CHICAGO — Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd. (Booth S2983) wants PET preform molders to get more bang from their Index injection press.
Other news from Husky this week includes the introduction of a new hybrid press that blends hydromechanical and electric technology.
The Index preform press got a 25 percent boost in productivity after Husky engineers figured out how to put a 60-cavity mold into the same amount of space as a 48-cavity mold. The platen area and the required clamp tonnage remain the same.
When Husky first introduced the Index machine at NPE three years ago, the company claimed the machine cut cycle times by 20-30 percent compared with traditional preform injection presses. Then, as now, the key innovation is a spinning turret block that rotates as many as four sets of preform cores through injection, cooling and part ejection. That dramatically lowers cycle times by getting the cooling step out of the way so the next cycle can begin promptly. The Index also is much smaller than a traditional preform press.
Husky says dry cycle time is less than 3 seconds on the 60-cavity Index. On a half-liter water bottle, the cycle time is just under 7 seconds.
Amcor PET Packaging of Mississauga, Ontario, has bought the first 60-cavity press.
Husky said it has sold 118 Index machines since it brought out the Index at NPE 1997 — with most of them sold in the last year. Thirty-seven of the 118 were from repeat customers.
Just before NPE 2000, Husky created a new index systems group, led by Jeff MacDonald, whose latest position was vice president of service and sales for the Asia-Pacific region.
At NPE, a few newcomers are touting PET preform presses, including Milacron Inc. But Husky President Robert Schad said, "Our market share has increased in spite of these competitors coming into the market."
Looking beyond PET, Schad said Husky now has become a broad-line machinery supplier.
"In this show, for the first time, we're showing the making of a complete product line that goes from the custom molder to the most sophisticated manufacturer. And for the first time we have a machine line which could become the workhorse of the custom molder," Schad said in an interview Monday.
Schad confirmed that Husky still is studying a move into the PET blow molding machine market.
Husky continues to stress its S series of hydromechanical injection presses, which Schad said is better than toggle presses. Moving in steps, the company is replacing its G series of larger tonnage machines with the S design.
At NPE, Husky uses the S design on its new Hylectric line of small-tonnage presses. The hybrid machines combine hydromechanical and electric technology.
In hot-runner news, Husky showed its new 500 Series of nozzles designed for parts weighing up to 50 grams. A new nozzle tip, the 750 Series UltraFlow, handles fast color changes and eliminates flow lines.
Husky also is showing a new valve gate sequencing controller for hot-runner systems.
