KHS reduces bottle neck changeover time to 86 minutes with new stretch blow molder

03 Apr 2023 --- KHS is launching a simplified stretch blow molder with in-built magazine for easier replacement of change parts and newly developed mandrel heads that can be removed more quickly to shorten bottle neck changeover time, providing beverage producers greater flexibility to switch necks and reduce warehousing effort.

“In recent years, the number of SKUs produced on a single line has increased significantly. In order to still achieve efficient production, fast format changeovers are necessary, among other things. With the fast neck changeover, KHS helps bottlers to make their production processes faster, as well as more efficient and economical,” KHS spokesperson tells PackagingInsights.

KHS details that on an InnoPET Blomax 16 stretch blow molder with a capacity of up to 48,000 bottles per hour, around 170 mandrel heads and shields have to be changed by hand. Furthermore, it says a considerable effort is required to convert the stretch blow molder, particularly on a PET line, stopping machines for up to four hours.

With its neck change, the manufacturer of filling and packaging systems for beverages claims to have reduced the time needed for two operators to convert the InnoPET Blomax 16 stretch blow molder, including the preform infeed, by two-thirds to approximately 86 minutes.

“The much shorter conversion time for neck changeovers gives our customers new options in their production planning,” says Arne Andersen, stretch blow molding product manager at KHS.The mandrel head is released by pressing on a spring, enabling it to be changed over quickly and easily (Image credit: KHS, Jörg Schwalfenberg).

Retrofittable converter
KHS elaborates that for both aseptically filled beverages and juice and carbonated soft drinks to be produced, different sizes of bottlenecks are needed. When converting the stretch blow molder to another neck, the shields are first exchanged, followed by mandrel head changeover.

With the manufacturer’s new development, the mandrel head can be released by pressing on a spring, enabling it to be changed over quickly and easily.

“We started by analyzing how the operators work,” says Andersen.

“On this basis, we considered how all tasks could be made easier and organized as perfectly as possible – paying particular attention to the ergonomics. Magazines were thus installed that stop the operator from repeatedly abandoning the machine to fetch and carry change parts,” he adds.

“We also replaced the grippers to reduce the number of screws needing loosening. At the same time, newly developed mandrel heads can be removed by pressing a release spring. This process used to be much more complex,” explains Andersen.

Flexibility saving time
KHS looked at the customer requirements to improve specific processes and reduce the aseptic bottling line timing to the shortest possible.Arne Andersen, stretch blow molding product manager at KHS says the shorter conversion time allows production planning flexibility (Image credit: KHS, Frank Reinhold).

The manufacturer shares that beverage producers who process aseptically filled beverages, juice, and carbonated soft drinks need to use 38-millimeter bottlenecks for the former and containers with 28-millimeter openings for the latter.

As the PET bottles in a block like the InnoPET BloFill are held and conveyed by their necks throughout the entire machine, the stretch blow molder and the filler has been developed further by KHS to shorten conversion times. KHS also focused on the capper, where the cone responsible for lifting and closing the bottles needed to be replaced manually.

The company shares that the first customers in Asia who are already using the quick neck change developed by KHS are “extremely pleased” with the amount of time and effort saved. The retrofittable option has reportedly earned praise from KHS’ clients in the region.

“Some of our customers produce just in time – the finished containers are loaded straight onto the truck without any interim storage. The drastically reduced conversion time will enable filling operations like these to change necks more frequently. They thus profit from new options in their production planning,” emphasizes Andersen.

By Radhika Sikaria