EBS 4 HC ERGON - Rotary stretch-blow moulders for high-capacity containers with output rate up to 4,800 bph (5 L)
After applying it to secondary packaging machines, SMI extended the ERGON design concept to its stretch-blow moulders and launched a brand-new machine series called EBS (Electronic Blowing System) ERGON, where advanced electronics took the lion's share in the complete redesign of the entire equipment. The EBS ERGON project aims at fully switching towards all- electronic processes, which will allow to get rid of the whole of mechanical movements and related cams, actually making the blower a cam-less machine.
The new range is made up of 3 HC (High Capacity) models, from 3 to 6 cavities, specifically designed for the production of high-capacity containers (from 5 to 10 litres), with a maximum output of 1,200 bph/cavity (5 L containers).
The EBS ERGON HC series of rotary stretch blow-moulders ensures high performances in the stretch blow-moulding of PET, PEN and PP bottles, mainly used in the “food & beverage” sector. Thanks to high-tech components, minimized maintenance and operational costs and excellent quality/price ratio, the EBS ERGON HC series is the ideal solution for the production of plastic containers of different capacities, featuring various shapes, from the most simple to the most sophisticated ones.
| EBS 3 HC ERGON | EBS 4 HC ERGON | EBS 6 HC ERGON | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max. output (BPH) | 3600 | 4800 | 7200 |
| Bottle max. vol. | 10 L | 10 L | 10 L |
| Cavities | 3 | 4 | 6 |
1Preforms feeding
The preforms are transferred from the hopper to the unscrambler through a lifting belt; the unscrambler conveys them to an inclined guide, from where they reach the spacer star wheel at the heating module infeed, by gravitational fall. The star wheel feeds the rotary mandrel chain, through which the preforms are “captured” and let into the heating module.
2Preforms heating
Before entering the heating module, equipped with infrared lamps, each preform undergoes accurate checks, which detect its size and vertical position and automatically eliminate the preforms not compliant with the pre-set parameters. The preforms, supported by the mandrels, start moving along the heating module. During the heating process, the preforms constantly turn around themselves, so as to ensure an excellent and symmetrical heat distribution. The heating module is equipped with two different cooling systems: a liquid-fed cooling system, in order to cool the protection ring preventing the preforms thread deformation during the heating process; an air-fed cooling system, in order to keep the temperature inside the heating module as low as to avoid the exposure of the preforms outside walls to too high temperatures. At the heating module outlet, a sensor detects the preform temperature and compares it with the temperature set point; if the two values do not correspond, it increases or decreases the heating module lamps power.
3Preform stretch blow-molding
A special rotary group of grippers picks up the preforms from the oven and sets them into the stretch-blowing stations. The stretch-blowing process includes two phases:
- stretching and pre-blowing, which occur simultaneously through the descent of the motorized stretching rod and the supply of low-pressure compressed air;
- final blowing with high-pressure compressed air, through which the containers take their final shape. A counter-pressure air system ensures the perfect locking of the moulds, whereas the mechanical locking of the mold-holders allows bearing the strengths generated by the stretch-blow moulding process with the maximum reliability. Also the stretch-blowing stations are equipped with a liquid-fed cooling system, which keeps the molds temperature constant.
4Bottles outlet
During the blowing process, an accurate measurement system checks that the process follows the pression profile required. In fact, a pressure drop would alter the container shape which would cause the automatic rejection of the container. The finished bottles are picked from the stretch-blowing stations by another rotary group of grippers and put onto an air conveyor which finally transfers them to the filling machines.
PREFORMS UNSCRAMBLER
GRIPPERS' ROTARY GROUPS
PREFORM-HEATING MODULE
STRETCH-BLOWING WHEEL
AIR RECOVERY SYSTEM
ELECTRICAL PANEL AND MACHINE WIRING
* Data provided on this page are not binding, as they have to be confirmed by SMI according to the machine user's production conditions and technical specifications.