Innovations in molds for PET preforms

The PET container manufacturing market flourished in the wake of the pandemic. The demand for hygiene products, added to the search for safety by consumers, and above all the great position that PET has achieved as a circular material in packaging, have triggered interest in packaging solutions in different formats. The manufacturing industry, which includes mold technology, has been preparing accordingly to meet this need, and versatile and flexible solutions have predominated in the Latin American market.

“Consumers demand increasingly personalized products, adjusted to their lifestyles and tastes. The global climate created by Covid-19 has amplified this trend, forcing many producers to rapidly adapt their operations to scale new applications,” said Robert Domodossola, Husky president for rigid packaging.

"The life cycle of packages that could last 4 to 5 years is changing from two to three years," Javier Soros, business director for the PET preform market in medium production volumes, explained in a webinar. “The consumer has been evolving in terms of the packaging experience and wants to try different products every time, new packaging attracts their attention and this has generated a proliferation of SKUs, or packaging references. Everything has been generated in an environment where sustainability has become one of the industry's priorities”.

Versatility

In order to meet this format variation, one of the most interesting launches is offered by Husky Injection Molding Systems with its NexPET technology line. This solution for preform production, which had its world debut at the last K fair, is aimed at the medium-volume market, and its flexible design allows it to adapt to meet the need for continuous changes in production without affecting the quality of the preform. preform.

It has been designed to help growers bring multiple new applications to market faster and more cost effectively. In the same system “it is possible to have (neck) diameters from 28 to 30 mm, up to 38 mm for hot filling, or up to 120 mm”, explains Soros. The system can run up to 48 cavities. Different screw sizes can also be specified to maximize production and flexibility, with diameters of 65, 80 and 95mm, and dosage sizes from 1,000 to 2,500g.

Another interesting aspect of NexPET technology is that it allows mold changes up to 25% faster. “We can separate the hot runner from the cold part without waiting for the hot runner to cool down completely to make the tooling or mold,” says Soros. "It is possible to leave the hot channel inside the platen while changing the part that actually makes the preform, which is the cold part." The system also has a rotary end-of-arm tool, which has up to three different cooling positions, in order to ensure that the preforms are ejected at the ideal temperature.

Soros explains that the system is aimed at so-called emerging producers, who serve volumes of 50 to 150 million preforms per year. It is important to clarify that the system comes ready to incorporate up to 100% of pelletized rPET.

Dairy in PET

For its part, Husky Injection Molding Systems has found that PET packaging can be the solution for packaging dairy beverages, thanks to its shelf stability. Multi-layer solutions allow light blocking while offering unique differentiation opportunities. This is a co-injection technology, offered in HyPET systems, and the high precision of the process allows significant savings in barrier material.