Mint-Tec®. The Innovation
What is Mint-Tec?
Mint-Tec® is a highly innovative technology to mint the shape of the preform-base into its optimum design for the following blowing process. The effect is a significantly reduced wall thickness of the preform base, while the surface is increased. As the warmest spot of a preform after injection moulding is the base, it needs very little force to shape it to its optimum design.
Our special minting unit is shaping the conical or spherical base of the preform directly after injection moulding in the first heat. The minting unit is designed to use the reheat effect directly after the injection mould to decrease the wall thickness and to increase the outer surface of the preform through a gentle, but fast minting process. At the end of the shaping process the preform gets in contact with the cooling sleeve, were the cooling is very fast due to the reduced wall thickness and the increased outer surface.
Compatibility
Mint-Tec® is compatible to almost every common preform system such as Husky, Netstal, Sipa, Sacmi and Sumitomo Systems. No modification of existing mould, only a core change is needed if weight saving is the target.The take out and transfer device of the preform production system needs to be replaced for existing moulds.
In Operation
The Mint-Tec® device is mounted on the transfer plate of the injection moulding machine while the cooling sleeves on the take out device are delivering the counter design. Fast, precisely and without damaging the preforms, the Mint-Tec device is shaping the base of the preforms through the minting process.
Customer Value
The base of the preform in the example on the right has an extended surface while the wall thickness is significantly reduced. Due to these characteristics the IR-heat energy of the blow moulder can be distributed very precisely and effectively. The blow moulding process window is widened: base optimization is easier …
Your Benefits:
- Mint-Tec® allows a saving of 3-5% of the total PET bottle weight.
- Mint-Tec® solution offers a perfect preform in the trend to less weight: extended surface and reduced wall thickness at the base!
- Mint-Tec® can be used for bottle optimization without modification of the injection mould. A core change with an attractive ROI is required to achieve the weight reduction!
- Mint-Tec® leads to significant energy savings
- Mint-Tec® (patent pend.) is a unique development in the PET market leading to highest efficiency and reliability
- Light base bottles and shorter cycles at the same time for the injection AND blow moulding process!
Comparison of a sample:
The product data below describe the properties of the sample shown above:
Preform of 57 grams for 5.0 litres of still mineral water
With 72-cavities of Mint-Tec® design
Standard preform, twist-off Bericap 38 mm (with an effective weight reduction from 57.0 g to 54.5 g = 2.5 g)
Saving: 2.5 g per preform!
Cycle time: 16.5 sec at 8,200 h/year or:
129 million preforms/year