GF Machining Solutions’ complete machine tool solutions for mastering polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle manufacturing. (Source: GF Machining Solutions)

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Sabic also produces Ultem resin in injection molding grades. Injection molded components can then be thermoformed with UD composite tape and over-molded with functional elements — all with the same polymer. The advantages of this approach include the potential for recyclability and a high level of design flexibility.

By 2024 drink bottles made of plastic must be produced in such a way that the cap is firmly attached to the container. This requires new design concepts that are also reflected by the machines used to manufacture the moulds.

Development of these new tethered-cap bottles for packaging requires two critical updates to the current process: First, new design features must ensure tether functionality. Secondly, mould manufacturing, injection moulding and plastic processing have to be optimised. To achieve the tether functionality, producers focus on three-design features:

3. Blow moulds: GF Machining Solutions offers a 5-axis blow-mould manufacturing solution combining the Mikron Mill S 600 U for high-speed milling and the Agie-Charmilles Laser S 1000 U for Laser texturing. The solution offers mould makers the complete flexibility to innovate and produce while controlling their mould manufacturing processes to meet the PET bottle manufacturing industry’s current and future needs, including thin walls, functional designs, productivity and new materials.

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To design and manufacture innovative moulds, manufacturers around the world rely on highly precise machine tools such as those offered by GF Machining Solutions. The portfolio of the Swiss company includes milling, EDM, laser texturing, laser micromachining and Additive Manufacturing machines. Additionally, the division of the Georg Fischer Group offers spindles, automation, tooling and digitalised solutions backed by customer services and support. These solutions enable them to achieve the desired results with precision, accuracy and flexibility.

Plastic is an integral part of modern day-to-day life. At the same time, there is an increased focus on responsible consumption of plastic and combating pollution, especially due to single-use plastic products. Over the last few years, multiple studies have highlighted long-term pollution due to single-use plastic products. That is why in May 2018, the European Union announced a new directive, EU 2019/904, on how to deal with single-use plastic products and fight pollution related to littering. One of the main clauses in this extensive directive targets pollution due to loose caps and mandates, beginning in 2024 that drinks can only be sold in plastic containers if the cap remains attached to the container. According to the directive, every single-use plastic bottles holding less than three liters must be filled in a packaging container equipped with a tethered cap.

2. Caps and closure moulds: The company’s EDM technology offers a solution for producing moulds for caps and closures. With the Agie-Charmilles Form P 350, manufacturers can structure cap mould cavities, achieve ideal replication in injection moulding, easily machining grooves, teeth and branding features. Additionally, the Agie-Charmilles Laser S offers unique opportunities to digitalise mould manufacturing for high-quality caps with innovative designs and features. The Agie-Charmilles Cut X 550 delivers the high accuracy, parallelism, and aligned taper on tall components, perfectly producing precision mechanisms such as collapsible cores required for seamless ejection of threaded elements.

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Sabic’s Ultem powder offers inherent flame retardance, long-term heat stability, strength and stiffness, and dimensional stability. “Our collaboration with Sabic has enabled us to expand our portfolio from materials for computer electronics into the higher-performance composites space where we are able to meet the most stringent demands of aerospace applications,” said Xu Shenggang, Chief Technology Officer, Jiangsu Hansu. “Selecting Ultem 1000F3SP powder allows us to offer an alternative to traditional epoxies widely used in the industry. It provides an exceptional balance of properties, while providing more-efficient processing than thermosets, since curing is not needed.”

These solutions, combined with GF Machining Solutions’ automated workflow, represent a unique PET bottle mould manufacturing process to provide a distinctive competitive advantage with significant productivity, quality and cost gains for manufacturers. Manufacturers profit from the improved process reliability they need to produce new PET bottles with tethered caps. The shape complexity of such tethered cap bottles warrants an integrated manufacturing chain and closer mould manufacturing supply chains to achieve best-in-class packaging. Mould manufacturers need to master multiple machining technologies. Automation and reliability also play an important role in ensuring their future profitability. GF Machining Solutions provides mould makers with the innovative machining solutions they need to increase the sustainability of the plastics processing industry.

