Technological watch

Uniloy Launches Next-Gen Electric Continuous Extrusion Shuttle Blow Molding System

Blow molding machinery and molds manufacturer Uniloy Inc. announced today the launch of its new all-electric Uniloy UCS.E continuous extrusion shuttle machine. The UCS.E marks the third iteration of the company’s all-electric shuttle line, which it calls the most advanced Uniloy shuttle machine to date.

The UCS.E is suited for the production of bottles, containers, and technical parts sized from 50 ml (1.69 oz) to 30 L (7.9 gallons) in almost all commercial resins. The system can produce everything from small cosmetic containers to large industrial packaging, and features up to seven-layer co-extrusion capability. It can process bioplastics and post-consumer resins (PCR).

The UCS.E uses 40% less energy than a traditional hydraulic shuttle machine and runs quieter and cleaner. The elimination of hydraulic fluids enables the UCS.E to be used in a cleanroom or aseptic manufacturing environments.

The UCS.E line is Industry 4.0 ready and will allow for data exchange with factory management systems. It is also designed to accommodate future developments, such as preventative maintenance programs.

Uniloy’s software engineering team completely redesigned the HMI with new user-friendly, intuitive controls that allow for faster machine setup and customization.

Despite its compact design and reduced footprint, the UCS.E has been built to allow easy access to all areas that require maintenance and serviceability.

“As with the automobile industry, demand for all-electric technologies is growing rapidly,” said Brian Marston, Uniloy President and CEO. “The all-electric UCS.E is the result of over 10 years of experience with electric machines, research and development, and Uniloy actively listening to what our customers are telling us they want — a reliable, powerful, connected, all-electric machine. We’ve had more product development in the past 1 1/2 years as an independent Uniloy than the brand had in the past two decades — truly an impressive feat by all of our global technical and back-end teams,” added Marston.

Uniloy was part of Milacron until it was sold in 2019 to a pair of private equity firms and is now a standalone business.

Publication date: 14/09/2021

Plastics Today

      

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 870292.