TURNING THE TIDE
Currier Plastics is one factor of a pioneer in all-electrics on these shores. Interviews with the three main sources of all-electric extrusion blow and injection-blow gear in North America— Bekum, Kautex, and Milacron—level out that roughly half a dozen such machines are in place on this continent and one different small handful are supply or on order.
Gary Carr, v.p. of product sales for Bekum America Firm, Williamston, Mich., says most house extrusion blow molders look like pleased with standard hydraulic machines: “They’re confirmed and reliable, their repairs is known, they usually’re further cheap,” he notes, citing spherical 15% worth premium for all-electrics. Bekum’s modular platform permits use of hydraulics or electrical servos on the an identical basic press. “We have quoted all-electric variations for specific duties, paying homage to clean-room medical molding, or distinctive requirements greater suited to {an electrical} machine.”
Bekum has equipped all-electric shuttles since a minimum of Okay 2001, nonetheless has not pushed them very arduous in North America until not too way back. At NPE2015 in Orlando, Fla., the company launched its first electrical machine, the EBlow 607D, that makes use of house components paying homage to servo motors, actuators, and controls. After exhibiting on the current (see March ’15 NPE preview), Bekum ran the machine at its plant for 2000 hr to conduct an engineering analysis. This month, the machine goes to a U.S. purchaser’s plant to impress enterprise manufacturing. That purchaser’s motivation, in accordance with Carr, is partly a necessity for added functionality, partly curiosity to verify one factor new, and partly out of a must variety a enterprise partnership with Bekum to participate inside the latest experience developments. This purchaser has a lot of HyBlow 607 hydraulic variations of the an identical machine, so it’ll current a direct comparability on effectivity after some months of operation.
Carr says energy monetary financial savings, though vital, shouldn’t a compelling motive for U.S. molders to spend cash on all-electric machines. The precise revenue, he says, is greater accuracy and repeatability. He is searching for to see this verified in manufacturing with the first domesti- cally equipped EBlow 609D. European molders, he says, had been further receptive to new experience on account of electrical utility costs are loads elevated there. He esti- mates that over half of shuttle machine product sales for Bekum in Europe are all-electric.
Carr moreover notes that all-electric shuttles have gotten further engaging due to an even bigger differ of obtainable sizes. “Thus far, they have been primarily smaller machines, nonetheless we’re bringing out an even bigger model at Okay 2016.” He is referring to the EBlow 37, and electrical machine for canisters or jerrycans of 10 and 35 liters (see Sept. ’16 current preview and {photograph}, p. 50).
Moreover bringing out larger all-electric fashions at Okay 2016 is Kautex, with its KBB200 and KBB400 fashions for jerrycans. Chuck Flammer, v.p. of product sales for North America at Kautex Machines, Inc., North Division, N.J., agrees that it has been “gradual going” to date for electrical machines in North America. He says that these days, bottle makers have had ample functionality and consequently have been averse to capital spending, except for these few that had been growing functionality.
Flammer agrees that elevated electrical costs have helped purchase acceptance {of electrical} presses in Europe, the place the KBB sequence are its largest-selling packaging machines. Kautex not even offers its smaller shuttles with hydraulic drive, and its mid-size KLS hydraulic fashions actually worth higher than comparable KBB electrics. He says higher than 25 KBB machines have been ordered globally, up from two or three inside the first yr, 2013.
He sees rising product sales in China, too. “The Chinese language language know their costs to the penny. They’re choosing all-electrics for energy monetary financial savings and for faster cycles.”
Proper right here, too, Flammer senses a change inside the local weather. He says two electrical shuttles are working in North America, three further are supply, and two further are on order, with two further orders inside the works. Flammer expects that subsequent yr’s electrical machine product sales will double, as higher companies get into the act with 10-machine orders. Although energy worth is 7-10% of bottle worth, the first profit inside the house market is accuracy and repeatability. “You may as well make the tactic window very slender with all-electrics. The first shot of a model new run is fairly like the ultimate shot of the sooner run.” He moreover notes that dry cycles are as loads as 50% faster with the model new electrical sequence, and common cycles are a minimum of 10% faster.
