In a highly competitive business like PET production, operators need to keep a close eye on operating expenses. It’s not just the price of the polymer they need to look at of course; things like energy bills and maintenance costs can have an important impact on the total cost of the final product. Each new generation of injection molding equipment will bring such costs down, sometimes significantly. So to stay ahead of the competition, maintain (and hopefully improve) profits, preform producers need to be aware of all the opportunities to improve their assets, and consider when the right moment is to make the next leap forward in capital expenditure,

A PET BLowing molding system represents a significant investment, so obviously the owner wants to get the most out of it. But after a few years, some important questions need to be asked. How much effect is wear and tear having on up-time? Can my old machine take full advantage of latest developments in preform design technologies? How does its energy efficiency compare with the latest machines? Can I still get spare parts for my old machine? Could I possibly use a smaller machine with the same molds? How much can I offset its second-hand value against the price of a new machine? Could a different supplier offer me technical service that is as good as, or even better than what I get now? What about finance packages? Will all the molds I have now still be able to run on a new machine, especially if I change brands?

The list goes on, but it all boils down to this: are the short-term savings I make by not investing outweighed by the medium and long-term losses in product quality, total cost-efficiency, and profit?

Here are just a few things to consider in more detail.

Energy savings

Never has energy been such a hot topic. And while recent sharp increases in electricity prices brought about by restrictions in gas supply from Russia will, hopefully, be a short-lived phenomenon, the underlying trend is up. This trend will continue in any case, as energy from non-renewables is gradually replaced by energy from sustainable sources, where major CAPEX investments are required, even while the new technologies have low OPEX. So an investment in a new bottle blowing  system that saves as much energy as possible makes a lot of sense. Fillex’s VS-servo has the lowest energy consumption of any preform production system on the market today. Consumption of under 200 Wh for every kg of PET processed is typical. That could be half the amount your current machine is using, and quite easily 20% less.