Graham Engineering introduces blowmolding system with proprietary innovations

The Revolution MVP system from Graham Engineering Corp. (York, PA) is the latest addition to the company's flagship Graham wheel blowmolding machine portfolio. It comprises two proprietary innovations: A self-contained, modular clamp design and a variable pitch feature. Combined with the Quick-Change mold system, the design offers the precision and output of a Graham wheel with the versatility of a shuttle, said Graham’s information.

The Revolution MVP system can be configured between 12 and 24 stations and produce bottles up to 16 inches in height with a variation of up to 28% within a configuration. Bottle-per-hour capacities of 11,520 for single-parison operation and 46,080 for dual-parison, neck-to-neck operation, can be achieved.

At the heart of the Revolution MVP is the modular clamp station. Each station is independent of the others and all forces are self-contained within the clamp. Water manifolds through the platens facilitate mold changes, and individual clamps can be removed for offline maintenance to reduce downtime. This modularity enables the user to vary the number of clamp stations from 12 to 24 on the same platform and to configure the wheel based on the application and bottle height.

The variable pitch feature creates a multiplier effect, enabling up to 100 possible positions on the same platform. This allows a range of bottle sizes to be run on a single platform and also provides flash optimization at each bottle height, which is particularly important for multilayer applications, noted Graham. Each clamp station is adjustable from 39 to 47 inches (in 1-inch increments). It takes about five minutes per clamp station to vary the pitch with a simple mechanical adjustment.

The Revolution MVP can be custom configured for a range of applications and can comprise up to 10 extruders in sizes from 40 to 175 mm for monolayer, trilayer, multilayer, co-extrusion or view stripe applications. Good bottles are produced in four or five revolutions, with a stabilized process in 10 to 15 minutes. In-mold labeling (IML) is available at rates up to 120 bottles per minute, and takeout options include rotary or star wheel.

“Our goal with this innovation is to extend the precision and output of our wheel platform into multi-bottle or higher changeover environments for leading brand owners and the converters who serve them,” said Rob Schroeder, Graham Engineering business development director – blowmolding systems

Graham Engineering will showcase its blowmolding systems at booth A73 in hall 16 at K 2016 in Düsseldorf, Germany, next month.