Smart Molding International 3-2022

36 molding technologies smart_molding international 3/2022 A leader in providing light-weighting so- lutions to plastic injection molders and au- tomotive blow molders, has recently extended its license and royalty free Trexel MuCell® foaming solution to blow molded components across other industries. Trexel has long been active in automotive blow molding applications currently targeting HVAC ducts in electric vehicles to reduce weight, improve in- sulation, and extend battery life. Now, as a result of break- through innovations, Trexel has added a range of packag- ing solutions in cosmetics, de- tergent, and other household products. Trexel is well placed to service these markets due to its current worldwide support and infrastructure. What makes this expansion pos- sible is a recent Trexel innovation which permits significant light-weight- ing of packages while meeting impact strength requirements of the packages. This Trexel innovation means that the technology can be applied to larger bottles and those with more complex geometry including handles. Until the discovery of this invention, any pack- age which was sensitive to significant impact loss could not pass the neces- sary tests for commercialization. This is no longer the case. The process and equipment are sim- ple and inexpensive to implement. It requires the royalty/license free pur- chase of a CE rated specially designed SCF system from Trexel which can be added to an existing blow molding machine without changing the screw and barrel. It is also utilizing the same style of die tool as used in solid production. This results in a system that can be used for foaming or solid as needed with a fast imple- mentation time. Besides significant weight savings (up to 20% in most cases), there are several highly desirable attributes of foamed versus solid blow molded parts. Critically, physically foaming with Trexel’s MuCell process addresses today’s needs for new processes to enhance recyclability, reduce resin consumption and offset the added cost of materials such as PCR/PIR which molders must begin to adopt to meet emerging regional and na- tional regulations that are likely to be in effect by 2025. This alone is driving interest in light weighting, provided that mechanical properties can be met. Trexel is currently working with several major brand owners to incorporate physical foaming technol- ogy to reduce product weight, energy costs and lower resin consumption while maintaining required product function requirements. Compared to products made with chemical foaming agents (CFA), the Trexel brings its MuCell® technology tomarkets beyond traditional automotive applications Trexel engineering and innovation changes the game in blow molding. Offers 20% weight reductions without compromising impact strength and product performance. No significant investment in machine or die head modifications. Rapid implementation. No royalties or license fees. B-Series SCF Delivery System for Blow Molding Applications reduces production cost while increasing environmental sustainability (all pictures: Trexel)