Reifenhäuser teams with BBM on blowmolding lines

Expanding a cooperative agreement stretching back four years, extruder manufacturer Reifenhäuser (Troisdorf, Germany) has struck a strategic alliance with extrusion blowmolding machine manufacturer BBM (Langenberg, also Germany) whereby the companies agree to intensify their work, especially with regard to development of extrusion screws for BBM's machines. 

The previous cooperative agreement had Reifenhäuser manufacturing screws and barrels for BBM, and this will continue, to include running tests for BBM of plasticizing systems in the Troisdorf R&D laboratory. The firms will maintain their separate marketing efforts, though, and officials at the extruder manufacturer say they have taken no financial stake in BBM, nor will they market BBM equipment.

At the 2007 K tradeshow in Germany, BBM debuted its all-electric BBM 4-100/15E, a four-cavity machine with 100-mm spacing between cavities and 15 tonnes of clamping force. The company also has a 35-tonne model available, both outfitted with extruders from Reifenhäuser. —[email protected]