FGH Systems Books 3-Machine Order At NPE

Denville, NJ — FGH Systems, Inc. booked its biggest sale ever at an NPE, taking an order from Berry Setco Plastics, Cranberry, NJ, for three Uniloy Milacron UMS 16.D shuttle blow-molding machines. Frank Hohmann, president of FGH Systems, said the machines will be used for a specialized, proprietary packaging application. Engineered by B&W, Uniloy Milacron's German operation, the UMS 16D offers state-of-the-art processing efficiencies and ergonomics, according to Hohmann. User advantages include tiebar-less accessibility, in-machine trimming, superior finish and neck precision, and closed-loop positioning and speed control. For more than a decade, FGH Systems has been Uniloy's technical sales and service center for German-made extrusion shuttle blow-molding technology.

Hohmann stressed that the order is a conquest sale for FGH and Uniloy Milacron. Berry Setco has been a longtime user of Uniloy injection blow-molding machines, but had previously purchased a German competitor's shuttle machines. UMS shuttle machines are specifically designed for mold interchangeability, he said, enabling blow-molders to achieve full utilization of existing molds in maximizing machine flexibility and return on investment. Innovative engineering, such as in-machine trimming and oriented container transfer from both machine sides to one straight single-exit conveyor, allow a space-saving machine footprint for easy integration into plant layouts.

The versatile UMS 16D can be fitted for 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6-parison production in single- or double-station configuration, said Hohmann. State-of-the-art, center-fed extrusion heads from industry-leader Willi Müller GmbH deliver superior, highly repeatable wall thickness distribution of the parison, enabling highest finish quality on complex parts while minimizing bottle weights and material usage. The die head design provides quick color change with reduced downtime and resin loss.

Changeover ease and speed supports trends to flexible, shorter-run blow-molding operations, pointed out Hohmann. Uniloy horizontal shuttle machines can shorten changeovers by up to 50% over legacy systems, he stated. Tie-barless design simplifies mold changeover by allowing molds to be directly loaded into the machine through doors on three sides of the machine. Door cutouts enable die centering and blowpin adjustment while the machine is running for fast set-up and adjustment without interrupting production.

In place of tie-bars, Uniloy engineered the UMS machine family with horizontal shuttle systems running on precision guide rails, eliminating tie bars to increase mold access, said Hohmann. Offering superior precision over inclined systems, the rail system utilizes a rack-and-pinion synchronizer to ensure consistent platen parallelism under all load conditions. The horizontal shuttle and bobbing extruder allow low overall machine profile and short blowpins.

Brushless DC extruder drives save 10% on energy consumption, a vital issue in New Jersey, while reducing wear and maintenance. FGH Systems is also located in New Jersey, in Denville.

Hohmann said the order for the German-engineered machines is the largest received by his firm in over 30 years exhibiting at NPE shows.

Full application support is available through FGH Systems on Uniloy Milacron shuttle machine sales. FGH provides a comprehensive range of technical support services — bottle design, prototype molds, pilot production, blow mold tool engineering, manufacturing and qualification, process and systems engineering, equipment integration, machine installation and start-up, even production rate guarantees. FGH Systems is especially experienced at full turnkey project responsibility.

Uniloy and B&W were brought together in 1995 when Johnson Controls (then owner of Uniloy) purchased B&W from founders Dieter Braune and Horst Wolsch. Prior to the acquisition, FGH acted as B&W's exclusive sales agency in the United States. Given FGH's success in that role, Uniloy decided to maintain the relationship, said Dave Skala, Uniloy vice president and general manager. "Frank and I met early on and agreed that there was significant mutual value in continuing together. Now, more than 10 years later, we are extremely glad that we did."

SOURCE: FGH Systems, Inc.