Favorable market conditions continue to drive growth in single serve container blow molding. Prospects for vigorous growth in consumer blow molded packaging are currently very favorable.

            According to Mastio, a St. Joseph, Missouri consulting firm specializing in research and market trends in the plastics industry, this market will grow at an annual average rate of 6.1 percent through 2008, reaching 8.6 billion pounds of resin consumed by the end of that year.

            A corresponding report, distributed by Bharat Book Bureau during 2006, predicts that U.S. plastic container demand is expected to exceed 200 billion units in 2010, consuming nearly 15 billion pounds of plastic resins. The study attributes a significant share of that upward progress to dramatic increases in consumer demand for single serve containers.

            In the processing equipment market, these facts have contributed to optimism reflected by the Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute (PMMI) which, in November 2006, announced that it expects U.S. shipments of packaging machinery to grow at a cumulative annual rate of 2.8 percent over the next three years, reaching $6.26 billion by 2008.

            Charles Yuska, president and CEO of Arlington, Va.-based PMMI states: “Packaging machinery end users are replacing older machines with new models with more advanced technology and innovative designs to increase production speeds and reduce labor costs.”

            As a preface to the technical discussion below, it’s important to appreciate that the demand for small single serve containers for food, milk, juice, nutritional drinks and liquid yogurts is one of the fastest growing market segments for plastic bottles, not only in the United States but also on a global basis. The trend is driven by many popular applications including these few: school milk programs conversion from paper to plastic, new package developments targeted at the convenience and health food markets, and changing economical factors and consumer habits in Latin American and Asian countries.

 

Challenges

            As production requirements for a single type package can reach 100, 200, or even 400 million containers per year, processors are looking for the best, least complex, and the most economical machinery that can handle these extreme production rates.

            Some blow molding machinery manufacturers have begun promoting tandem blow, the process of blow molding two bottles per parison that have been configured in a neck-to-neck or base- to-base arrangement in the mold. Their rationale is not necessarily that this technique produces better bottles, but that it is the only way to increase output without incurring the additional cost of multiple machines.

            However, producing two identical bottles in tandem blow process is a problematic challenge, especially with free falling parisons typically used by shuttle and reciprocating blow molding machines. Why? Because the parison shape is never identical from the top to bottom in the mold and achieving an identical material distribution in the top and bottom containers can be next to impossible.

            Additional variation is added by trying to balance and set up four, six, eight or more parisons to be identical.  Even with wheel machines the physical variations in bottles blown in tandem process can never be totally eliminated.

            Innovative processing equipment manufacturers are developing technology to solve the challenges of high speed single serve container blow molding.

            Wilmington Machinery, Wilmington, N.C., is one example of an experienced blow molding processing system manufacturer that has turned its attention to overcoming challenges in blow molding single serve containers at high speeds.

            Wilmington Machinery has designed a new system for producing small bottles that utilize a single parison and individual cavities, instead of tandem, in order to produce the highest quality bottles with the least variation in material distribution bottle-to-bottle, and with the smallest weight variation. The result? Processing speed, efficiency -— plus cost savings to the customer.

            Wilmington Machinery’s focus is on very high output applications requiring a minimum of 250,000 bottles per day or 75 million per year. As its prime objective, the company aimed to eliminate the problems associated with high speed bottle handling and to make their new system extremely simple to set up, operate and maintain.

            The result is the Wilmington High Speed Small Bottle (SB) rotary blow molding wheel system. The Wilmington SB process blow molds small bottles in a single cavity mold and uses a proprietary method of guiding the containers from under the blow molder through the trimmer at extremely high speeds with maximum efficiency. The Wilmington SB system’s success is made possible by miniaturization of Wilmington’s proven mechanical clamping systems — a technology originally perfected in their larger wheel machines — combined with a proven technique for accurately positioning the clamps and molds relative to each other.

            The Wilmington SB Series is designed specifically for high speed, high volume single serve dairy, food, juice and liquid yogurt applications for containers 200 to 500 ml. A smaller clamp has been added to handle bottles sizes as small as 80 ml. These machines are economical, extremely simple and can be built with up to 60 cavities at speeds up to 30,000 bottles per hour depending upon the container. Like their larger machines, the extrusion rates and layer configuration can be designed to match any application such as white-black-white or barrier bottles.

            Technical breakthroughs such as Wilmington Machinery’s High Speed Small Bottle Series now gives processors the ability to blow each bottle in individual molds while totally eliminating the need for high maintenance bottle knockout systems, complicated bottle takeout devices and cut off knives or shear steels.

            Customers have reported they were amazed at the easy startup and operating of Wilmington’s 24 station demonstration wheel at speeds of up to 240 BPM. Bottles literally fall out of the molds on their own and because Wilmington Machinery developed the technique to blow 100 percent of the entire parison, bottles and flash never stick together. This process works as well for polypropylene, including multilayer, as it does for HDPE.

Electrical/electronic industry advances

            The rapid advances in the electrical/electronic (E/E) industry are spurring numerous advancements in plastics that can match the growing complexities of electronic devices. With the latest range of plastics moving beyond insulation to offer exceptional conductivity, its use in electronics is set to increase significantly.

