Galt

Husky is demonstrating high-speed closure molding on a new HyCAP machine this week at NPE2009. Husky also is expanding its offerings in hot runners, production monitoring and preventative maintenance.

Earlier this year, Husky formally got out of making big-tonnage presses for automotive and other large-part molding, to concentrate only on smaller presses for packaging, historically its strongest area.

Galt said Husky has maintained its investment spending during the economic downturn, refocusing it into technology for packaging and medical products.

Galt, president and CEO, said Husky had fiscal 2008 sales of $1.2 billion, which marked the company’s third consecutive year of profitable growth.

At a Monday news conference, Galt said Husky is facing the new reality for plastics machinery: Fewer companies are buying new capital equipment.

Husky has been the leader on high-speed presses to mold PET preforms, so it’s only natural that the company expand into a closure press, said Jeff MacDonald, vice president of marketing.

The HyCap press at Husky’s booth, which has a clamping force of 300 tons, is running a 72-cavity mold making closures for water bottles at a cycle time of less than 2.5 seconds. The shorter, lighter-weight caps weigh 0.98 gram.

Husky said that cycle time is a significant improvement over the industry standard of 3.4-4 seconds on a 1.6-gram closure.

Husky designed the HyCap as an integrated system for tight-tolerance molding — with faster clamp cycles, features to cut cooling time and tighter integration of hot-runner control.

On the HyCap, the company also will demonstrate a beta version of a new semi-automated approach to color change.

Husky is offering the HyCap in clamping forces of 248-550 tons.

In another packaging application, Husky is molding PET preforms on a HyPET. Like the HyCap press, the HyPET is a 300-ton press equipped with a 72-cavity mold. Cycle time is 5.5 seconds.

In an exhibit right next to Husky’s, high-speed robot maker CBW Automation (Booth S32031) is doing in-mold labeling of a polypropylene salsa container on a Husky HyPAC press.

MacDonald said IML can enhance the barrier properties of food packaging.

Galt said Husky is designing technology based around specific customer parts. “It All Starts With the Part” is Husky’s theme for NPE2009. Future machine designs will not fit any “industry norm,” he said.

“We really believe the next generation of improvements in technology will come from looking at the part first and the application first and simply adapting the technology — even if it doesn’t fit the guise of the traditional injection molding process — around the goal of maximizing total return on investment,” Galt said.

At its NPE2009 booth, Husky is:

MacDonald said Husky also is promoting its expertise in factory planning.

“We talk to customers about the parts and challenges of getting it to the market, at the best cost. We’re not only talking about tie-bar spacing and tonnage range,” he said.