Achieving Energy Efficiency in Extrusion Blow Molding Machines

Among the various modules in blow molding machines, the ones consuming the most electricity are: 1. the clamping module, 2. the carriage moving module, and 3. the blowing module. By transforming the driving systems of these modules from traditional hydraulic systems to energy-efficient hydraulic systems, semi-electric systems, or fully electric systems, significant power savings can be achieved, along with reduced maintenance costs. These practices have been widely implemented in countries such as Europe and North America, particularly among customers with extensive production needs and a strong emphasis on automation.

The energy-saving hydraulic system in a blow molding machine refers to the use of a servo motor instead of a traditional hydraulic motor for power transmission. In a traditional hydraulic system, even when no power is required (such as during mold cooling), the hydraulic motor operates at full power, resulting in both power consumption and significant heat generation. In contrast, the energy-saving hydraulic system utilizes a servo motor to drive the hydraulic system. This means that the hydraulic system can be unloaded or completely stopped as needed during machine operation, thereby reducing energy consumption. The benefits of this system include energy efficiency, reduced hydraulic oil usage, lowered oil temperature, and an extended lifespan of the hydraulic system.

The carriage movement and blowing modules (optional) of the blow molding machine will be replaced with a servo system, while the clamping module will utilize a hydraulic energy-saving system.

By implementing a servo system in the carriage movement module, precise actions can be achieved with simplified configuration, eliminating errors caused by temperature differences in hydraulic movements and increasing yield.

Adopting a servo system in the blowing module will result in quieter and faster blowing actions, with easy setup and the added benefit of keeping the products free from hydraulic oil contamination.

Furthermore, this approach can lead to further power and carbon emissions savings compared to the hydraulic energy-saving system, while also reducing overall costs compared to a fully electric system.

A fully electric system in a blow molding machine refers to the complete removal of the hydraulic system, where the clamping, carriage movement, and blowing modules are all operated using servo systems. This approach offers significant benefits, including substantial power savings, precise operations, reduced noise, minimized oil contamination, decreased electricity costs, lower maintenance expenses, reduced human errors, simplified operation, improved yield, and increased production output.

However, it's worth noting that the switch module system, which requires high clamping force, can be quite expensive in a fully electric setup. Additionally, the distance of the switch module cannot be easily adjusted, demanding higher precision requirements for the molds. Therefore, for large-scale machines, we do not recommend utilizing a fully electric system; instead, a hybrid oil-electric system is recommended.