CMG zeros in on blow molding with new granulator line

By Kathy Hayes 

Italy’s CMG SpA has responded to a flourishing blow molding sector with a comprehensive line of granulators tailored to tackle in-house scrap ranging from 1-liter bottles to 500-liter tanks.  

“The blow molding sector has grown constantly in this last decade, with a further sharp growth in the latest 18 months,” said Giorgio Santella, CMG managing director. “The forecasted growth of the blow molding industry indicates that in the next five years the increase will be massive — plus 20 percent.” 

Not only is the market burgeoning, blow molded containers are growing in sophistication and quality, furthering the need for specialized equipment that processes scrap while preserving material properties for reuse, Santella said.   

“The mechanical characteristics of the container may be severely influenced by a regrind of poor quality,” he said. “The way an extrusion blow molding machine operates implies that there will be production of scrap and of some reject parts. As the scrap percentage is considerable, the need for a grinder to recover the scrap right into the production process is a must.” 

Developed over two years and field-tested for six months, the recently launched line consists of machines in 11 different sizes. Each machine features an infeed conveyor, optimized cutting blade geometry for large items, a full-vacuum evacuation system, a cyclone receiver, a dedusting station and automatic air filtration. The self-cooling systems are appropriate for processing PET, HDPE, PP and other resins. 

The granulators are characterized by energy-efficiency and the production of dust-free, dimensionally homogeneous regrind.  

The line encompasses eight completely new models (which have a “G” designation), as well as a few previously available machines that CMG has updated with all the features of the new models.  

“A granulator for blow molding applications must be capable of grabbing large/bulky/hollow objects that are generally light and tend to bounce. A purpose-designed granulator features characteristics like big bite, no flyback, adequate motor power and robustness to handle purgings,” Santella said. 

CMG granulators are available in North America through Universal Dynamics. 

For enhanced performance and energy efficiency, all the granulators can be equipped with the Adaptive Motor Power (AMP) proprietary motor control, which allows them to adapt to variations in container format, container thickness, the quantity of material and temperature changes.  

“With the AMP, all those variables are managed so that the granulators operate in the best conditions possible, by further enhancing the overall performance and producing the lowest [total cost of ownership] in the industry,” Santella said.  

The regrind is evacuated from the collection bin via a vacuum conveying system that features large-diameter steel pipe and prevents mechanical stress on the regrind and the generation of dust, according to the company. The granulators’ controls can manage material levels in the surge bin and are Industry 4.0-compliant.

Kathy Hayes, associate editor

Contact 

Universal Dynamics Inc., Fredericksburg, Va., 703-490-7000, https://unadyn.piovan.com, www.cmg.it/en/