Rocheleau Tool and Die Co. Inc. (W1381), a manufacturer of extrusion blow molding machinery, molds, automation and blow molded parts, will present a clamp side-shift option for its RS-90 machine as well as an automation station at NPE2024.
The RS-90, which is its largest reciprocating screw machine to date, was designed for blow molding containers for the dairy, industrial and consumer markets.
The clamp side-shift option allows plastics processors to produce off-center-neck bottles and is a significant modification to the clamp area of the RS-90 machine, where the parison is extruded and the bottle mold is mounted, according to Allison Rocheleau Baker, communications administrator for the Fitchburg, Mass.-based company.
"Essentially, during the blow molding of the bottles, the clamp shifts to the side during that process to calibrate the off-center neck," she said in an email.
Clamp tonnage is generated from two high-torque, high-force rotary actuators. The RS-90 clamping unit offers a 16-by-48-inch platen, or 42 inches wide with side-shift option, for molding off-center-neck containers while maintaining even wall distribution.
The capability appeals to many customers, Rocheleau Baker said, noting this style bottle is used for everything from drinking water, cooking oils and food packaging to industrial applications, such as antifreeze and motor oils, as well as packaging for pet products such as dry food and cat litter.
The RS-90 is capable of six-cavity gallon production or up to 14 cavities of smaller items per cycle. With a 90-millimeter extruder, HDPE throughput is 750 pounds per hour. Rocheleau machinery primarily processes HDPE and polypropylene.
Powered by a hybrid system, the RS-90 uses electric technology and hydraulics for energy efficiencies and ease of operation. Options are available for parison programming.
Other new RS-90 options simplify diagnostics with easy-to-use help screens and provide live alarm diagnostics checks, preventative maintenance and process monitoring through the operator interface terminal.
The RS-90 is available with equipment options to trim the scrap plastic from bottles after blow molding. The VT style trimmers are for impact deflashing the handle, tail and neck scrap, typically for handled bottles with pull-up or ram-down style calibrated necks. The HT style trimmers are for detabbing the tail scrap and spin-trimming the neck scrap, typically for nonhandled bottles. These trimmers include a shuttle and conveyors to transfer bottles away from the blow molder.
The RS-90 at NPE2024 will be integrated in line with the VT-3 deflash automation package. The direct load VT-3 transfers parts in an upright orientation to the punch station for impact trimming of scrap plastic.
"The punch station cuts the scrap from the bottle, providing a finished product that can be filled or stored depending on user preference or need," Rocheleau Baker said. "Scrap is deflected to be sent to a granulator to be recycled and blended with virgin resin, then reprocessed in the blow molding machine. Finished containers are conveyed downline, to either be filled immediately for companies that blow mold their own bottles and then fill with their product, or the bottles would be packaged and shipped to customers to fill at another location."
Multiple station nests and punch dies matched to die head configuration reduce deflash cycles and enable rapid overall machine cycle time.
Rocheleau modified the VT-3 deflash automation package for release at NPE2024 to allow for impact deflash trimming of larger containers, such as 5-gallon containers for vegetable and cooking oil and other so-called F-style bottles.
The company also is exhibiting its HT-1 takeaway spin-trimming automation station with control box for standalone operation, which is typically used for nonhandled products. The station can be used in line as a retrofit with Rocheleau or other manufacturers' blow molding machinery.
In addition, Rocheleau offers the SPB series of reciprocating screw models and the CS Series of continuous extrusion blow molding machinery.
The 86-year-old machine builder, which is in its fourth generation of family operations, has customers in more than 40 countries with its key markets being dairy, food, beverage, container, consumer packaging, pharmaceutical, personal care, industrial and automotive.
Rocheleau Tool and Die Co. Inc. W1381