Plastipak and Husky cut cycle times, boost output

BOLTON, Ontario — Plastipak, a leader in plastic packaging solutions, has seen dramatic cycle-time improvements with a challenging hot fill beverage application since switching to Husky’s new Index 600 preform system.

“Plastipak previously ran this application on a 96-cavity Husky G-PET system and found that the new 128-cavity Index 600 is the more cost-effective solution for isotonic preforms,” Mike Urquhart, Husky’s Vice President of PET, said.

The Index 600 started production at Plastipak’s Garland, Tex., location in January and produces a 38-gram, 20 oz. isotonic beverage preform at a 16-second cycle. With 30% more cavities than the previous system and the fastest cycles in the industry, the Index 600 delivers more than 28,500 preforms an hour.

“The Index provides a huge benefit for making preforms with heavy thread finishes like this 43 mm application,” Urquhart added. “On single-face systems, the cycle is limited by the thread cooling time. Index systems cool the preforms on the cores and in the neck rings for an extra cycle before demolding, resulting in higher quality threads and a much faster cycle.”

The Index 600 is part of Husky’s new line of Index and HyPET preform systems first introduced at NPE 2003. The new systems, available from 2 to 144 cavities, offer higher uptime, prolonged mold life, reduced energy use and Husky’s PC-based Polaris control system. Improved cooling technologies on the new systems also reduce cycle times and improve preform quality.

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