Jomar Corp., a leading global manufacturer of injection blow molding (IBM) machinery for the pharmaceutical, healthcare, personal care, beauty, food and beverage, and household products industries, has announced the expansion of its IntelliDriveTM Series of next-generation IBM machines which incorporate a unique custom-designed servo-driven hydraulic system. Jomar now offers the IntelliDrive 135 (135-ton clamp) and the IntelliDrive 175 (175-ton clamp) with each delivering major improvements in energy consumption, output, and performance while also maintaining the machine’s footprint. The company will announce the launch at the NPE2018 May 7-11 at the Orlando County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.
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The launch has resulted in the conversion of Jomar’s large machine line to IntelliDrive technology and a discontinuance of the company’s standard hydraulic Model 175. “These changes reflect the confidence we have in the capabilities of our innovative IntelliDrive technology and the level of energy savings that our customers are realizing,” said Ron Gabriele, Sales Manager for Jomar.
The Jomar IntelliDrive series, which also includes the IntelliDrive 85S which debuted at K 2016, features precise servo-driven hydraulics that reduces energy consumption by up to 50% compared to standard hydraulic machines, depending on container specification and material process. Jomar engineers worked in partnership with Bosch Rexroth, Charlotte, N.C., to develop a proprietary use of servo-driven hydraulic technology to power the plastifier.
The Model 135, Jomar’s workhorse machine size in the U.S., and the Model 175 boast a dry cycle time of 2.5 sec, compared to 3 sec for competitive IBM machines. Both models require 40% less hydraulic oil and tower water than the standard Model 135 and 175 machines and emit substantially less ambient heat compared to standard hydraulic machines. These factors all dramatically reduce overall operating cost.
The servo-driven hydraulics of the IntelliDrive allows the machine to consume only the amount of energy that is required for the process. The energy use rate may be higher or lower depending on factors such as the resin, bottle size and cycle time, but the average running power consumption of the IntelliDrive 135 is only 35.7 kW per hour while the 175 is 48.1 kW.
Along with the lower energy and utility costs, the IntelliDrive Series offers a reinforced main platen which reduces the possibility of deflection. The machine also features a closed-loop system for the machine’s clamping system, which delivers exact control over the clamp’s speed and position. This creates faster speeds for opening and closing while simultaneously reducing impact upon tooling, thus prolonging the lifespan of the molds.
Jomar believes that the IntelliDrive Series is a preferable alternative to all-electrics because of the comparable energy savings that can be achieved along with the ability to maintain Jomar’s robust and versatile hydraulic system.
The hydraulic system of the IntelliDrive Series vastly improves the machine’s energy efficiency and control, but doesn’t require costly components that could amount to as much as 15% of the entire machine. In fact, the IntelliDrive line of machines cost only 10%-15% more than the standard hydraulic machine and replacement parts will be available at costs comparable to their entirely-hydraulic counterpart.
Jomar’s confidence in the hydraulic system of the IntelliDrive Series has enabled the company to extend the warranty by two and a half times the duration of a standard warranty. Other key features include a quick-change mounting system for the preform cylinder which drastically reduces the time required for cylinder maintenance, a digital displacement transducer for better clamp control and speed, and a variable-frequency drive for a secondary motor. The new feature-enhanced IntelliDrive IBM machines have the same footprint as their standard hydraulic counterparts.
Lower utility costs and increased production rates, combined with the sweeping new changes in the U.S. tax code provide compelling reasons to pursue machine replacement strategies, according to Jomar.
About Jomar Corp.
Jomar Corp. is a leading global manufacturer of injection blow molding (IBM) machinery for the pharmaceutical, health care, personal care, beauty, food, beverage, and household products industries. The company was incorporated in 1968 by Joseph Johnson and his wife Mary, thus the name Jomar. Joe was a design engineer for Wheaton Industries and was responsible for their injection blow molding department. Joe eventually left Wheaton, improved the machine and started Jomar. The company he founded built the first commercially-viable, completely integrated injection blow molding machines available to the plastic industry.
In 1978, Jomar was purchased by Inductotherm Industries of Rancocas, N.J., a privately-held company now known as Indel Inc. which has built more than half of the induction furnaces in the world. Today, Jomar is headquartered in a 42,000-sq-ft facility in southern New Jersey and has sold over 2000 machines worldwide, more than half of the IBM machines in use throughout the world. Some of the world’s most recognized brands such as Gerber’s, Crayola, Merck, P&G, Unilever, Avon, and Goya have chosen Jomar for their packaging needs.
