New line coming from ST for dual-head blow molding machines | Plastics News

Oct 25, 2024

Stabio, Switzerland-based ST BlowMoulding SA (W5891) has developed a new product line for dual-head blow molding machines that will be introduced at NPE2024.

Sales Director Giorgio Longoni described the new line as offering a "highly automated and intelligent control panel, optimized material usage, the lowest energy consumption in the market and the highest possible overall equipment efficiency."

A new electric clamping unit introduced in 2022 for machines up to 120 tons is pushing ST to new heights, according to a company news release.

"Together with ST proprietary adiabatic extruders and all the other energy-saving solutions, ST is nowadays the benchmark in the blow molding industry when talking about the equipment energy consumption," the news release said.

Adiabatic extrusion forms plastic objects by energy produced by driving the plastic mass through an extruder without heat flow.

ST BlowMoulding has been a pioneer of this trend and since 2012 has been the only blow molding machinery maker using adiabatic extruders on a large scale.

"Through their special screw and barrel design, they generate a gentle plasticizing with no melt overheating," the release said. "Therefore, no cooling fans are needed; additionally, a double-layer insulation of the extruder barrel reduces up to 10 times the heat dissipation compared with a conventional extruder."

For processors looking to use more post-consumer and post-industrial recyclates, the machine builder is offering new multilayer solutions, which are now available for continuous extrusion and the accumulator head process.

In continuous extrusion, it collaborates with W. Mueller.

In the area of discontinuous extrusion, the new accumulator heads are equipped with either two or either three extruders, and each one feeds a separate melt channel. A new design of the flow channels significantly improves the balance of the layers, resulting in a viable solution for many two-layer and three-layer applications, the release said.

If a further layer is needed, then the company offers outer coating technology with a separate accumulator chamber.

In addition to saving energy and recycling more plastic material, the company focuses on using less raw material through foaming technology.

"This technology generates a foamed structure into the blown part, using a neutral gas (nitrogen or carbon dioxide) and a nucleating agent. The density reduction results in lighter parts, raw material saving, [and] better thermal and acoustic insulation," the release said. "ST adiabatic extruders can be pre-arranged to feed the gas for the material foaming."

The company also builds suction blow molding machines designed for the automotive industry, especially in the area of coolant lines for electric vehicles.

In addition, a subsidiary — ST BlowMoulding USA — has been established in Norwalk, Ohio, with a team of engineers, machine repair workshop and warehouse of spare parts for quick delivery.

The U.S. staff is focused on machine retrofits.

"This activity has already been extremely successful, with major electronic and software upgrades performed on either ST BlowMoulding's machines and competitor's machines, both single and dual heads," Longoni said.

ST BlowMoulding SA W5981

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