            “The E/E market is the world’s third largest plastics end-user segment, following packaging and building/construction,” says Technical Insights Sr. Research Analyst Donald V. Roasto. This segment consumes approximately 27 billion pounds of total plastics usage globally, with the demand for conductive electronic polymer products forecast to expand by 14.5 percent per year until 2008.”

            The use of microcontroller and sensor technologies coupled with the demand for wireless connectivity and in-car entertainment is continuously expanding the use of plastics in automotive electronics. In the consumer electronics market, digital electronic devices, including networking and information appliances, combined with the shift toward IP-enabled devices are compelling researchers to develop a versatile range of plastics.

            Inherently conductive polymers, nano-composite plastic materials, advanced engineering plastics, and other highly sophisticated materials are already proving to be highly popular in a variety of automotive and digital consumer electronics.

            Depending on the electronic component or device, designers choose the plastics for their rigidity or flexibility, durability, resistance to low or high voltage, and electrical insulation or conductive qualities. Ease of fabrication, mechanical properties, temperature resistance, and flame retardant capabilities are some of the other important factors.

            The current move toward the miniaturization of electronic components and circuit boards such as computer chips is a key element that researchers need to keep in mind while developing new plastic materials.

            “Compact and complex printed circuit boards with rising operating temperatures are driving the need for plastics with superior thermal management capabilities,” says Rosato. “New resins, additives, and fillers that accommodate higher temperatures and meet the thin-wall requirements are proving to be extremely popular.”

            Compounds made of high-temperature thermoplastics such as liquid crystal polymer and polyethersulfone used in molded interconnect devices and low-k dielectric polymers in semiconductor fabrication are also set to witness strong growth.

            In the future, the European Union’s Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and Restriction of Certain Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directives that restrict the use of certain hazardous materials are likely to have a significant impact on the plastic materials used in the production of E/E devices.

            For example, the RoHS directive that favors lead-free soldering necessitates the use of plastic materials in electronic devices that can withstand higher soldering temperatures. This is approximately 20-30 degrees Celsius hotter when compared to the temperatures used in lead-containing soldering.

            Such thermal challenges are directing much research efforts toward creating more efficient heat sinks that help cool the semiconductors. While aluminum and copper account for much of the materials used to develop heat sinks for electronics, thermally conductive thermoplastics are offering some interesting alternatives.

Food packaging

            Consumers, producers, and distributors in the Mexican and Brazilian food and beverage packaging market are increasingly opting for plastics. Plastic’s appeal mainly stems from its ability to increase shelf life of packaged food and offer cost savings on transport due to its lightweight.

            New analysis from Frost & Sullivan reveals that the market earned revenues of $5.27 billion in 2005 and estimates this to reach $7.22 billion in 2012.

            Plastic is steadily replacing traditional food packaging materials such as glass, metal, paper and board, yielding substantial revenues across various segments. It is outstripping competition through its inherent features of being shatterproof and providing transparency for inspection of contents, besides the sheer convenience and portability of the packaging.

            These benefits of plastic packaging are creating growth opportunities in the high-growth mineral and flavored water segment, the export segment for fruits and vegetables, as well as the ready-to-eat food segment in the Brazilian and Mexican markets. To leverage this demand, industry participants are deploying advanced packaging technologies.

            “One such technology is modified atmospheric packaging (MAP)”, say Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Tamara Dvoskin. “It helps in preserving the original composition of food by eliminating the need for chemical additives.”

            Another recent and notable advancement is coextrusion technology. This invention enables plastic processors to produce multi-layer films, which provide optimum film performance for various new applications in the food packaging market.

            Meanwhile, the novel ‘intelligent packaging’ system, which offers auto cooling or auto heating features, helps deliver food products at proper temperatures. Such technological advances also enable faster filing rates and packaging of hot foodstuff, giving plastic a competitive edge over traditional packaging materials.

            Another concern for manufacturers is the newly developed superior plastics, which diminish the gauge of plastic films and plastic weight.

            “This down gauging of plastic films implies a significant reduction in plastic consumption and is a restraint to the growth of packaging markets,” says Dvoskin.

            To overcome these challenges in a price-sensitive market, packaging manufacturers need to reframe growth strategies.

            “While collaboration with suppliers of core raw materials such as resin can help hedge the risk of price fluctuations, strategic innovations can ensure entry into newer segments,” concludes Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Victoria Verdier. “Moreover, establishing manufacturing agreements with food companies would prove to be a tactical move to sustain high returns for market participants.”

            Frost & Sullivan, a global growth consulting company, has been partnering with clients to support the development of innovative strategies for more than 40 years. The company’s industry expertise integrates growth consulting, growth partnership services, and corporate management training to identify and develop opportunities.

Jeff Newman is vice president of sales and marketing at Wilmington Machinery.

Contact him at 910-796-1604 or jnewman@wilmingtonmachinery.com  This report also includes information from global consulting firm Frost & Sullivan.