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Technology
Sidel unveils first aluminum mould for blow moulding heatset PET bottles
Sidel has developed an alternative to traditional stainless steel molds used in HR blow molding. The new mold is made of lightweight aluminum, which is easier to machine than steel. Higher machine output is just one of the mold’s many benefits.
Sidel introduces an innovation in HR (heat resistant) blow molding with the development of a new aluminum mold that can withstand temperatures as high as 180°C enabling it to produce PET bottles suitable for hot-filling or pasteurization. Three times lighter than stainless steel molds typically used in HR applications, the F300 mold increases machine output and reduces format changeover times. And because aluminum is easier to machine than steel, the new molds can be delivered more quickly. The F300 mold is suitable for all types of blow molding machines and for manufacturing bottles of all shapes and sizes.
Collaboration with Graham Packaging
This mold was developed and tested in partnership with American company Graham Packaging, one of the world’s leading producers of custom plastic bottles and containers. “Innovation is our greatest weapon, and we’re constantly looking for new technologies that will give us a competitive edge and help us develop creative products with advanced performance. That’s why we jumped at the chance to collaborate with Sidel on a new mold,” explains Bob Johnston, senior manager of Global Mold and Tooling Development. Graham Packaging is currently using over one hundred F300 molds at several of its U.S. plants to produce various bottles for many different market segments.
Output on the rise
The lightweight F300 mold promises gains in productivity because a lighter mold means less weight loaded onto the blow molding machine, which makes it mechanically possible to increase output. “We have seen an increase in output with the new F300 molds. That’s always helpful in our ongoing productivity efforts. We are seeing a better return on investment and lower costs to switch bottle shapes,” continues Johnston. Another advantage of the mold’s light weight: it is easier to handle which leads to reduced product changeover times. Finally, because an aluminum mold conducts heat more efficiently than a stainless steel mold, the F300 heats up and cools down rapidly, keeping wait times to a minimum.
Faster lead times
Aluminum is easier to shape than stainless steel, so F300 molds can be produced two weeks faster than stainless steel molds. And the strategic location of the Sidel Group’s mold shops (in Europe, North America and Asia) constitutes another benefit for the customer. “The fact that the molds are produced here in the United States is very advantageous for us,” declares Johnston. “The molds are delivered faster with less red tape, and our customers benefit with firmer tooling schedules.”
Every year at its four mold manufacturing facilities in France (Octeville sur Mer and Neuilly sur Marne), China (Shanghai) and the United States (Atlanta), the Sidel Group produces over 15,000 molds. Sidel is one of the world’s leading suppliers of equipment for packaging liquid foods. It has 5,300 employees around the world and is a division of Tetra Laval.
