Agr International, Butler, Pa., introduced a new capability in its Pilot Profiler system to manage CO2 and water loss in PET bottles. 
The Pilot Profiler in-the-blowmolder thickness management system monitors shelf life for CO2 or water loss at the point of production by incorporating a version of the M-RULE container performance model. This provides plant managers with a continuous status of the predicted shelf-life performance as well as the capability to proactively manage critical bottle parameters to maximize the shelf life of containers in production.
The Pilot Profiler system, installed within the blowmolder, precisely measures material distribution, and any changes thereof, on every bottle produced. Wall thickness data captured by the system is automatically entered into the M-RULE model. From this data, shelf-life performance is continuously calculated and presented for individual bottles or user-defined subgroups.
The Pilot Profiler and blowmolder adjustments manage and maintain container material distribution at a specified thickness to within ~0.01mm. This is accomplished by continuously monitoring every bottle for material distribution, analyzing minute changes and adjusting the blowmolder controls to maintain pre-defined distribution levels. The Process Pilot system can also adjust one or all of the blowmolder controls simultaneously to achieve the best possible material distribution.
The Process Pilot system can accommodate many types of environmental changes, including temperature, moisture content and minor intrinsic viscosity changes to maintain a consistent process within the smallest process window.
Agr International Inc.
724-482-2163
www.agrintl.com