Milacron Plastics Utilized sciences, Cincinnati, tells loads the an identical story. It launched its first all-electric shuttle in 2007 and its third-generation M-Assortment debuted remaining month at Okay 2016 (see this month’s Preserving Up half). In Europe, spherical 80% of its shuttle machine product sales in the intervening time are all-electric. “Product sales have gone up yearly. Pretty quite a lot of purchasers will buy solely all-electric,” says Colin Taylor, v.p. of worldwide product sales for Milacron’s Uniloy mannequin. “Moreover in Asia and South Africa, we have purchasers who now buy utterly electrical machines.”
It has been more durable to beat the conservative nature of the house market, he notes, regardless that almost all machines purchased proper right here inside the remaining 10 to fifteen years have been hybrids with hydraulic clamp and electrical extruder drive. A number of all-electrics have been purchased domestically, nonetheless Taylor and Massimo Davoli, Milacron’s world product supervisor for shuttle machines, have extreme hopes for the model new M-Assortment launched remaining month at Okay 2016. Says Davoli, “There are totally different efficiencies furthermore energy monetary financial savings: repeatability and reliability, and no hydraulic oil—engaging for meals and pharmaceutical bottles. There’s no prepared for hydraulic oil to warmth up after startup, so the machine will get on a gentle cycle faster.” Milacron moreover launched its first all-electric injection-blow machine in 2007, and a extra moderen mannequin at Okay 2013. Only a few have been purchased
in Europe, and the first U.S.-bound machine is “on one of the simplest ways,” Taylor says. “Energy monetary financial savings are a lot much less very important for all-electric injection- blow,” he notes. The precise driver is for pharmaceutical and cleanroom functions.” Milacron is extending its differ {of electrical} fashions. All sizes in the intervening time are obtainable as hybrids and shortly as all-electrics. Only some completely hydraulic injection-blow machines are purchased instantly, Taylor says.
CURRIER’S EXPERIENCE
Currier Plastics is a privately held, $35 million personalized molder in upstate New York. It started as an injection molder, nonetheless now earns further revenue from blow molding, and most of its injection enterprise is caps and closures for bottles. The company has 25 injection machines, 13 extrusion blow shuttles—along with the one Kautex electrical machine, and eight injection stretch-blow fashions (see Nov. ’14 perform).
Currier is inserting its all-electric shuttle to a use that’s fairly unusual for these machines—1-oz HDPE resort amenity bottles. “These machines usually have been used for larger components,” says Dustin Dreese, blow molding plant supervisor. “We’re doing smaller elements on a faster cycle, really working the machine. That produced some preliminary hiccups with aspect placed on on the carriage drives, nonetheless Kautex has been very supportive from every their U.S. and German locations of labor and solved all our factors.”
On account of Currier has run the an identical bottles on hydraulic machines, it may really make direct comparisons of machine effectivity. With {the electrical} machine, says Dreese, “We’ve seen unbelievable consistency in clamp positioning and carriage movement versus hydraulics. That interprets into a lot much less flash and fewer defects and fewer downtime to manage the machine over a shift, day, or week.” He notes that his technicians have such unusual occasions to manage the machines that they need to refresh their familiarity with the controls each time.
Offers Steve Crawford, “{The electrical} machine generates decrease than 0.5% rejects, vs. 0.5-1% on hydraulic presses. Higher consistency permits working elevated cavitation. Currier’s KBB-60D double-sided press runs 12 parisons and 24 mildew cavities. That compares with six or 12 cavities on hydraulic machines.”
“Fixed effectivity and the oil-free cleanliness of {the electrical} machine present enterprise alternate options for Currier,” notes Ron Ringleben, v.p. of enterprise progress. “It helps us develop our market share of meals, beverage, medical, and properly being and sweetness. We’re shifting in new directions.”
