BOLTON, ONTARIO (Sept. 4, 5:15 p.m. EDT) — Attention people who want to see a Husky blow molding machine: The wait is almost over.
The Bolton-based Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd., known for its injection molding presses, has been saying for a few years it wanted to get into the blow molding machine business. This fall, audiences at K 2001 in Germany will see the debut—dubbed ISB, for Index Stretch Blow.
Husky plans to give a paper on the ISB in Munich Sept. 18 and 19 at the Nova-Pack Europe 2001 Congress on Polyester Containers for Food & Beverages, and at Drinktec-Interbrau, a beverage industry trade fair. The first machine showing will be in Dusseldorf for the giant plastics show, K 2001, Oct. 25-Nov. 1.
Husky released information about the blow molder in August.
The ISB is a single-step blow molder for lower-volume PET container applications that require rapid tooling changes. In a single machine, the ISB injection molds preforms, then blows them into bottles.
Husky is the leader in supplying injection presses for molding PET preforms used in the two-step process, where the preforms then move to a separate blow molding machines. Often, Husky supplies machines for blow molding machines made by France's Groupe Sidel. But the ISB marks Husky's first move into single-step machines, where it will compete against Japanese suppliers Aoki Technical Laboratory Inc. and Nissei ASB Machine Co. Ltd.
Husky is pushing quick tooling changes, and its Index injection molding technology, to market the ISB. According to Husky, it can take eight hours to change molds on current one-stage machines. Two people can change the injection and blow molds in less than two hours.
Husky said its Index technology — where revolving sets of preform molds cycle through the injection press — gives a two-to-one ratio of injection to blow mold cavities. That combination reduces the impact of slower injection cycles that can slow down the entire output of a single-step machine. It also provides longer time in the blowing cavity than competing machines that offer ratios of four to five to one. Longer residence time in the blow molder makes the bottles well-suited for heat-set applications.
The ISB can produce small personal-care bottles up to large wide mouth jars, in the same machine.
At K, Husky (Hall 13, Stand A 65), will show:
* Three the Hylectric hybrid injection presses. A 100-ton Hylectric will mold a 24-cavity hot-runner closure mold. A 180-ton press will run a multimaterial, two-cavity housewares mold. A Hylectric with 880 tons of clamping force will mold pails on a two-cavity mold.
* Ultra 500, 750 and 1000 hot-runner nozzles.
* UltraFlow tip and UltraBalance manifold mixing technologies, which boost balance and homogeneity from cavity to cavity.
A 330-ton Husky press also will be running at the Coperion Corp. booth (Hall 14, Stand C 17), to demonstrate in-line compounding with a Werner & Pfleiderer extruder.
