Robust linear blow-molding machine

With its latest SBO Compact2, Sidel consolidated a reliable and robust linear blow-molding machine that improves bottle quality.

To improve the process, Sidel developed a new stretch-blowing system for the preform. Traditionally, the pneumatic process uses hydraulic actuators to drive the vertical movement of the stretching rod. This was replaced by an electrical process by installing a servomotor and ballscrew assembly.

The new stretching console provides many benefits. It enables constant control of the stretching position and speed, which ensures perfect repetitiveness of the process. The production is also more flexible: it works for a variety of bottle sizes because it is no longer necessary during format changeovers to manually adjust the pre-blowing and blowing start detectors. Finally, the maximum stretching speed increases from 1 m to 1.3 m per second, enabling higher production speeds. These benefits make the SBO Compact2 range a reliable and more flexible solution.

In addition to electrical stretching, further developments improving reliability include preform feeding and Human Machine Interface (HMI). The machine is more productive due to new, longer orienting rollers that secure preform stability and infeed fluidity. Additional panel functions make the machines more ergonomical for operators. Format change-overs are now easier to carry out because the stretching parameters are managed directly from the HMI and no longer within the machine.

The SBO Compact2 can blow simple or standard shapes using either PET or other plastics from 0.2 liter to 10 liter containers. The DeepGrip™ packaging innovation, a box-conforming technology, is equally supported by the SBO Compact2 platform.

More than ten SBO Compact2 blow-molders are currently being installed.