Blow molds: product lines reviewed.

BLOW MOLDS

ABRAMO ASSOCIATES

Offers complete in-house product design and tool engineering services for injection blow molding with CAD capability. Services include tool building, repair and reconditioning and complete mold testing capability for unit and production tooling. Company will assist customer in startup and offers training seminars on processing, troubleshooting and tool maintenance. Complete turnkey services are available.

ALLOY TOOL & MOLD MFG. CORP.

Builds blow molds for medical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, personal-care, food, beverage, automotive, household and industrial chemical markets. Company's technical center offers CAD/CAM and CNC design services, as well as a blow molder for HDPE, PP, and PVC processing, plus in-mold labeling, testing, bottle sample production, and reconditioning of worn molds.

B&G MACHINERY AND TOOLING CO.

Offers extrusion blow and injection blow molds, as well as CAD design, machining, modeling, and casting services. Container and PET tooling are specialties. Also manufactures stretch reheat blow molding machinery.

BEKUM PLASTICS MACHINERY, INC.

Blow molds for articles up to 750-gal capacity are available for the extrusion, injection blow and reheat blow molding processes. Complete testing and prototyping facilities are available for all molds and all blow-moldable resins, including coextrusion and industrial applications.

BIG M PLASTIC EQUIPMENT (CANADA) INC.

Machinery manufacturer produces molds for extrusion blow molding of polyethylene, PVC and PET. Injection molds for machines up to 200 tons are also available.

BLOW MOLD TOOLING (1972) LTD.

Designs and manufactures molds for extrusion and injection blow processes. Complete mold engineering and design services are offered, including product design and development, models, and duplicating masters. Molds are made from aircraft aluminum, beryllium copper, or prehardened and stainless steel. Company specializes in molds for bottles, jars, and handleware. Capacity ranges up to 5 gal for cosmetics, household, and food products.

BROADWAY COMPANIES, INC.

Specializes in high-quality blow molds for high-volume production facilities that make carbonated beverage containers. Molds are made from aircraft-grade aluminum or steel, custom-made for customer equipment in sizes ranging from 16 oz to 4 gal. Services include models, duplicating, EDM, CAD, mold design, construction, repair and prototype development.

BRONSON PLASTICS

Produces extrusion blow molds for up to 50-lb parison machines, including industrial parts, automotive (e.g., air-conditioner ducts, gas tanks), and display cabinets.

CAPTIVE PLASTICS, INC.

Specializes in building injection blow molds for containers and specialty parts. Complete design facilities are available. Equipment includes duplicators, tracer lathes, precision-forming grinders, EDM, and a variety of jig-boring machines and pantograph engraving equipment.

CENTURY DIE CO.

Most of the company's molds are for 1-2 oz to 6-qt containers and are manufactured from aluminum or beryllium copper.

D-M-E CO.

Offers two sizes of retainer sets (24 x 15 in. and 15 x 15 in.) as machined and nonmachined assemblies. Company has standard injection blow mold manifold blocks from 9 to 27 in. long. Cartridge heaters and mold clamps are also available.

DAMEN TOOL & ENGINEERING CO.

Specializes in designing and building high-production blow and injection molds. CAD is used to design both products and molds. Shop equipment includes CAD/CAM programming system, 4-axis CNC EDM, 3-axis CNC mills, NC lathe, jig grinding, and a full complement of manual machines.

FGH SYSTEMS, INC.

Provides complete blow molding packages and handles details from initial container design to final bottle. Molds that finish containers without secondary trimming are a specialty. A blow molding machine for prototype work and testing is available.

FORMATIVE PRODUCTS CO.

Makes nickel-shell, aluminum, and epoxy tooling for low-pressure molding systems such as blow molding, FRP spray-up, rotomolding, RTM, RIM, and vacuum forming. Prototyping and preproduction tooling are available, as are die models, fixtures, gauges, tooling aids, CMM check, and special machines.

FREMONT PLASTIC MOLDS LTD.

Offers complete services at one location, including design, casting, machining, and model making.

HEISE INDUSTRIES

Designs and builds extrusion and injection blow molds from aircraft-grade aluminum, beryllium copper, and a full range of steels. Company's services include initial part development, mold design and construction, all related tooling for the molding machine, and supplying molded parts for evaluation. Mold models are generated on a CAD/CAM system, which is integrated with CNC machines. Company recently opened a new manufacturing facility in Kansas City, Mo.

HOBSON BROTHERS, ALUMINUM FOUNDRY & MOULD WORKS

Although the company designs and builds a full line of blow molding tooling for all types of resins and part configurations, it specializes in industrial molds for engineering resins. Design and manufacture is achieved with use of CAD and CNC machining, EDM, gun drill, fitting press and engraving machinery. Materials used include P-20 tool steel; cast aluminum; 6061, 7075 and QC-7 aluminum plate; beryllium copper; and lamina bronze.

INTERNATIONAL PATTERN & MOLD INC.

Manufactures wood patterns and models for cast aluminum blow molds, thermoforming molds, rotomolds, and fabricated and machined molds for pressure forming. Any size can be accommodated, including molds with complex contours. Automotive, aircraft, recreational vehicle, luggage, and custom forming markets are among those served. Specializes in pressure thermoforming molds.

ITALIAN TRADE COMMISSION

More than 150 Italian companies manufacture extrusion and injection blow molds for packaging, industrial applications (automotive parts), and toy making. Information is available from this central source.

