By Chris Smith | EUROPEAN PLASTICS NEWS
Posted June 26, 2009 on www.plasticsnews.com
CHICAGO (June 26, 10:16 a.m. ET) — Blow molding tooling specialist Big 3 Precision Products launches its first blow molding machine — the BMP145T injection blow molding unit — at Booth N71045.
The Centralia, Ill.-based engineering company claims the new compact machine provides a higher output per square foot of floor space than any alternative on the market.
According to sales manager Mark J. Abramo, output per square foot is likely to be between 30-50 percent above existing alternatives, depending on the particular bottle being produced.
Acknowledging that the move from mold producer to mold and machine producer is a big step, Abramo said the company is simply responding to customer demand for more productive equipment.
“Customers have come to us and asked us to fill a need and that’s what we are doing,” he said. “We are targetting high volume container business units that need a small footprint and low energy consumption.”
Designed and manufactured in the United States, the BMP145T is a high specification unit that can accommodate most commercial injection blow molds. Features such as an electronic mold positioning system, together with optional magnetic platens, make for very fast and simple mold changes.
“We have tried to simplify the process of mounting the mold and to take the subjectivity out of the process,” he said.
The machine will be competing against equipment from companies such as Jomar and Uniloy. Key target markets will be pharmacutical, personal care and household, all of which are core injection blow molding application areas.
During the show, the machine is demonstrating production of a 4-ounce Boston Round container measuring 4.3 inches high by 1.9 inches diameter. Molded in high density polyethylene, the 14.7-gram container is produced on 22-cavity tooling, with cavities located on 2.25 inch centerlines.
The BMP145T includes a 145 ton preform clamp, 37.5 ton blow mold clamp and a shot capacity of 550 grams of HDPE. In the specification on display this week at NPE, the new machine carries a price tag of arouund $625,000.
Abramo said this first machine has not been built for a specific customer and the company has not set a target for first year sales. And while Big 3 has the capacity to make up to eight machines a year, Abramo said that machine manufacture will not compromise its tooling operations in any way.
“We are a mold building company and that will remain our mainstay,” he said.
Bi3 Precision’s blow molding division manufactures injection blow and single-stage injection stretch blow tooling for customers around the world. Sales are in excess of $15 million a year.