Davis-Standard ships first large-scale accumulator head

US extrusion machinery firm Davis-Standard has shipped what it says is its largest accumulator head machine, weighing 34 kg, from its new blow moulding facility in Fulton, N.Y. This is the largest blow moulding machine Davis-Standard has built at this facility, which opened in October last year. Overall dimensions of the machine are 8 by 13 by 8.5 m to accommodate production of large flat panels, drums and outdoor recreational equipment. Due to the size of the applications, the machine is equipped with a press that has a clear paten area of 1,500 x 2,400 mm and 250 tonnes of clamping force.

“We have built machines larger than this one before, but this is the first of its size to come out of Fulton,” explained Mark Panaro, Davis-Standard Product Manager, Blow Moulding. “The transition to Fulton has been seamless as we continue to offer customers the full range of blow molding machine sizes and head requirements. It was exciting to get this big one out the door.”

As with all Davis-Standard accumulator head machines, this machine was wet tested prior to shipment to simplify installation. The head is equipped with a spiral diverter for efficient wall distribution and color changeovers, and features a clamp with a rollout function to facilitate mold installation and changes. A convenient remote access feature on the machine controller enables viewing of operations via an Internet connection. The total project took nine months from order placement to completion, an excellent timeframe for a machine of this size.

Davis-Standard’s versatile accumulator head systems are available for multiple applications including automotive parts, packaging and consumer products. Machinery advantages include shot-to-shot consistency, cycle-to-cycle precision, and highly accurate parison control for both polyolefins and engineered thermoplastics. Davis-Standard’s Extrusion Technical Service Group can upgrade and refurbish all makes and models of single screw continuous blow molding extruders. This includes replacement screws, process improvements, mechanical and electrical upgrades.