BEKUM AMERICA PET HANDLEWARE PRODUCTION SHIFTS INTO HIGH GEAR – MACHINERY AND PRODUCTS TO BE SHOWCASED AT NPE 2018 IN ORLANDO

10 Machines Delivered in 2017 – “Profit from our Experience in PET Handleware.”

(Williamston, MI) The Bekum America Corporation will showcase many of its PET handleware products produced on Bekum machines at the NPE 2018 in Orlando. The Plastics Show will take place beginning May 7th through May 11th at the Orange County Convention Center. At NPE 2018, the PET handleware samples will be showcased in the “Bottle Zone” booth S14053 in the South Hall.

Be sure to visit Bekum’s main booth W 2127 in the West Hall for more details on our PET handleware machines and also see our EBLOW 407DL (3-layer HDPE) production run demonstration.

“Bekum is proud of the variety of PET handleware products produced on our machines,” said Steve London, President and Chief Operating Officer. “Please stop by our booth S14053 in the South Hall to learn more about how your company can profit from our experience in PET handleware.”

The extrusion blow molding of PET bottles integrating a true flow through handle identifiable as #1 recyclable PET has long been a packaging goal for consumer products groups. The inherent challenge of parison formation with sufficient material hang strength resulted in the development of EBM-specific co-polyester resins, such as PETG. Extrusion blow molding grades of PETG have been commercially available for over 30 years, yet, unfortunately, these co-polyester materials are not readily managed in the established PET recycle infrastructure due to their lower drying and melting points.

Several major PET material suppliers have recently developed high I.V. PET grades with hang strength, toughness and reduced crystallization rates for extrusion in blow molding. In order to optimize our PET processing technology, Bekum partnered with both the PET material suppliers and a major North American converter to refine the EBM PET process to meet the PET handleware goals of the brand owner. From extrusion system design, mold construction, material drying, regrind reuse, and in-machine deflashing, the EBM PET process was thoroughly analyzed and validated.

2017 saw the production commercialization of 10 Bekum HYBLOW 407D machines for the round-the-clock production of handled PET beverage bottles in fully #1 recyclable PET.

BEKUM America was established in 1979 with the mission to introduce top quality blow molding machinery, designed to produce plastic bottles, containers and other large plastic parts in the North American marketplace, via blending German design and technology with American skill and ingenuity. Bekum’s customer base includes large multi-national customers, as well as owner/operator plastic bottle manufacturers.