SIG Corpoplast New Highlights BlOMAX Third Generation Blow Molding Machine

SIG Corpoplast's BLOMAX 3rd-generation series blowers meet the needs of users for competitive bottles.

SIG's stretch blow molding technology began with first-generation blow-molding machines, such as the B40 and B80. Until now, many machines are still in production. The main feature of SIG's second-generation blow molding machine is the use of SPC and solenoid valve control, which has also become a representative of high-level stretch blow-molding technology. Now, SIG has challenged the bottle blowing technology and launched the third-generation BLOMAX bottle blowing machine.

The new third-generation BLOMAX blow molding machine has the following features:

1. Retain the unique design features of the previous SIG blow molding machines. The mandrel transfer system ensures that the preforms are free from contact or flipping. The operation is simple and smooth, and they are transported on the same level.
2. The machine series design is more professional. Taking into account all aspects of the components and the stretch blow molding process, it is safer for ultra-high speed production, without the limitation of the stretching speed, and can withstand greater pressure. Bottles up to 1.5 liters are rated for up to 1800 bottles/hour/cavity.
3. Strict modular design concept. The entire series uses common components, greatly reducing the number of parts required, simplifying spare parts and standardizing the training courses, resulting in shorter delivery times.
4. The design is flexible and can be changed according to future production needs. The design allows the heating energy of the preform to be changed and changed to the heat setting bottle process. Under certain conditions, the original equipment can even increase the blowing station.
5. The third-generation BLOMAX blow moulding machine offers a flexible formwork design, ie any mould can be selected on the blow moulding machine.
6. Introduce easier operation and maintenance standards. Such as: all heating boxes can be adjusted horizontally or vertically at the same time, the replacement of the heating box can be completed in just a few seconds.
7. Linear furnaces and blow molds are self-supporting designs and are no longer welded integrally wheeled bodies.
8. The reliability of the machine itself is a major feature, because its bottleneck reject device provides an automatic ejection function that can eject the inferior embryos to ensure the quality of the bottle.
9. Shorter preform spacing in the furnace (38 mm jars using 50 mm preform spacing furnaces) allows the machine to require less heat and save energy. The heating chain is non-inverting and simple and reliable, almost no friction, so it will not be affected by thermal expansion and wear.
10. Mechanical stretching without low pressure working air. Users save the investment cost of low pressure air compressors.
11. Since the stretching rod movement is precisely repeated, the mechanical stretching movement process capability is greatly improved, producing a more outstanding bottle.
12. BLOMAX24 blow mold cavity up to 24, the output up to more than 40,000 bottles. Provides better choices for those who need high-speed production.

The third generation BLOMAX blow molding machine includes the following series from 4 chambers to 24 chambers:
1.4, 6, and 8 cavities 2.10 and 12 cavities 3.14 and 16 cavities 4.18, 20 and 24 cavities 5.16 Dual cavities

The special design of the following components of the BLOMAX third generation blow moulding machine can create more value for the user.

Linear heating furnace

In the conventional heating furnace, due to thermal expansion, problems such as wear and jamming of the heating chain occur, and the replacement of the heating chain is expensive and time consuming. Relative to the heating chain, the problem with the heating wheel is that it covers a large area.

Therefore, a new generation of modular linear heating furnaces was adopted for the new generation of blow molding machines. The core of this linear heating furnace is to heat the truck card. That is, each spindle seat magnet is installed on a small truck card. The trolley card is connected with other truck cards through ball bearings. Then all the truck cards are on a ball bearing. Run on the wheel. Since the vehicle card does not perform a flipping motion, the heat of the heating box can be safely avoided. At the same time, the friction between the trucks is small, the wear is low, there is no use period, and no routine maintenance is required. On the other hand, linear furnaces can be flexibly lengthened as needed.

Transmission mandrel

The third generation BLOMAX blow molding machine continued to use the mandrel system, but made further improvements. One is to reduce the weight of the mandrel to relieve the huge pressure. The other is to add a plastic liner around to absorb the impact force of the baffle in the transfer area.

Stretch blowing

Stretch blowing is the core of the blowing machine, and it needs to meet three requirements. First, it must be fast to achieve high output. Second, it must be safe to make the equipment reach high reliability. Third, it must be stable. A good bottle. Only by satisfying the above three points can we surpass our competitors and occupy more markets. However, many conditions are needed to support the stretching blow bottle movement.

First, from the perspective of the machine's process, the actual movement from the beginning to the end of the blowing wheel should be as large as possible. After the pre-stretching, stretching, blowing/shaping and cooling of the preforms in the mold are completed, the mold is unlocked and opened. From the point of view of the entire process of the machine, blowing the wheel faster, you can increase production without reducing process time. The third-generation BLOMAX blow molding machine has a larger process angle, which not only increases the output, but also increases the speed of mold opening and closing by 50%.

Second, the high precision and repeatability of the exercise can increase the speed of stretching. The BLOMAX third-generation blower uses a purely mechanical stretch rod that does not require pneumatically driven stretch rods. Therefore, the positioning of the stretching rod is precisely defined in the blowing unit and is always consistent. This feature makes the bottle quality parameters better and more stable. In addition, the rapid stretching of the stretching rod also improves the positioning of the PET molecules on the bottle wall and strengthens the strength of the bottle wall. Another advantage is that it saves the working air requirement, not only helps the user to save the overall energy consumption (mechanical stretching is more efficient than the pneumatic stretching), but also saves the investment cost of the low pressure air compressor.

Blowing and blowing stations

The blowing wheel is simplified into a ring structure and mounted directly on the central ball bearing. The blowing station is fixed on this ring structure and connected to each other by connecting plates. With this structure, the blowing station has actually become part of the blowing wheel.

The blowing station is a standardized unit that is fully adaptable to all machine sizes and can be changed in different processes, from standard processes to heat setting processes and even hot filling processes. The blow valve is located on the connecting piston and provides the reaction of high pressure gas to valve movement. The high pressure oxygen flow rate and the larger valve diameter make the high pressure oxygen flow faster. The following features are also to ensure the performance of the BLOMAX third-generation blower. For example, the stretching cam (double motion) is now reduced to a single piece and is no longer a separate front inclined zone. With the use of a slip clutch, when the tension speed and pressure are abnormal, the sliding clutch is separated from the stretching rod and the stretching rod Stop the exercise.

Mould

When starting a new overall design concept, the development department should first consider the market conditions. One of the most important facts of the PET bottle blowing machine market is that PET bottle manufacturers have purchased a large number of mold inventory for their existing blowing machines. Manufacturers want to retain the flexibility of their operation, that is to say they want to produce large quantities of bottles on existing machines through the interchange of machines or between different factories. Through this method, their factories have stronger production capacity, and they fully use molds during the peak season to meet the market's need for certain products to compensate for production problems and downtime.

In order to ensure the flexibility of production, even when purchasing new machines, they have to purchase some molds, thus creating unbearable pressure on the purchase of new machines. Therefore, the goal of the SIG Development Department is to develop mold base systems that are compatible with existing molds on the market. In this regard, the decisive data is the inner diameter of the mold frame and must be 194 mm. No matter how the shell mold wall thickness changes, it can be compatible with all existing diameter shell mold systems.

Source: Packaging Machinery