Blow Molding: Heavy-Duty Bottle Deflashers

A pair of high-impact bottle deflashers are new from Proco Machinery Inc., Mississauga, Ont. They are designed for heavy-wall containers made of tough resins like PC and E-PET. First, the PADM3-1S is a heavy-duty unit designed to trim containers of a few ounces up to 5 gal. Guide rods ensure accurate alignment of the punch tool. The punch mechanism is mounted on vertical guides to permit vertical adjustment, and an embedded scale provides reference points for accurate placement. The punch is driven by a 3-in.-diam. air cylinder, which can produce up to 700 lb of force.

Second, the Pneutrim Plus deflasher is a bigger and beefier unit for containers of up to 10 gal and can be configured to trim multiple containers simultaneously. Its other features are similar. Both units have touchscreen controllers connected to the machine by an umbilical cord, so that the operator can change its position. The deflashers can operate at line speeds up to 3.5 sec per cycle, the fastest Proco has ever offered.