Agr International Inc., the maker of process control and monitoring equipment for blow molded packaging from Butler, Pa., has created a new division focused on PET self-manufacturing operations — beverage makers that do their own blow molding.
Agr officials said self-manufacturing has grown in popularity with beverage producers, since it offers cost containment, reduced warehousing and transportation costs, improved inventory control, increased production flexibility and other benefits.
But it can be challenging, including determining the proper recipe for a given bottle, taking into account the local plant and regional environments or dealing with PET preforms from different sources or lineages. The bottles must perfectly match downstream operations. Plus, experienced personnel in blowmolding are not easy to find.
Agr’s Process Performance and Optimization Group took a holistic approach to serve PET bottle self-manufacturing. Since the company is not affiliated with any specific brand of blow molding machine, the group can provide assistance to companies that run different brands in the same facility.
“Our primary mission is work with our customers to optimize production efficiency, both in terms of blow molding and total line efficiency,” said Robert Cowden, chief operating officer. “Agr’s consulting professionals work directly with plant personnel to optimize blow molding and container flow downstream in order to reduce manufacturing costs.”
Tel. 724-482-2163, www.agrintl.com