Goeke: Let us start with Klear Can - Milacron’s Klear Can truly is a game-changer. It is immediately available to leading-edge food companies dedicated to being at the forefront of groundbreaking innovation and to delivering new value- added product experiences to consumers. The Klear Can allows brand owners the opportunity to provide consumers a window into their high quality ingredients. Klear Can is an innovative technology in food packaging and definitely an alternative to metal cans for fruits, vegetables, soups, meats, and other products. In fact, the Klear Can is the first truly transformational innovation in the canned food preservation industry’s nearly 200-year history. In Q2 we will see the first commercial Klear Can launch so you will actually see the product on the shelves in Asia.
We need to mention the light weight of the can at 26 g; 36 % lighter than a metal can, the fact it is recyclable and microwavable, it can be produced in the most challenging geographic areas and tropical conditions seamlessly, a lower carbon footprint to that of other plastic cans, and the thin wall is retortable to temperatures up to 130°C without panelling due to the patented technology and the thin wall produces great contact clarity of the contents over the often thicker walled competitor’s plastic cans.
Let us go ahead with coffee capsules. Consumer adaption of coffee capsules has been a global phenomenon. As consumer acceptance took off the concern over the recyclability became an important issue. Milacron saw an opportunity with our Kortec technology. The Kortec technology enables the capsules to be 100 percent recyclable. The key benefit of the injection moulded coffee pod is the ability to mould-in features that replace the addition of filters and other costly components. It also eliminates the need for a second moulding process, scrap, assembly costs and part weight. Most single-use coffee capsules are thermoformed from polystyrene, and are not recyclable. Coffee capsules made by the Kortec process are made of polypropylene. We need to mention the variety of moulding options on Milacron’s flagship high performance Ferromatik IMM platform. We offer stack tools up to 32+32 cavitations, single face 64 cavity tools, and upgrade options, where existing assets can be utilised to reduce capital investment. With multiple high cavitation systems installed and running, Milacron provides a proven technology in this market segment. Milacron also offers processing and part design development programs to prove out applications, shelf life and assure barrier placement working hand-in-hand with our customers. These product trials assure success and provide pre-production validation of all applications.
Then we can talk about our PET Systems. Milacron launched its offering in the preform moulding market with the M-PET 300: a new servo-hydraulic PET system at NPE 2015. The Milacron M-PET system combines key components across Milacron’s product portfolio – machines, clamps, injection unit, end-of-arm tooling, hot runner, mould and robots – as a single solution. The M-PET series offers leading edge performance and low energy consumption plus new options for post mould handling at an attractive price-to-performance ratio. The system operates with Milacron’s Preform Tooling, as well as existing industry tooling solutions. The system is supported by Milacron’s single-source capability and global aftermarket support. We need to mention that this is not new to Milacron; we are factually the pioneer of PET preform moulding. We have re-entered the market with existing technologies, proven and configured to process PET preforms – both co-injection and mono-layer applications, offering a full turnkey solution. Our niche is custom applications where our iCOOL and iFLOW mould technologies will provide a notable cycle and part quality advantage through enhanced cooling and flow characteristics that are complimentary to PET applications. Our PET systems are fully supported through remote monitoring services, enhanced service contracts, and Milacron’s aftermarket network. Our promise is throughput, uptime and part quality.
Let us talk about Blow Moulding. The new Uniloy All-Electric Shuttle Blow Moulding Machine was launched at K 2016. Manufactured in Milacron’s brand new, state of the art facility in Policka, Czech Republic, the NEW Uniloy All-Electric Shuttle machine specializes in the production of bottles, containers and technical parts from 100 ml up to 20 liters. This machine represents the first model of the NEW M-Series, 3rd generation of Uniloy’s successful All-Electric Shuttle blow moulding machines. The new M-Series provides the benefits of all-electric, modular design, simplified and reliable components, reduced operating costs, and is clean room friendly without sacrificing performance. The new Uniloy M-Series Shuttle can process virtually all commercial resins enabling you to produce everything from tiny cosmetic containers to large industrial packaging and offers guaranteed production time, minimized downtime, lower maintenance costs, easy operation and consistent product quality.
Uniloy has long been known as the premier supplier of intermittend, reciprocating screw blow moulding technology - “Recip” - famous for lightweight HDPE handle and non-handle-ware technology. Then Uniloy, on the Recip platform, has pioneered “clean blow” which means blowing containers with sterile air and sealing in the mould and “three layer” in white-black-white. The “Clean Blow” technology is gaining popularity world-wide for extended shelf, with or without the WBW and, when coupled with the WBW technology, the shelf life is even more significant. The real advantage for our Uniloy customers is adding capacity to address new markets by simply employing a technology for which they have significant confidence and experience for both shelf stable and extended ‘date code’ for fresh milk.
Last but not least there is our closure system hot runner business. Mold-Masters’ hot runner SPRINT recently launched new “Color Change Tips” at K 2016. The new tips are engineered to far exceed the performance of similar competitive systems. The new SPRINT color change tip improves color change by up to 47% (vs. a standard gate tip). These new gating tips are available immediately as a standard package for all SPRINT systems and are compatible with the current tip as replacements. Mold-Masters’ SPRINT closure hot runners are engineered for speed. SPRINT is available in hot and valve gate solutions engineered for lightning-fast cycles, color changes, optimal part quality and greater durability for maximum uptime, while dramatically reducing overhead.