Amsler Equipment Inc., Richmond Hill, Ontario, has introduced a new generation of stretch blow molding machines suitable for prototyping and small production runs. The company has delivered the first machine it made in the line, an LM15X, to R&D/Leverage USA in Lee's Summit, Mo., says Heidi Amsler, Amsler sales and marketing manager.
The line of single-cavity, linear-format blow molders for PET replaces an earlier series of machines, and is more flexible than its forerunners, Amsler says. The machines are available in two sizes — one for making bottles from 20 milliliters (ml) to 2 liters in volume, and one for bottles from 20 ml to 5 liters. Each size has two versions — a fully automatic version with automatic preform loading, and a semiautomatic version with manual loading of preforms. Completed containers exit the machine via a vacuum conveyor.
The machines are available as stock items with add-on options such as heating that is specifically appropriate for oval bottles, orientation of preforms and the ability to make bottles for hot-fill applications. They feature a very small footprint and can hold a wide selection of molds from other manufacturers' equipment.
The blow molders can produce bottles with maximum diameters of 6.5 inches and maximum bottle heights of 13.4 inches, with hourly throughputs of 1,500 half-liter bottles or 1,100 5-liter bottles. The machines have a clamp force of 18 tons, and mold daylight is 7.68 inches, the company says.
The machines' 12 heating zones provide a total of 26 kilowatts (kW) of power with average electrical power consumption of 15 kW and a total connected electrical power load of 29 kW. The blowing pressure is 600 pounds per square inch (psi). The water pressure is 60 psi, and the machine weighs 6,000 pounds.
The LM15X, an all-electric machine, is designed and built in Canada. It can produce up to 11 million half-liter water bottles per year, which Amsler says makes it ideally suited for custom blow molders with small to medium production requirements. The machine's very small footprint is one characteristic that lends it to laboratory use or full-scale manufacturing.
R&D/Leverage serves the personal care, health care, food and beverage industries. It offers brand development, mold manufacturing and a mold maintenance program.
Dave Brunson, VP of engineering at R&D/Leverage, says the Amsler machine was customized according to his company's specifications regarding the size of bottles, neck finishes and heating configurations. This allows the consumer research and prototyping company to develop bottles and mold them on a sample basis, before supplying full production molds to customers.
Merle R. Snyder, senior correspondent
Contact:
Amsler Equipment Inc., 905-707-6704, http://amslerequipment.com
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