Hot and cold at MHT and Krones

Even for Krones veterans, there are still new discoveries to be made on our stand at the K 2019. On the east side of the pavilion, for example, where MHT Mold & Hotrunner Technology AG has erected its exhibit. Our colleagues at MHT have been part of the Krones family since 2018, and have thus closed the last gap in our PET cycle: the step from raw material to preform.

The company from Hochheim near Frankfurt am Main has specialised in tools for producing preforms. So successfully that its sophisticated high-tech injection-moulding tools are used on well-nigh all widely-known machine platforms.

A milestone in hot runner development

The latest success from its own innovation incubator is on show at the K 2019: a new hot runner generation called optiRUN. It was developed in intensive collaboration with Darmstadt University, and demonstrated its performative capabilities during a one-year test phase, which was conducted under real production conditions at prestigious packaging manufacturers. Now it’s ready for the market – and for its unveiling at the K 2019. The exhibit has been split up to symbolise the excellent collaboration between Krones and MHT: what’s called the cold side of optiRUN can be seen in the Krones pavilion; the hot side – and thus the technological heart of the system – awaits curious visitors on the MHT stand in Hall 1.

Forewarned is forearmed

The optiRUN fits seamlessly into the circular economy (the predominant theme of the fair), since it is ideally suited for the injection-moulding of rPET preforms. Its technical advantages, however, pay off just as effectively when processing new material:

Since PET quickly degrades both thermally and mechanically, the hot channel is of major importance in the manufacture of PET preforms. Producers of preforms know about this hazard: if a gaseous substance from PET fission products is deposited on the metallic tool surfaces, PET dust may be created. The optiRUN dramatically reduces this risk – and thus constitutes a new milestone in terms of production dependability. Good to know: manufacturers producing with optiRUN significantly extend the maintenance intervals for the hot runner.

You’d like to know more? As of now, the new hot runner generation is available for tools ranging from 48 to 144 cavities, and for all mould cavity spacings!