John Ciampi moreover praises the good thing about repairs of {the electrical} machine. “On account of a lot much less labor is required for rebuilding hydraulic cylinders and seals, monitoring filters, and altering oil, about all we have to do now’s clear the molds periodically.”
Currier expects its energy monetary financial savings to reinforce as a result of it offers further all-electric machines to every the blow molding and injection molding departments. Ciampi says, “It is likely to be arduous for us to justify shopping for this machine on energy worth monetary financial savings, though being further sustainable is one amongst our agency’s focuses. The precise monetary financial savings will come from decreased repairs downtime and making higher- top quality elements attributable to greater machine accuracy.”
SPEAKING FROM EXPERIENCE
The Durban, South Africa, plant of Polyoak Packaging has operated 4 all-electric shuttle machines for as long as 4 years. They’re all double-sided Uniloy UMS fashions of 14, 23, and 26 tons with two or six parisons. The molder moreover runs 5 hydraulic shuttles between 10 and 20 years outdated.
Polyoak Packaging is the largest rigid packaging producer in South Africa. It has eight divisions and 32 manufacturing vegetation with higher than 2000 staff involved in blow molding, injection molding, and thermoforming of bottles, drums, tubs, buckets, and clothes hangers. The Durban plant has operations for two Polyoak divisions: Blowpack, which makes bottles and drums for agricultural and totally different chemical substances, bulk drinks, detergents, kitchen cleaners, and home-repair merchandise; and Lubripack, which blows motor-oil bottles.
The Durban plant has purchased solely all-electric machines since 2012. Rhyan Matthews, operations supervisor at Durban for every divisions, nonetheless regards them as “comparatively new,” nonetheless he is pretty pleased with their effectivity. One different Uniloy all-electric press is on order, and he says the plant will almost certainly stick with all-electrics eventually.
Matthews considers it troublesome to match newer all-electric with older hydraulic machines, nonetheless two advantages are easy: “{The electrical} machines are silent, whereas hydraulics are pretty noisy,” he says. “And all-electrics are greater by means of housekeeping. We produce meals containers and may meet ISO 22000 necessities for food-safety administration.
“Working all-electric presses could also be very easy,” Matthews offers. “We’re capable of administration each factor from the administration panel. We don’t ought to study on the hydraulic pack. Maintenance is simpler—it’s merely electrical motors. No specialised hydraulic repairs talents are wished. Hydraulic machines have further placed on elements and require further labor to deal with.
“Troubleshooting could be easier with all-electrics. If a motor fails, it. However when a hydraulic valve goes, it tends to deteriorate repeatedly and also you may not acknowledge it.”
Energy is expensive in South Africa, so elevated energy effectivity points, nonetheless Matthews has not quantified the excellence between electrical and hydraulic machines at this stage.
Matthews praises {the electrical} machines for being “very fixed. Once you set the clamp stress, they hit it every time, on the dot. Our hydraulic machines take further finesse and additional adjustments.”
He notes that top high quality factors related to the extrusion head itself are the an identical for every kinds of presses. “Die strains, shark pores and pores and skin, and head cleaning don’t change from hydraulic to electrical.”
He moreover notes that the variations in clamp mechanisms have penalties for setup time after mildew changes. With a hydraulic clamp, he explains, you set the mould peak and the mould halves meet on the an identical spot. Clamp stress is utilized by means of hydraulic stress. Nevertheless on {an electrical} press, clamp stress is about by place. That is, stress is utilized by one mildew half pushing more durable in opposition to the other, which strikes the mould centerline slighty.
“Now, in case you alter mildew peak, the mould halves don’t meet on the an identical place, so you should alter the blow-pin place.” His machines don’t have automated blow-pin adjustment. This offers to setup time. Matthews foresees an an identical issue when altering clamp tonnage—shifting the mould centerline barely—though this has not come up however in his plant.
Matthews has one decision in ideas: “We now have to standardize our mildew peak, It should be very precise, inside 0.01 mm.”