What Blow Molders Say About All-Electric Machines

What Blow Molders Say About All-Electric Machines

For at least one domestic bottle molder, the transition to all-electric machines wasn't a leap of faith. "We’ve had tremendous success with all-electric injection molding machines, and that’s all we will buy from now on," says John Ciampi, manager of maintenance and facilities at Currier Plastics in Auburn, N.Y. This success made it natural for Currier to seek similar efficiency improvements in all-electric blow molding. Their first foray into this technology was the purchase of a new-generation KBB electric shuttle machine from Kautex, introduced at the K show in Dusseldorf. Over the past 18 months, their experience with this press has been so positive that Currier intends to focus solely on all-electric machines moving forward, according to Steve Crawford, the blow molding engineering manager.

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TURNING THE TIDE
Currier Plastics is somewhat of a pioneer in all-electric blow molding technology in the U.S. Interviews with leading suppliers of all-electric extrusion blow and injection-blow machinery in North America, such as Bekum, Kautex, and Milacron, reveal that currently, around a half dozen such machines are operational on this continent, with a few more shipping or on order.

Gary Carr, vice president of sales for Bekum America Corporation, explains that many domestic extrusion blow molders still prefer traditional hydraulic machines: "They’re proven and reliable, their maintenance is known, and they are more affordable," he notes, mentioning a roughly 15% cost premium for all-electrics. Bekum’s modular platform enables the use of either hydraulics or electric servos on the same fundamental press. "We have quoted all-electric versions for special projects, such as clean-room medical molding, or unique requirements better suited to an electric machine," says Carr.

Bekum has offered all-electric shuttles since the early 2000s but had not heavily promoted them in North America until recently. At NPE in Orlando, Fla., the company introduced its first electric machine, the EBlow 607D, which uses domestic components such as servo motors, actuators, and controls. Following its exhibition, Bekum conducted a 72-hour engineering assessment at its plant. This month, the machine will initiate commercial production at a U.S. customer’s plant. This customer’s motivations include the need for additional capacity, curiosity to test new technology, and the desire to establish a partnership with Bekum to participate in the latest technological developments. This customer, who also has several HyBlow 607 hydraulic versions of the same machine, aims to directly compare their performance after some months of operation.

Carr believes that while energy savings from all-electric machines are notable, they are not a decisive factor for U.S. molders. The primary benefits are greater accuracy and repeatability, which he expects to verify in production with the domestically equipped EBlow 609D. He points out that European molders have been quicker to adopt new technology due to higher electric utility costs. He estimates that over half of Bekum's shuttle machine sales in Europe are now all-electric. Moreover, all-electric shuttles are becoming more appealing due to a broader range of available sizes. "Up to now, they have been mainly smaller machines, but a larger model is being introduced," Carr notes, referring to the EBlow 37, an electric machine designed for canisters or jerrycans ranging from 10 to 35 liters.

Kautex is also launching larger all-electric models, such as the KBB200 and KBB400, for jerrycans. Chuck Flammer, vice president of sales for North America at Kautex Machines Inc., concurs that electric machines have been slow to gain traction in North America. However, recent years have seen increased acceptance of electric presses in Europe, where the KBB series now leads in packaging machine sales. Kautex has phased out smaller shuttles with hydraulic drives and finds its mid-size KLS hydraulic models more expensive than comparable KBB electric presses. Globally, orders for KBB machines have reached more than 25, up from just two or three in the first year.

He sees growing sales in China as well, where manufacturers are very cost-conscious. They prefer all-electric machines for energy savings and faster cycles.

In North America, Flammer detects a shift in attitude. With two electric shuttles already operating, three more shipping, and additional orders in process, he expects next year’s sales of electric machines to double, driven by larger companies placing bulk orders. While energy costs account for 7-10% of bottle production costs, the main advantage of all-electrics is their accuracy and repeatability. "You can make the process window very narrow with all-electrics," explains Flammer.

Whether it’s about 3ML Plastic Extrusion Fully Automatic Electric Blow Molding Machine or Automatic Pet Blow Moulding Machine, the advancements in blow molding technology hold great promise for efficiency and quality improvements in the industry.