CHICAGO — Units of Krupp Kunststofftechnik GmbH of Essen, Germany, have lowered the cost of industrial blow molding machines for the North American market and, separately, upgraded the range of Krupp's PET stretch blow molders.
Models in the ``redesign concept'' cost about 20 percent less than the firm's comparable machines, John A. Antonopoulos, president of Krupp Plastics & Rubber Machinery (USA) Inc. division in Edison, N.J., said in an interview at NPE 1997 in Chicago.
Three models of the Krupp Kautex CP-Series single-head industrial blow molding machines cost $765,000 to $1.6 million, and three models of a twin-head version cost $750,000 to $1.2 million, Antonopoulos said.
``We avoid duty, transportation, clearance and insurance'' in assembling the machines in New Jersey.
Krupp has been importing blow molding machines to the United States for more than 30 years.
The upgrade follows previous marketing efforts in China and Brazil.
Krupp expects by year-end to relocate to a 38,500-square-foot manufacturing facility, expandable to 85,000 square feet, on 81/2 acres in Somerville, N.J., about 50 miles from the Edison site.
Antonopoulos said Krupp employs 45 in Edison and expects to exceed 100 in Somerville in three or four years.
In January, Krupp plans to begin making packaging machines that can produce 10 bottles per cycle of polyethylene, polypropylene or PVC to hold detergent, shampoo or other liquids.
For the PET market, Hamburg, Germany-based Krupp Corpoplast GmbH has upgraded its stretch blow molding machine range and adopted the family name Blomax to complement its Premax injection molding line.
Corpoplast is adding compact four- and six-cavity Blomax machines to the existing line of 10-and 16-cavity units.
In a twin version, Corpoplast markets stretch blow molding machines with 20, 26 or 32 cavities.
Based on Krupp's B177, the machines have modular design with identical stations, process technology and controls.
Corpoplast said the design capacity is 1,300 bottles per station an hour.
Blomax machines can produce one-way, refillable or hot-fill bottles from 10 ounces to 3 liters for carbonated soft drinks, water, juice and edible oil.
