Glass converter manufacturers worldwide constantly aim to increase process efficiency and productivity of container production while increasing the quality of pharma containers. Energy consumption reduction and environmental sustainability, too, have become key factors in the glass industry.
Based on the successful Zeta 16-10 and Zeta 18-10 concept, which has made waves in product quality and innovation, coupled with experience gained over the years, the new Zeta 20-12 is also poised to become an important reference for big diameter vial forming in the industry, both for aluminium seal finish, neck finish with blow back and screw neck.
Key Features
The main characteristic of Zeta 20-12 is its ability to form big tubing diameters, an evolution within the forming machine family that’s suited to smaller glass tube diameters, signalling a major success for Euromatic’s index forming equipment over the last 20 years. Zeta 20-12 considers, as glass tubing diameter, the 30,0 to 50,0 mm range (with other working ranges available on request), while vial overall heights range from 55,0 to 110,0 mm.
This equipment maintains the main characteristics of other Euromatic forming machines like tube economizer and forming stations with servo drive. There is no glass-to-glass contact throughout the cycle. Neither is there pre-conveyor handling when taking the forming out.
Being able to set a 2700-piece hourly production capacity – despite the large diameter of the tube and wall thickness – makes performance truly impressive. Here the fluid refrigerator unit will cool down and maintain internal plug and plug lubricating oil temperature constant. Included too are visual inspection systems (hot-end, geometrical dimensions of the internal diameter, total length and the cosmetic inspection) developed by Euromatic engineers, which offer an interesting total ownership cost resulting in easy-to-use, cost-effective design.
A primary goal of the Zeta 20-12 unit has been that of simplifying fine setting and management for operators, whether for normal operations or job changes. Therefore, every part of the machine has been upgraded with new solutions to dramatically reduce the change over time. The section layout has been studied and adjusted in the design to ensure the best configuration, granting easy access to the operators as well as maintenance, standard for all Euromatic products.
Afterforming Line
Based on the Euromatic conveyors, as well as the company’s annealing oven and packing unit concepts, all proven by over 40 years’ experience, the integration of new devices for vial pick and place ensures significant savings on air consumption. Furthermore, the innovative index concept of a movement requiring no chiller to cool down the index system makes electrical consumption of the entire vial production unit very interesting in comparison with other solutions out there in the market.