Shot pot (SPM series) andreciprocating screw (RSM series)extrusion blow molding machines

POWERHOUSESIN PRODUCTIVITY:GRAHAM'SRECIPROCATINGSCREWAND SHOT POTMACHINES

The beverage industry is quitefamiliar with intermittentextrusion blow molding technology, given that a significant number of reciprocating screw (recip)blow molding machines havebeen built for lightweightdairy, water, and juice packaging. Since enteringthis market in 2003, GrahamEngineering has dramaticallyimproved traditional recipmachine designs and

performance, then subse-quently developed an evenbetter offshoot technology —the shot pot machine. WhileGraham's engineeredenhancements are ongoing,the company continues tomake significant improve-ments in cycle time, therebyincreasing productivity for ourcustomers. Here are commonhighlights of what these tworemarkable product lineshave to offer blow molders:• 80 ml up to 4 liter

applications• Up to 16 die heads with

various clamp sizes • Specially designed

manifold and heads withstreamlined flow passages

• Proportionally-controlledhydraulics

• XBM Navigator™ PC controlsystem

• Faster clamp movement andgreater clamping forcesachieved by special toggleclamp activated by dual proportionally-controlledhydraulic cylinders

• Impact trimming and spintrimming systems

• Pull up and ram down pre-finish

• HDPE, PP, LDPE and otherresins can be processed

• Primary usage for lightweight dairy, water,and juice packaging; also useful for household chemical containers, F-stylecontainers, wide mouthjars, and flower pots.

XBM NAVIGATOR™:PC-BASED CONTROLSDEVELOPED BY BLOW MOLDERSFOR BLOW MOLDERS

The efficiency of a productionline is closely linked to theaccuracy and ease of use ofits controls. That is why everyGraham blow moldingmachine uses the XBMNavigator™, a proprietary PC-based system designed byus. The hardware is a standard, 24-volt industrialPC, which eliminates anyneed for manufacturer-specific components or system expertise. The man-machine interface is aflat panel color display withtouch screen capabilities. Butthe real beauty of the system

lies in its Windows® platformoperator interface software— it is a package developedby Graham, whose years ofblow molding experienceensure that set-ups, trending,analysis, and troubleshootingfunctions will all be intuitiveto the operator. • All machine control

parameters and process variables are easy to callup, check, and adjust

• Optional 100-point parisonprogramming can be added

• Remote diagnostics viaeither built-in modem orEthernet connection —enables fast, easy trou-bleshooting by Graham'stechnical support team

• Swing arm mounted operator station allows forimproved line-of-sightsetup and operation

Proportional hydraulics are standard with the XBM Navigatorcontrol system.

XBM Navigator,™winner of

Control Design’s2008 Innovator

Award

Graham's XBM Navigator™ PC controlsutilize intuitive, graphical screens,allowing operators to come up-to-speed quickly. The graphicalapproach aids in setup and troubleshooting; for example, thecolor of the heater bands changes tored when heat is applied, and to bluewhen cooling is applied. Multipleaccess levels allow different levels of control for operators, technicians,and maintenance personnel. Thescreens can be switched between duallanguages with the touch of a button.Other features include remote diag-nostics, trending of key variables, andcomplete logging of process changes.

RSM SERIESRECIPROCATINGSCREW MACHINES

Since entering this market in2003, Graham has taken thetraditional reciprocating screw extrusion blow moldingtechnology and incorporated aseries of major improvements.We carefully engineered allaspects of our RSM series —hydraulics, manifold, die head,clamps, true quick exhaust,take-away arms, cooling bed

design, and four-platen trimmers — in order to develop a production linethat will excel in efficiencyand low-maintenance performance.• Ideal for lightweight, single

trip dairy, water, juice, and household chemicalcontainers, plus smallerindustrial parts

• Graham-designed, oil-filledthrust bearing and ten-groove ball spline are longlife and low maintenance

Die Heads and Manifolds• No wear on pressure ring

— pressure ring is in itsown chamber, so removingthe die does not disturb it

• Three or four point dieadjustment

• Wider head spacing permitsimproved mold cooling

• Fixed die head with floatingextruder increases perishable tooling life —machine can be set up cold;flow heads and pins arealways properly centered

• Balanced manifoldsenhance control over parisonlengths and start-up speed

• More precise parisons andpressure equalization withinthe head made possible byeccentric diverter sleevesand extended die head

Clamping• Robust design• Clamp toggle actuation via

either standard Grahamcylinder-designed actuationor optional rotary actuator(Rotac)

Air Barrel Cooling• No Hazmat costs associated

with liquid cooling media(purchasing, hauling, anddisposal)

