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PREFORM MOULDING IN DETAIL
Increased production thanks to continuous cleaning with OH Xblow
Markus Feldmann, Otto Hofstetter AG
Shortly after market rollout of OH Xport, Otto Hofstetter AG from Switzerland releases its next productivity boosting product called OH Xblow. OH Xblow keeps neck splits clean, particularly when operating with dust-prone rPET material. This reduces the number of manual cleaning cycles at great extent, adding up to 200 production hours to the year.
P reform manufacturers are well aware of the issues caused by sublimates. Sublimates tend to agglomerate in and around the venting channels of the neck splits. Such unwanted deposits decrease the venting capabilities of the preform injection mould. Unless cleaned, flow lines or round edges may appear on preforms. rPET increases the need for cleaning Sustainability initiatives by the brand owners push the use of post-consumer resins in manufacturing of preforms. Producers which have already done the first step in using of rPET often find themselves dealing with an increased load of dust and deposits. This happens because rPET typically contains certain additives an impurities from the previous bottles lives. In addition to dust, oily excretions of color residues in the rPET also promote further deposits. Obviously, the extent of accumulated production grime determines the need for maintenance
stops. With the growing use of recyclates, the need for cleaning increases for conventional moulds. The approach of OH Xblow The working principle of OH Xport is to prevent the dust from sitting down on the neck splits. The goal therefore was
to find a way which prevents dust from docking on the critical surfaces. The R&D specialists from Otto Hofstetter AG developed a methode to keep sublimates in motion and guide them out of the neck zone with help of compressed air pulses. The now commercialized product continuously cleans at every production cycle. OH Xblow has proven to work in the field With OH Xblow installed, up to four cleaning cycles can be skipped before the next manual cleaning stop. As a result of this, the production runs are now five times longer, compared to before installation of OH Xblow. The first customer - consequently - upgraded all his cold sides for long runner preforms with OH Xblow. OH Xblow is now working in a number of commercial production lines. Peak product performance was reached in a production environment which works with 100% post-consumer resin and a blow at every cycle.
Reduction in number of manual cleaning cycles
without OH Xblow
with OH Xblow
Fig 2: OH Xblow necks on their slide bars
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