The first 72-cavity PET multilayer preform co-injection system

U.S. Kotech has introduced the industry's first 72-cavity PET co-injection system. This new system designed for unique carbonated drinks (CSD) has been sold to world-class PET container suppliers.

Compared to the previous 48-cavity co-injection system benchmark, this new system provides more than 50% output performance and a capital ratio of more than 20% output. The new 72-cavity still uses the same basic work platform as Kotatsu's existing 48-cavity system, eliminating the need for additional floor space.

Kotel's professional series GL300/72 has a patented co-injection hot runner system and nozzle technology, combined with a special multilayer material Husky GL300 injection molding machine and 72 cavity molds. This professional series is newly designed with a new co-injection nozzle, and Husky's new macro cavity mold technology is used to shorten the preform cavity to 50 mm.

The machine features a large 2-stage PET injection unit and a special relatively large reciprocating screw barrier material injection unit. Manipulation is controlled through a central human interface (HMI) dead-loop control. This dual-injection unit provides 2 separate units. The balanced diverter system independently optimizes material temperature and process control.

The resulting bottle looks similar to the glass bottle, so the weight is relatively heavier than the average bottle preform. As a result, a 28.8 g preform has a trapezoidal center, a wall thickness of 5 mm, and is blown out as a base. A 250 ml bottle with a bulge (Champagne style). A nylon barrier material was selected (3.5% by weight) and sandwiched between the PET outer and inner layers of the preform, resulting in a multilayer container with more than 2 times the barrier properties compared to the single layer container (maintaining carbon dioxide) .

The company's three-layer preform technology fuses PET's latest barrier materials and resin. The finished PET multilayer container can provide up to 60 times oxygen barrier for a single PET container, thereby providing better shelf life of the product. These processes benefit typical operations such as natural fresh juice, tea, ketchup, small carbonated drinks and beer.