PETpla.net Insider 12 / 2020

BOTTLE MAKING 26 PETplanet Insider Vol. 21 No. 12/20 www.petpla.net Flexibility is the key to stability PET Technologies has recently brought to the market a new generation of flexible PET stretch blow moulding machines called the APF-Max series. Its output varies between 3,000 and 14,000 bph, while the bottle volume is between 0.1 and 6 l. The product range includes 6 basic models and 5 special versions. The machines have already attracted favourable customer reaction. User-friendly concept and new design The company states that the machine is modular, has a streamlined design and is easy to operate. All the connection equipment is accessed at the top of the machine, whilst the electric control cabinet is located at the rear. The central lubrication system makes machine maintenance easier. For ease of transportation by land or sea, the machine can be split into two parts. The APF-Max blow moulder is equipped with a B&R PLC (since 2017, B&R has been part of the ABB group). The software program and the manu- als are available in multiple languages. Flexibility APF-Max series is available in 2-, 3-, 4-, 5-,6-, 8-cavities configura- tions, offering a wide range of preform neck standards, enabling bottles from 100ml, for sanitisers, for example to 1 l for coffee, to be produced on the same machine. Output can be readily increased from the 7,000 bph with a four-cavity model to 14,000 by install- ing additional cavities and making minor changes to the heater. The machine can produce a wide range of bottle formats from 100ml to 6 l. The APF-Max 5 model, with 5 cavities can produce 2 l bottles, and by changing to 3 cavities, it is possible to produce 1 gal bottles. A hot-fill option is avail- able on all models. Quick-change moulds The APF-Max blow moulder offers rapid mould change for different bottle formats with minimum down time, typi- cally 15 minutes. The 108 mandrels in the heater of 8-cavity blow moulder can be changed in 4 minutes. All-electric configuration The servo drives provide more precise positioning together with high speed and a stable heater conveyor speed and blowing process. The stretching rod position is automatically controlled depending on the bottle height when switching from one bottle format to another. Preblow is also controlled via PLC. NIR heating and low total installed power The APF-Max blow moulder is equipped with the special short-wave near infrared heating system (NIR) which, although not commonly used in blow moulders, is said to be more efficient in terms of lower energy consumption. The NIR heating is said to offer various benefits including uni- form temperature distribution between the inner and outer parts of preform wall reduced heating time, and a more compact heater. Ceramic reflectors are used for better preform heating and offer the advantage of automatic temperature regulation. Universal and operator- friendly, economic and flexible These are just some of the bene- fits claimed for the new generation of APF-Max PET stretch blow moulders: high output combined with compact dimensions and a double air recovery system to cover the demand for low pressure and pressure for preblow. In Russia for example, Avida and the Kazan milk plant have already installed 3 blow moulders from PET Technologie’s APF-Max range. www.pet-eu.com