GN Thermoforming Equipment, a leading manufacturer of roll-fed, in-mould cut thermoforming machines, will shine the spotlight on its GN760 plug-assist thermoformer for high-output production of PET lids for the food service market at NPE2015.
GN Thermoforming
The machine demonstration is the primary focus of GN’s presentation at the International Plastics Showcase, where the company will discuss the growing use of the GN760 plug-assist model for lid manufacturing in the US. Originally developed for production of bakery and meat containers due to its low scrap rate, the GN760 has now emerged as a highly viable option for lids for food service applications.
Jerome Romkey, GN’s Marketing Manager, commented: "We've perfected the process to meet the production requirements of US manufacturers. The volumes with our machine are attractive to US manufacturers, thus presenting us with a new market opportunity."
The cut-in-place machine will demonstrate a 20-up tool for PET lids that measure 5 in (123 mm) in diameter, running at 28 cycles per min and producing 725,000 lids per day (approximately five million lids per week).
Since its entry into the market, the GN760 has made inroads in the food packaging industry. Amid today's rising cost of materials and the increased focus on sustainability, GN has developed innovative tooling technology which significantly reduces skeletal web scrap from approximately 30 per cent to 18 per cent when compared to typical form-cut-stack machines.
"With the escalating price of resins today and the need to reduce environmental footprint, our GN760 plug-assist thermoformer and novel common-edge tooling gives processors an important edge to improve their profitability," said Romkey.
The machine's significant scrap rate reduction is a major selling point with thermoformers, according to Romkey. Consequently, GN's successful initial launch has resulted in machine sales to customers in the US, Canada, Poland, Russia, South Africa, and Mexico. Most of these thermoformers are producing custom food trays made of PET, high-impact polystyrene (HIPS), polypropylene (PP), and PE/PET laminate. With the GN760’s high-output capability, GN is now also targeting leading US lid manufacturers.
The cut-in-place machine has a 762 mm x 533 mm (30 in x 21 in) forming area and incorporates many of the same components found in GN’s traditional machines. The new larger model expands GN's line of plug-assist machines, meeting the demand for medium- to large-volume runs.
The GN760 uses servo drives for plugging, material transport, stripping, and stacking. It also boasts a radiant infrared heating system with 60 zones and an electronic regeneration system, which reduces energy use, resulting in a savings of approximately $9000 per yr.
