Germany Introduces New Thermoforming Technology for Bottle Making

Germany's Illig Maschinenbau has introduced a BF70 roll feed press with a view to competing with blow molding equipment in the field of beverage bottles and food packaging bottles. According to reports, the equipment's material dispersion capability, maximum load strength, and sidewall strength are comparable to those of blow molding equipment. However, when producing a bottle with a capacity of 50 to 200 cm3, the device can reduce the weight of the bottle by as much as 50% compared to blow molding equipment. Its configured 20-cavity mold has an operating cycle of 25 times/min and a throughput of up to 30,000/h (PS or PP). These bottles can be used to hold puddings, cheese and sports drinks.

The device is made of stainless steel and its template width is 700mm. The steel die trimming station is used in conjunction with the notch device to form the necessary grooves in the bottom of the bottle. For better molding results, the device uses a contact heater and sterile gas.