Sipa

Independent PET preform maker Plasco has in just a few years made an important name for itself, not only in its local Italian market but also across Europe. Sipa, which has supplied seven of its PPS preform injection moulding systems to Plasco’s main operation in Anagni, not far from Rome, is proud to be associated with the company.
Plasco started up in 1995. It is now the reference point for production of preforms with standard and special necks in Italy and one of the top preform makers in Europe. With a production area covering 6000 m2, it now produces more than 3500 million preforms per year. During 2009 and 2010 – among the more difficult months for business in recent history – it actually increased its sales by around 20 percent. It is also active in production in Serbia and Greece, in collaboration with local preform producers.
The company has risen to its preeminent position thanks in no small part to its consistent use of top technology. This gives it the ability to make more than 80 different types of preform, with 12 different types of necks – standard and hot-fill - with highly competitive costs. It is European leader in the production of preforms with 38-mm necks, used for the production of bottles for milk and juices. For this type of preform alone, it has a production capacity of over 1.8 billion preforms a year. Plasco supplies many of Italy’s leading producers of mineral water, carbonated soft drinks and vegetable oils, as well as milk and juices.
The Anagni plant has four preform injection presses from SIPA. The Anagni plant has four different models from the Sipa PPS series. There are three PPS 48 units (which have 48-cavity moulds), one PPS 56, two PPS 72s and one of Sipa’s largest preform machines, the PPS 96. All these machines were delivered with vertical clamping units, which produce high quality preforms at the highest operating rates.
Very short cycle times are possible thanks to the reduction of the dry cycle, which is lower than many other preform machines currently on the market. A special mechanism for the press opening and closing further quickens the process, contributing to the overall reduction of cycle time. Special software synchronizes the movement of the press with that of the handling/cooling robot, making it possible to further reduce the time of the robot in extracting the preforms. In this way the mould cycle is reduced while maintaining low stress in the mechanical parts of the machine.
The PPS press, thanks to newly developed technological solutions, has considerably reduced energy consumption. However, since consumption of the machine itself contributes only to 50% of the total energy consumption for the system, Sipa has developed personalized solutions for customers in order to further optimize consumption of auxiliaries, thus reaching an overall energy savings of 14% compared to other systems.