Nissei ASB Co. (Atlanta, GA) is the wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of Japan's Nissei ASB Machine Co. Ltd., and the delivery to Novatex continues what has been a strong run for the company. The company's ASB-70DPH range has been frequently updated since its launch, and is marketed to processors of small and large PET containers. The machine line's success corresponds to the growing global use of PET in packaging during the last decade, according to Jamie Pace, the VP and GM of Nissei ASB Co. Sales were especially strong between 2003 and 2007 with more than 300 units delivered. Similar results were recorded between 2007 and 2011, following the launch of the improved Version 4, with approximately 350 being sold.

Power consumption for the Version 4 has been reduced by approximately 40% compared to the Version 3 machine, reports the manufacturer, while cycle times also have been cut by about 14% compared to the previous version.

The current model is suitable for processing of containers sized from 50-ml (12 cavities) to 7L (one cavity) for food, beverages, personal care, household, automotive, and industrial markets. The ASB-70DPH has 70 tons of clamping force and is capable of producing up to 4500 containers/hr depending on size and cavitation. ASB manufactures the machine to a semi-complete state at its facility in Mumbai, India and then completes and tests at the corporate headquarters in Komoro, Japan.