Smart Molding International 1-2026

38 smart_molding interna onal 1/2026 blow molding SmartLine: The New Fully Electric Extrusion Blow Moulding Machine Series With the new fully electric SmartLine, Bekum expands its machine por olio with a series consistently engineered for e ciency and cost-e ec veness. Developed en rely from scratch, the new machine range enables a cost-e cient entry into extrusion blow moulding technology — while delivering convincing performance in energy consump on and life-cycle costs. T he SmartLine combines a 30% reduc on in machine investment with Bekum’s proven process and quality expertise. New sourcing and manufacturing concepts form the founda on for these investment ad - vantages. At the same me, op mized drive technology in combina on with energy-e cient HiPEx extruders reduc - es energy costs by up to 20%. Precise process control and e cient material u liza on addi onally enable material savings of up to 10%. “A strategic milestone is the world premiere of our fully electric SmartLine series, which we presented for the first time at K 2025. We clearly understand that our customers, particularly in consumer packaging, must calculate sharply. With the new SmartLine, we were able to reduce machine investment costs by 30%,” emphasizes Managing Partner Michael Mehnert. Compact Solu on for Consumer Packaging The SmartLine is specifically designed for small and medium-sized producers in the consumer packaging segment as well as for newcomers to extrusion blow moulding technology. With the first two models — SBLOW 5S/D and SBLOW 15S/D — Bekum introduces a compact single-station (S) and double-station (D) blow moulding machine featuring 50 kN and 150 kN clamping force respectively, and opening strokes of 380 mm and 560 mm. Maximum mould width is 370 mm and 560 mm respectively, with mould heights of 350 mm and 500 mm. This makes the machine ideally suited for demanding packaging applications while maintaining a small footprint. Energy-Saving High-Performance Extrusion The SmartLine also relies on proven high-performance HiPEx extruders and Bekum’s proprietary extrusion heads. The system ensures high process stability, maximum output rates, and excellent melt homogeneity. Uniform wall thickness distribution across the entire circumference of the hollow body guarantees reproducible production results and consistent part quality. Short flow paths and homogeneous temperature control support stable and economical production. Precise Clamping Unit with Rotary Servo Motor The SmartLine clamping unit is driven by an electromechanical rotary servo motor. Unlike continuously rotating electric motors, the rotary motor moves precisely to a defined angle and stops exactly at the required position. This enables a compact machine design, simplified control architecture, and high positioning accuracy — combined with reduced energy consumption. Bekum Control 8.0 – Intui ve and Industry 4.0 Ready Equipped with the proven Bekum Control 8.0, the SmartLine features a Model SBLOW 5S single-station blow moulding machine with 50 kN clamping force, also available as a double-station machine (all images Bekum)