Cosmetic items just taken out of the mold |
Production stage |
APPLICATIONS FOR PET Moving on to stretch-blow moulding , for 12 years in Barcelona , the specialised division of Meccanoplastica Iberica has been manufacturing full electric and full automatic machines with a team of 20 people and gradually increasing figures : if in Italy the turnover is about 15 million , in Spain it is 6 million . The business around of two-stage PET production is consolidated , with a trend between ups and downs similar to the Italian one . And new models are being added to an increasingly wider range : „ We have succeeded in closing the circle of supplies thanks to our partner in Barcelona who , in addition to following the customisation of machines through specific products , always invents special solutions . Today , we are able to deliver linear machines of size 100 ml or even less , with volumetric capacity up to 2 litres , with 12 cavities , which are added to the models with 1-2-4-6-8 cavities . We also offer a machine up to 10 litres with 1-2-3-4 cavities . Next autumn , the machine for large 25-litre water containers will be launched on the market . Finally , a new flagship of ours is the full electric system up to 2 litres with a 4-cavity mould , which includes a lot of new additions compared to the original model introduced 8 years ago , aimed to increase the reliability of the preform transport system inside and after the oven , and also improve the electronics for even higher speeds . A major investment aimed at the Italian market , which we consider fundamental even if it does not reach large numbers because it is difficult to sell to converters instead of other types of customer that have already purchased our machinery . In 12 years we have delivered over 60 machines in Italy , taking into account that the annual production capacity in Barcelona does not exceed 20-25 units .“ |
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Italian technology plast / August / September 2023 |
and in any case with the risk of being ostracised by all those customers that want to safeguard their corporate image .“
EXTRUSION BLOW MOULDING There is no shortage of innovations even in the extrusion blow moulding field . On the various 2-station models , a „ slimming cure “ of the layout is underway , to adapt to market trends by decreasing the floorspace occupied . On full-electric extrusion blow moulding machines , the two pickup axes solution is being implemented to bring the bottles from the mould areas to the back and make them exit from one side of the blow moulding machine ,
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in order to allow the orientation of the bottles in the same direction because many customers must have enough space to install packaging automation systems . „ We have already delivered three lines with the new layout in Italy , Poland and Mexico , respectively . For the rest , as always , we focus on the details , on the long life of the product , on mechanical abundance and on basic solidity : features that are obviously reflected in the price tag , but fortunately there is no shortage of admirers . Besides all this , today we are also offering solutions for leaving more free room , above all for accommodating automation systems , which Meccanoplastica is also able to provide . For example , |
SUSTAINABILITY AND NEW MATERIALS Despite the attention to sustainability , the trend of recycled or bio based material does not seem to have affected Meccanoplastica ‘ s turnover too much : „ In our specific small field , we feel it partly on PET and therefore on stretch-blow moulding applications , with some requests for injection blow moulding to test additives capable of reducing operating temperatures . Moreover by choice , we are not equipped with specific facilities and laboratories . I believe that it is the producers of recycled or bio based materials that are pushing in this direction , which among other things is the subject of debate at a regulatory level , so many of the promised advantages could be questioned .“ |
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