IPF show: Molding machine offers injection blow, injection stretch blow options on a single unit

Processors delving into both injection blow and injection stretch blow molding (ISBM) might want to consider the ASB-12N/10 one-step ISBM machine from Nissei ASB Machine Co. (Nagano, Japan) now offered with an option enabling conversion to the injection blow process and vice-versa within two hours.

According to Nissei ASB Section Manager Katsuo Ishiguro, injection blow molding with a vertical tool in the combo machines brings various advantages compared with conventional injection blow molding machines where the tool opens vertically and the preforms are horizontally aligned. "Firstly, there is no parting line along the length of the container because the preform parting line is at the neck of the bottle," he notes. "The vertical clamp also allows much greater accuracy in perform mold alignment resulting in superior wall thickness precision in the finished product." Finally, says Ishiguro, "The threads are held by the neck until ejection and this also contributes to higher precision."

Injection blow molding uses two of the machine's four stations. Target applications for the optioned machine include medical and cosmetic containers. The injection blow molding process is applicable to HDPE, LDPE, PET, PP, PC and PS resins.-[email protected]