No. 12/20 www.petpla.net 17 process set-up and an in-depth part quality troubleshooting tutorial, which together will help users improve machine up-time, lower scrap rates, and depend less on highly skilled machine operators. More open One of the great advantages of the XForm concept is its openness. It has led the way in its ability to accept pre- form tooling from other major produc- ers. In recent months, Sipa has added new features to further facilitate use by its customers of existing tool- ing. The new XForm 250 Gen4 XP preform injec- tion moulding system, for example, accepts non-Sipa moulds and end-of-arm tool- ing (EOAT), it also accepts pin plates for preform cool- ing and removal coming from alternative suppliers. Allowing customers to use their existing pin plates on new Sipa machines is one of the latest examples of how Sipa is trying to make their lives a little easier. No shaking A short while ago, a Sipa employee was watch- ing an XForm 500 system equipped with a 180-cavity mould running at full tilt, with a cycle time of 5.4 seconds. Normally, when a machine of that size and type is operating flat-out, it makes its presence known. The air vibrates, one may even feel throbbing through the floor. Just out of curiosity, the technician put a glass of water on the frame of the machine. There was hardly a ripple on the surface. This was not a one-off. It is a characteristic of all XForm machines. And the larger the machine, and the higher the cavitation, the more characteristic it is. Vibra- tion obviously puts stress in a system, and when that system is running fast for a very long period – which is often the case in PET pre- form production – that stress is significant. It can cause premature wear on moving parts, leading to high maintenance costs on the machine and the tooling, especially on large systems. In fact, the clamping systems, linear bearings, tooling tapers – essentially the entire system structure – undergo massive stress. Compo- nent lifetimes drop. But the XForm can operate with ultra-high cavitation tooling, with very short cycle times, and still run extremely smoothly, states Sipa. What helps to make this possible is a robust clamp design and a smooth clamping profile that comes from the servo-driven toggle. This yields a smooth performance that hardly wavers over time, helping keep maintenance costs low. In fact, main- tenance costs on machine and tooling on the XForm are significantly lower than almost any other PET preform system in the market, Sipa empha- sises.