JOHNSON CONTROLS INC. PLASTICS MACHINERY DIV.

Reportedly offers the largest line of extrusion and injection blow molding machinery available for containers ranging in size from a few cubic centimeters to over 100 gal. Complete container design, mold manufacturing and tooling services are offered, as well as training and machine repair and reconditioning services. Uniloy standard replacement parts are kept stocked and can usually be shipped within 24 to 48 hours. Technical service centers are located in California, Michigan, and New Jersey.

JOMAR CORP.

Injection blow mold tooling services include product design, tool design, sample tooling, production tooling and automatic take-away equipment. Complete manufacturing facilities are available for both machines and tooling, as is layout and installation assistance. Complete in-house mold testing is also offered through company's research and development center.

KENNEDY TOOL-DIE, INC.

Extrusion blow molds for containers from 1 oz to 82 gal are produced. Company makes molds for handled bottles, dairy gallons, toys, and automotive parts, and specializes in complex configurations. Also manufactures plastic oil can molds. Every operation from cutting raw plates to the final handwork is now computerized.

R.C. KING MOLD & MACHINE

Designs and repairs injection and blow molds. Mold repair and duplicating services are also provided.

LIBERTY MOLD & DUPLICATING CO.

A specialized maker of small injection blow molds.

LOWRY MANUFACTURING, INC.

Manufactures blow molds with cut duplicated cavities, EDM, and cast cavities.

MERRIMACK TOOL & DIE

Blow molds are built for round containers, especially PET beverage bottles. Company uses CNC and high precision machining and grinding equipment to produce molds to exact specifications.

MODERN TOOLS DIV. LIBBEY-OWENS-FORD CO.

Complete blow mold capabilities are offered for medium- to large-size blow molds made from aluminum, Kirksite, and beryllium copper.

P.S.H. INDUSTRIES, INC.

Makes prototype injection and blow molds using a spray metal process that reportedly reduces costs and manufacturing time.

PLASTI-CAST MOLD & PRODUCTS CO.

Supplies aluminum castings and finished molds for blow molding, rotational molding, and low-pressure injection molding. Leather, wood-grain, and textured surfaces are a specialty.

PORTAGE CASTING & MOLD INC.

Designs and manufactures cast or machined aluminum blow molds. Large molds, up to 15 tons, are a specialty. Pattern and model-making services are also available. Company offers in-house mold-design staff, on-site aluminum foundry, and complete moldmaking shop.

RAO DESIGN ENGINEERING & MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.

Specializes in designing and building container blow molds, both extrusion and injection, and offers all related tooling. Molds for a number of standard shapes from 16 oz to 1 gal are available from stock. Prototypes are also offered; the company has several extrusion blow machines.

RYKA BLOW MOLDS LTD.

Offers a comprehensive group of services. Product design, mold engineering and mold manufacture are accomplished utilizing fully integrated CAD/CAM technology. Product specialties include the packaging, automotive and industrial segments of the blow molding industry. Consultation on processing where required is available.

SARCOL INC.

A complete pattern, foundry and finishing operation is offered for ceramic, steel, beryllium copper or beryllium nickel blow molds. Also offers cast full-flow, fast-cycle channel cooling, which is said to result in long-life, high-production molds that cycle as fast as aluminum tooling.

SCHULZE TOOL CO., INC.

Designs and builds blow molds and offers product design and complete engineering services. Product and mold drawings are produced on state-of-the-art 3D CAD/CAM systems. Molds are built with the aid of multispindle duplicators, digitizers, and CNC machining centers. Accessories such as dies, mandrels, blowpins, cutters and trim tooling, as well as trimming and deflashing machines, are available.

SEAJAY MFG. CORP.

Extrusion blow molds for producing containers and industrial parts are offered in capacities to 25 gal. Materials used are aircraft aluminum, beryllium copper, and steel. Kinds of markets served encompass everything from cosmetics to industrial parts. Company also offers a complete line of semi-automatic deflashing and reaming machines.

SNIDER MOLD CO., INC.

Designs and builds large blow molds in machined aluminum and steel.

STAN-CAST, INC.

Makes blow molds and injection molds and offers a complete moldmaking facility with CNC EDM duplicating and a foundry able to cast tool steel, aluminum, and beryllium copper. Ceramic and pressure castings are also available.

SUPREME CASTING AND TOOLING

Builds cast aluminum and beryllium copper blow molds, particularly for automotive applications. A total engineering package is reportedly offered from development to operation.

TECHNOMOULD INC.

Offers blow molds, rotational molds, stencils, wax models and all Elecko family processes.

TREDEGAR TOOLING PITTSFIELD

Makes injection blow molds and specializes in 2- to 32-oz containers.

UNICAST DEVELOPMENT CORP.

Company's casting process involves making a ceramic mold from an original model. The metal mold is then cast in the ceramic mold. Most alloys reportedly can be used, including steel, beryllium copper, and aluminum.

WALKER PATTERN & MOLD INC.

Offers extrusion blow molds for 5-gal drums to 5-oz containers. Trash barrels, toys, and other applications are possible.

WENTWORTH MOLD AND DIE CO.

Canadian firm offers design and engineering facilities for extrusion and injection blow molds. Molds are made from hand-forged, specially heat-treated aluminum that reportedly offers long life, high thermal conductivity, and high compressive strength. Molds can be custom built for special pieces of equipment. In addition to blow molds, company also produces injection molds, trimming and blanking dies, and custom machinery.