In late 2018, Krones set a benchmark in stretch blow-molding technology for PET bottles with the introduction of its Contiform 3 Speed. The Contiform 3 Speed’s hourly output of 2,750 containers per cavity is unique in the sector so far. Less than two years later, the company sold the 100th Contiform 3 Speed to a soft drinks supplier of only rPET bottles.
Since October 2020, this milestone machine from Krones has been up and running at the main facility of Odenwald Quelle, a producer of soft drinks headquartered in Heppenheim, Germany. For Andreas Schmidt, managing partner at Odenwald Quelle, the decision to opt for the stretch blow-molder from the House of Krones came quickly and easily, “The Contiform 3 Speed boasts several persuasively attractive pluses. It is compactly dimensioned and produces more containers while consumption levels are lower. And it also effortlessly handles preforms made of rPET. This advantage was of crucial importance to us because we’ve since 2020 been selling only plastic bottles made of 100% recyclate.”
No pressure pad means higher output and efficiency of Contiform 3 Speed
In the case of conventional stretch blow-molders, a pressure pad in the mold carrier additionally keeps the two halves of the mold together during the stretch blow-molding process. However, the Contiform 3 Speed has been designed so that the two halves are held together purely by utilizing the revamped mold carrier locking mechanism.
The omission of the pressure pad means that the molds can produce bottles with a volume of up to two liters – and this in a blow-module size so far used in the small-cavity machines, which is on average 22% smaller than the comparable blow module of the Contiform 3 Pro. But eliminating the pressure pad provides advantages not only in line layout but also with media and energy consumption. Moreover, it makes for savings of up to 15% of highly compressed air compared to all other stretch blow-molders currently available on the market.
