EvoBLOW eHR electrical mould heating for hot-fill PET bottles

The eHR blower shares a number of commonalities with the standard configuration of Sidel EvoBLOW blowing architecture. For example, mechanical settings are the same and 73% of the eHR blowing station components are similar to those of standard Sidel EvoBLOW blowers. But furthermore it benefits from all the most recent and proven Sidel technologies used for regular production of PET bottles including: 

• Proven Sidel EVoBLOW Ecoven: allows a wider process window with a great heating capability and reduced installed power. Improved ventilation with optimal air flow contributes to better heating regulation and temperature gradient within the preform walls.
• Electrical stretching: as it is contactless and does not wear, it is very robust. It delivers high bottle quality and contributes to increased output. It offers more process flexibility and ensures continuity and reliability. It can be combined with the Sidel EvoBLOW Intelliblower, which brings control and self-regulation to the blow moulding process. Electrical stretching also contributes to increasing output.
• AirEco2 air recovery: reduces energy consumption through the two air-recirculation steps. Available as an option, air recovery drastically decreases the need for high pressure air.
• New automation architecture: based on four distributed processors (preform feeder, oven, blow wheel, Human Machine Interface), it allows for faster automation, giving a more reactive and qualitative blowing process.

Sidel's eHR blowing process is very responsive. Mechanical output reaches up to 2,000 bottles per hour per mould. Temperature variation and discrepancies between different blowing stations are kept to an absolute minimum. 

• With a three times faster temperature increase, it accurately provides the correct temperatures from the very first bottles produced. 
• The set-point temperature is easily reached because probes are directly located inside each mould shell in order to regulate the temperature as close as possible to the bottle as it is formed.
• All the bottles undergo the same thermal conditioning and offer a consistent performance when placed on the supermarket shelf.
• The latest generation of blowing valve on the Sidel EvoBLOW blower, combined with the mechanical blow nozzle system, electrical stretching and automation, give great control of the blowing curve. This allows for an increased mechanical output by up to 2,000 bottles per hour per mould, while maintaining enough cycle time to ensure a consistent blowing process.

Sidel EvoBLOW eHR blower offers great savings in terms of electricity and air consumption, through its innovative electrical mould heating and the proven Sidel EvoBLOW blower technologies. 

• Electrical mould heating avoids temperature variation and heat loss.
• Save up to 45% in electricity consumption with the Sidel EvoBLOW eHR blower compared with the previous generation of Sidel blowers that used traditional mould heating with oil.
• A further saving of 25% in electricity consumption can be achieved with the performance of the Sidel EvoBLOW Ecoven using infra-red lamps with ceramic technology instead of metal reflectors.
• A reduction by up to 45% of air consumption is possible for a production output of 1,800 bottles per hour per mould by implementing the AirEco2 option.

By eliminating hot oil altogether, the design of the Sidel EvoBLOW eHR blower prevents hazards caused by the leaking of oil, such as operators' slipping and the contamination of filled bottles.  

• With electrical stretching, there is no need for lubrication above the neck of the bottle, removing the risk of contamination. 
• Some components are lubricated for life, with specific treatments to eliminate the need for greasing operations, simplifying maintenance. 
• Food-grade grease is used for parts that do need lubrication. 
• The proven Ecoven ventilation with air filtration ensures a more hygienic production.
• The moulds are insulated from the mould supports. The hot temperature is focused on the moulds avoiding any thermal constraints on other nearby machine components. This contributes to safer intervention conditions for the operator.

The new blowing process using heating by electrical resistance is used in the Sidel EvoBLOW Combi Hot Fill, complementing the advantages of the standard Combi configuration that integrates the blowing, filling and capping functions in a single enclosure. 

• Eliminates the conveying, handling, accumulation and storage of empty bottles. 
• Compact and ergonomic, it optimises line layout with a smaller footprint.
• Controlled production environment ensures hygiene and food safety is kept under full control.
• Electronic filling valves are equipped with individual flow meters for highly accurate volume dispensing with minimal product wastage.
• Hygienic design and contactless filling valves ensure complete product safety.
• Can be used to bottle a broad range of products with and without pulps or particles and can accommodate neck changeovers easily.
• The product circuit is equipped only with sanitary valves, which makes cleaning easier for complete food safety.
• The fluid speed in the filling valves is monitored during cleaning to be greater than 1.5 metres per second, while temperature is kept under control in each filling valve due to the recirculation flow monitoring. 

EvoBLOW eHR offers great production flexibility thanks to fast and error-free changeovers:

• Motorised Bottle Switch for gravimetric preform feeders: easy, tool-less part replacement and automatic mechanical element positioning for immediate production efficiency
  TIME SAVED: 25min to 8min (Data for SBO 22-cavity)
• Motorised Bottle Switch for ovens: automatic and easy mechanical element positioning for immediate bottle quality and heating performance
  TIME SAVED: 40min to 7min (Data for SBO 22-cavity)