From the first stretch blow molder manufactured in series to Plasmax barrier technology: the KHS production site in Hamburg, Germany, is celebrating its 50th anniversary. The turnkey supplier looks back on half a century as a PET technology pioneer and wants to set standards in the future, too.
“Our factory in Hamburg is one of the pillars and drivers of the success and growth of the KHS Group,” says Kai Acker, CEO of KHS GmbH. “The last 50 years have shown just how much innovative strength this site has. Numerous systems and solutions developed in Hamburg still dominate the beverage and packaging industries today.”
PET technology pioneer
The company’s success story began in 1975 with the founding of Gildemeister Corpoplast GmbH, predecessor of the present KHS facility in Hamburg. With the first stretch blow molder manufactured in series, later known under the name of InnoPET Blomax, the business established competitive benchmarks in its branch of industry. Further key developments followed, among them groundbreaking Plasmax technology with its sustainable FreshSafe PET system and ultramodern lightweighting equipment.
The production site in Hamburg stands for resource-conserving plant engineering and sustainable packaging systems. All PET machines by KHS are able to process up to 100% recycled material. The containers these produce can thus be integrated into the closed bottle loop. What’s more, thanks to KHS technology customers can significantly cut their material and energy consumption. One example of this is the new generation of InnoPET Blomax stretch blow molders. Thanks to its optimized Double Gate heating system, it saves up to 40% in energy costs compared to single-lane stretch blow molders of the same capacity.