The mandated tethered caps must remain attached to bottle throughout the whole consumer journey. The market has seen an influx of such solutions with diverse design concepts. Tethered caps are the subject of much discussion in the beverage industry. Since the announcement of the EU directive, specialists have been working hard to find beverage cap solutions to meet its requirements.

Polyetherimide is one of the highest-performing thermoplastics in commercial production. It is an amorphous polymer with a very high Tg — around 70°C higher than polyetheretherketone (PEEK) — and provides excellent impact resistance. It also provides outstanding flame, smoke, and toxicity (FST) performance, as confirmed in standard Ohio State University (OSU) tests.

“Our Ultem 1000F3SP powder was a game-changer for Jiangsu Hansu, enabling them to create their high-performance UD composite tapes to address the needs of their customers in the aerospace industry,” said Lili Xu, Senior Business Manager, Sabic. “This advanced material helps position Jiangsu Hansu to penetrate an entirely new market sector that offers tremendous growth opportunities. It also underscores how Sabic collaborates with customers to help them succeed.”

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This EU directive states that “beverage containers that are single-use plastic products should only be allowed to be placed on the market if they fulfil specific product design requirements that significantly reduce the dispersal into the environment of beverage container caps and lids made of plastic.”

Jiangsu Hansu New Material Co. has debuted a family of unidirectional (UD) composite tapes — H-poly-Stallone-CF7000_PEI — made with continuous carbon fiber and Sabic’s Ultem 1000F3SP polyetherimide (PEI) powder. Jiangsu Hansu, a leading thermoplastic composites manufacturer based in Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province, worked with Sabic to develop the new UD tapes for potential use in high-performance aerospace applications such as seat frames and luggage compartments. As a possible replacement for metal, these UD tapes provide opportunities to reduce weight, improve fuel efficiency, and support sustainability — key goals for the aircraft industry.

Furthermore, the mould makers recognize the need to adapt their processes to meet the market’s future needs for productivity and quality. Mould manufacturing for the tethered caps requires:

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Stephen has been with PlasticsToday and its preceding publications Modern Plastics and Injection Molding since 1992, throughout this time based in the Asia Pacific region, including stints in Japan, Australia, and his current location Singapore. His current beat focuses on automotive. Stephen is an avid folding bicycle rider, often taking his bike on overseas business trips, and is a proud dachshund owner.

According to Article 6 of the directive, “Member States shall ensure that single-use plastic products listed in Part C of the Annex that have caps and lids made of plastic may be placed on the market only if the caps and lids remain attached to the containers during the products’ intended use stage.” This refers to beverage containers with a capacity of up to three litres, i.e. receptacles used to contain liquid, such as beverage bottles including their caps and lids and composite beverage packaging including their caps and lids.

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During the manufacturing process, Jiangsu Hansu combines continuous carbon fibers with Ultem 1000F3SP powder, a product offering Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) compliance and a glass transition temperature (Tg) of 217°C. The easy dispersion of Ultem 1000F3SP powder in water makes it possible to create a homogeneous slurry that is uniformly distributed among the carbon fibers. The resulting composite tape has highly consistent properties, which are critical for demanding aerospace applications.

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What is Directive (EU) 2019/904?This EU directive states that “beverage containers that are single-use plastic products should only be allowed to be placed on the market if they fulfil specific product design requirements that significantly reduce the dispersal into the environment of beverage container caps and lids made of plastic.” According to Article 6 of the directive, “Member States shall ensure that single-use plastic products listed in Part C of the Annex that have caps and lids made of plastic may be placed on the market only if the caps and lids remain attached to the containers during the products’ intended use stage.” This refers to beverage containers with a capacity of up to three litres, i.e. receptacles used to contain liquid, such as beverage bottles including their caps and lids and composite beverage packaging including their caps and lids.

1. Preform moulds: A typical preform mould consists of a deep cavity, a preform cylindrical core and a neck ring. GF Machining Solutions offers the comprehensive technology to manufacture preform moulds. The Mikron Mill S 400 U high-speed Milling machine with built-in jig grinding capability allows manufacturers to achieve uniform circularity and surface polish on the preform core and cavity. The DMP Flex 350 solution makes it possible for manufacturers to capitalise on Additive Manufacturing (AM) technology’s ability to machine internal cooling channels in tougher materials in order to produce heat-critical neck rings, thereby significantly enhancing mould productivity.