• Frees up to 10 tons of cooling (compared with liquid barrel cooling) —actual amount depends onextruder size and lbs perhour

• Virtually maintenance-free• Lower costs for heater band

replacement

Compliance and SafetyFeatures• Operator-friendly safety

doors with total clampaccess just a lever flip away

• ANSI/CE compliant light curtain guarding in front ofdie head

• CE certification available— all machinery built tocomply with CE standards

• Safe machine operationwithout bulky cage guardingand electrical interlocks —better access overall

Quick Exhaust Air System• Independent pre-blow

control allows operators toprecisely adjust pre-blowfor each head

• As much as 30% fasterblow air exhaust for fastercycle times

Dual Pump Hydraulic System• Constant oil filtration and

cooling• Proportional hydraulics

standard• Three or four five-gallon

accumulator bottles, tankmounted

• High and low pressure circuits — one pump (lowpressure) is for cooling/filtration and one pump(high pressure) is formachine operation

Swing Arms• Better heat conductivity• Lighter assembly• Improved safety• Smooth operation due to

proportionalhydraulic control

Cooling Beds• Heavy-duty cooling

conveyor • Available in 8 and

12-foot lengths• Featuring large diameter,

heavy-duty push rods, safetystep crossovers, and reversedirectional operation

Optional Container Pick and Place Units• Live roller or pick-and-place

bottle transfer from coolingbed to trimmer

• Optional pick-and-place transfer- Mechanically transfers

containers from coolingbed to trimmer for deflashing

- Fast, accurate, reliable,and low maintenance forgreater efficiencies

- Uses ball screw technology,electrical drive and control,and vacuum-only air

- Highly recommended for rectangular, oval, andsquare containers not on a diagonal parting line

Index Trimmers• Four-platen design — extraplaten absorbs inertia from acontainer jam, preventingchain stretch and damage totrim tooling• Large end sprockets forsmoother indexing• Unique carrier support• Reverse directional

operation• Roller chain bucket carrier

support• Long-dwell gear box with

large cam followers

• Containers can bedeflashed from one to sixper index (dependent onapplication)

• Available in three models— 24-18, 24-24, and 24-32 (model numbersrelate to clearance distance between tie barsfor mounting of tooling)

• Spin trimming systems alsoavailable

SPM SERIESSHOT POT MACHINES

Not content with the improve-ment of existing reciprocatingscrew technology, Grahamelected to develop a next generation. SPM Series Shot Pot machines are the directresult. The integration of a shot pot for parison deliverymakes shot size independent of the extruder. There are anumber of other major advantages over recip models:• Eliminates ball spline and

need for thrust bearing maintenance

• Continuous extrusion for a more homogenous melt andlower stock temperatures

• Ability to add manual orautomatic screen changers— material does not travelthrough the screen pack during parison delivery

• Faster, more stable parisondelivery for less shear —1,000 grams per second isstandard; higher drop ratesare optional

• Memory of the last extruderflight is removed and withGraham's head design, parison twisting is practically eliminated

• 8” diameter shot cylinderwith center line mounting(standard feature) for shot sizes from 1,200 to2,000 grams

• With the center line mountedshot cylinder, the breaking ofwelded feet and cantileveredforces are eliminated

• Extruder sizes include 3.5-inch (90 mm), 4.0-inch(100 mm), and 4.5-inch (115 mm)

• 200 ml to 4 liter containerapplications

• Various clamp sizes with configurations for 6, 8, 10, or12 die heads

• Pull-up or ram-down prefinish available

• HDPE, PP, LDPE, and otherresins

Graham SPM Shot Potmachines are equipped withall the features mentionedin the preceding RSMReciprocating Screwmachines section.

Machine Feature Graham RSM Graham SPM Competition

Oil-Filled Thrust Bearing Yes N/A No

10-Groove Ball Spline Yes N/A No

Continuous Extrusion Yes Yes Yes

Reciprocating Screw Yes No Yes

Dual Manifolds for

Streamlined Flow Yes Yes No

100-Point Parison

Programming Option Yes Yes Yes

Control System Designed

Exclusively for Blow Molding Yes Yes No

Separate Pressure Ring

Chamber in Heads Yes Yes No

Screen Changer Capability No Yes No

Proportional Hydraulics Yes Yes Yes

Shot Capacity up to

3,000 Grams No Yes No

A Comparison of Blow Molding Technologies

Graham Engineering Corporation • 1203 Eden Road, York, PA 17402-0673 • USA Tel: 717-848-3755 • Fax: 717-846-1931 • www.grahamengineering.com • sales@grahamengineering.com