MOULD MAKING PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 No. 06/22 www.petpla.net 12 Then other very creative solutions arise depending on the target sales channel. As a result, the minimum legal information that must be included on the bottle changes and allows us to go a little further in terms of design. As an example, for a container intended for the supermarket in a multipack, we keep the brand, the logo, the product statement, and content on the bottle surface. All other information related to the composition, the barcode, etc., is then moved to the outer packaging. What is the point of hiding 24 water labels behind a printed heat shrink? Labels that the consumer does not even see when making a purchase decision... PETplanet: As a mould maker, how can you meet the increasing bottlers’ demand for flexibility? Pucci: Moldintec as an independent manufacturer, has worked on this flexibility approach since its inception. Hybrid concept mould engineering, in which the primary development platform is intended for quick conversions between different blow moulding machines, has always been a strength valued by our customers. It is common to see bottling plant machines from different brands so diverse that, in principle, they block the possibility of operating a mould from one to another. Moulds with quickly interchangeable inserts have also been a solution that we use to reduce investments and increase flexibility, especially for the marketing teams that enjoy the advantages of our FlexMoulds for promotional use. It’s quite easy to provide them with dedicated inserts for Xmas, sports events, and many others. Advances in manufacturing techniques and a more rational design of moulds today lead us to propose base and shell combinations that are so flexible that they allow our customers to change the bottle capacity to make dynamic price adjustments in the final product as fast as the market changes. PETplanet: Let’s talk about the moulds as such. What is your material of choice, aluminium or stainless steel? Pucci: We offer both solutions depending on how and where the mould is to be used and the diameter of the bottle. We also offer aluminiumstainless steel hybrid use options where we take advantage of the mechanical resistance of stainless steel and the high thermal conductivity of aluminium. Therefore, with this unique combination, we achieve durability and high performance that is paramount, especially in large BaseMax petaloids that will operate at ultra-low blowing pressure. Aluminium has come a long way and allows us to supply cavities with thin walls that adequately support the production process. In addition, the reduction in blowing pressure thanks to our high-efficiency BaseMax petaloid results in lower mechanical stresses that the mould has to withstand. PETplanet: What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? Pucci: If we talk about beverage producers requiring more flexible solutions, we are talking about even shorter product life cycles. There is no doubt that the aluminium mould has an advantage under these conditions due to the cost and life cycle equation for final recycling. Technically, each material offers intrinsic characteristics that respond to different needs. For example, aluminium is an excellent ally in improving the physical performance of containers, thanks to its thermal conductivity. Innovative use of aluminium substantially improves the mould’s ability to cool the preform as blowing cycles get shorter and shorter. The mechanical properties of the aluminium alloys we use meet the mechanical requirements while allowing us to design low-weight tools favourable to the kinematics of blowing machines. And on the other side of the equation of the material selection process, stainless steel offers higher mechanical and corrosion resistance, but it’s heavy and costly in manufacturing. Many of our clients have an oldfashioned view of the durability of blow moulds, losing sight of the average life cycles of the bottles getting shorter and shorter. It is enough to see plastic materials and aluminium evolution in the automotive industry. More profitable and recyclable materials have arrived and will continue to do so. It is indisputable that aluminium is in itself the recyclable material par excellence. The selection of one material or another, or a combination of both defines the engineering quality of the tool. To say that it is an aluminium mould is not enough. The alloy, the temper, and even the production plant of the material determine the quality of the tool. At Moldintec, we work closely with our Swiss aluminium supplier to be at the forefront of material evolution. PETplanet: Do you use coatings? Pucci: Coatings are resources that we apply according to the project and the needs of each client. Our sales approach is based on consultations with our clients. We know our clients in-depth and understand the bottle they intend to produce, the process they will use to blow it, and their operating characteristics. For example, if we know that the customer has a cooling water quality problem, we will protect certain mould parts by anodising them at a specific thickness. For years we have promoted the idea of eliminating the exterior anodising of the aluminium shells. It is undeniable that the anodic coating improves the surface resistance and protects it from scratches. We are aware of those advantages, and we take advantage of them only when we deem them necessary because anodising is an electrochemical process that consumes high amounts of energy and is potentially dangerous for the environment when not managed responsibly, so again, less is more for our team of engineering. If it is not absolutely necessary, we tell our clients so before proceeding. www.moldintec.com
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