US firm Meredith-Springfield has acquired latest injection stretch-blow molding machine (ISBM) technology from Japan’s Aoki Technical Laboratory.
The move will allow Meredith-Springfield to economically manufacture a new product line of premium PET drinkware.
The North American firm has purchased AL-500LL-50S ISBM, which will help reduce molding cycle times by more than 45%.
Meredith-Springfield produces single-serve drinkware, which are mostly used at hotels, conventions, outdoor and poolside venues to serve premium cocktails and beverages.
The firm’s drinkware line is comprised of stemless wine and Champagne glasses, carafes, pilsner glasses and other uniquely shaped cocktail glasses.
Aoki Laboratory America president Eiji Nishizawa said: “Our high-speed mold release technology enables the molding of a bottle at a cycle that is faster than previous versions of our machines while delivering the same quality.”
Nishizawa said the firm uses molding technologies for the production of plastic containers with minimum expenditure of energy.
Aoki will showcase the Meredith-Springfield’s sister machine at the National Plastics Exhibition in Orlando, Florida, which will take place in May.
At the event, the company will demonstrate the production of a 200mL and 24g PET bottle with a 20mm neck finish.
Meredith-Springfield will exclusively manufacture PET articles with the new machine. Aoki’s ISBM \ can also be used to run any polymer, which can be blow molded such as HDPE, PP or Tritan.
For some of the drinkware, the company also used its patent-pendingpost-molding lip forming process to produce a glass-like bead rim on the top openings.
Meredith-Springfield president and CEO Mel O’Leary said: “This is a game-changing moment for Meredith-Springfield as the acquisition of the AL-500LL-50S creates economic, energy, equipment and production efficiencies for us as we produce a new product line.”
Based in Ludlow of Massachusetts, Meredith-Springfield provides blow-molded products plastic bottles and containers to the clients such as American Distilling, B&G Foods, Clorox, Elizabeth Arden, Jarden Home Brands, OmniMax, PepsiCo and Reebok.
