'Unique' kit said to speed conversion from glass to light-weight PET

Friday 17 September 2010

A new two-step, reheat stretch-blow molding machine could speed the industry’s transition from glass to light-weight PET for wide-mouth, hot-fill food containers, claims to its manufacturer, Atlanta-based Nissei ASB.

The company’s vice president and general manager, Jamie Pace said: “The market for wide-mouth hot-fill food containers appears ready to make the conversion from glass to lightweight PET. And we have unique technology that will meet the demand of this high-growth segment.”

Sustainability advantages
The HSB-6M molding machine enables the production of PET jars which can be filled at temperatures above 90 deg C (194 deg F). The hot-fill PET jars deliver a major weight reduction and many sustainability advantages over glass including reduced freight costs and lower carbon footprint, said the company.

The new machine can produce 300ml to 600ml hot-fill PET jars with standard 63mm diameter, twist-off neck finishes at a production rate of 6000 jars per hour.

The two-step reheat system incorporates the company’s double blow molding technology which it reports has been used successfully in Asia for more than 15 years for the production of narrow-neck, hot-fill bottles.

In the double blow molding production system, the preform is first blown in a primary mold and then undergoes high-temperature conditioning before passing to the final, secondary mold.

Specific food applications include hot-fill foods such as sauces, pickles, jams, and jelly.

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