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Most common PET bottle blowing problems

There are a few areas in which compressors play a more important role than in PET bottle production. In an industry in which every reduction of cycle times counts and every gram of material saved can offer a competitive edge, the performance, reliability, and efficiency of these compressors are crucial. That is why making the right choice when selecting a compressor can eliminate many PET Bottle blowing problems later on. 

This is especially true because the demands on PET air compressors are so high and so much depends on them to deliver quality air.

Let’s look at some PET bottle blowing problems related to compressed air equipment and how they can be overcome. 

PET air compressor breaking down

PET bottle blowing

When your compressor breaks down, your production stands still. And no output means no money. The best way to prevent this is with a reliable, quality PET compressor that is built to last while meeting your PET bottling needs.

It is also important to always look after your equipment. Whether that means keeping an eye on the air compressor air flow, preventing the air compressor from getting hot or eliminating air compressor vibration.
Respecting your scheduled maintenance schedule is a good start.

In addition, advanced control and monitoring technologies can identify problems before they impact your production. And, of course, you need the right compressed air partner.

Just like you are an expert in PET bottle production, you want to work with somebody who can help you select the right compressed air equipment, properly install it and is always there when you need them. Whether that’s for providing quick service and spare parts or, in the worst case, delivering you a rental compressor that keeps your production running.

Oil carry-over in my PET air compressor installation

Keeping oil out of your compressed air system and PET bottles is a top priority and an important way to ensure that there are no PET bottle blowing defects.

If this type of contamination does happen, you may have to shut down your production until the problem is fixed. And then you still have to clean up the contamination. All of which makes oil contamination a very risky and costly issue. Minimizing the threat of oil contamination will help ensure that your equipment lasts longer, safeguards production processes and protects your end products.

How do you do this? It all starts with using an oil-free compressor instead of an oil-injected or oil-lubricated model. That eliminates the most important source of oil contamination from the very beginning. Choose an oil-free compressor, certified to produce Class 0 air that contains no traces of oil.

Pet air compressor getting hot

Any disruptions to the production process, such as those caused by an overheating compressor, is expensive. That is why trying to reduce costs by investing in sub-optimal equipment is always going to backfire. In the end, you always end up paying more.

This is illustrated by one of the most common PET air compressor problems: overheating.

What you need is a compressor designed to meet the rigorous demands of a PET bottling plant environment. Choose PET bottle boosters featuring 4-stage compression. This allows for a more gradual compression with a lower compression ratio increase during low load.

In combination with Variable Speed Drive low-pressure compressors, meaning systems can reliably handle a lower air demand. 3-stage air compressor boosters, on the other hand, tend to overheat, especially at a lower flow, as the compression ratio increases too much for the interconnected pistons to handle. Only 4-stage compression technology can ensure 24/7 operation without performance and reliability issues. 

Guaranteeing a sufficient PET air compressor airflow

A steady flow of quality air is needed to be able to produce PET bottles in seconds. Because the demands on the compressed air system are so intense, it is crucial to only work with quality components. That begins with the compressor itself, but also includes your piping. First, your compressor must be correctly sized. An undersized compressor will not provide the required flow.

But compressor engineering also plays a role in avoiding PET bottle blowing problems. Many 3-stage piston compressors experience flow losses over time. 4-stage PET systems are designed to ensure compressed air flow consistency and dependability.

As for piping, you want to prevent leaks as much as possible and have a system in place to detect them right away. Even better than preventing leaks is eliminating the possibility of them developing. By keeping the high-pressure piping system as small as possible, you can automatically reduce the related flow issues. This can be achieved with a low-noise, low-vibration air compressor/booster combination with booster installed at the point of use.

PET air compressor vibration

Compressor vibration poses a serious threat to the production of PET bottles. For example, excessive vibration can lead to pipes breaking and shutting down production. To prevent this from happening, it is important to offer the proper stabilization. Select boosters, which have a specially developed frame with a concrete base, which means they don’t vibrate. They don’t need to be bolted down, and they do not require heavy foundations. 

24/7 continuous PET bottle production

Your production plant can only produce a high volume of PET bottles if it runs as much as possible. However, 3-stage high-pressure air compressors typically require cool-down periods, especially when running in 50% load. If you want to keep going around the clock, you need to invest in a 4-stage Variable Speed Drive unit that can run continuously without needing breaks to cool down.

High decibel levels of your PET compressor 

Compressor noise can be a serious problem in production environments. If the compressor is too loud, it has to be installed in a compressor or utility room, away from the point of use to meet hearing protection standards. That, however, adds to even more installation costs and leads to a pressure drop that requires compressors to use much more energy. In addition, you then have to figure out how to cool the air compressor room.

However, by investing in quiet compressors and boosters, for example those with a sound-protecting canopy, a frame and cylinder set-up to minimize vibrations, you can address all of these challenges at once. 

 A loud and hot PET compressor room 

The right equipment, sound insulation and proper ventilation are some of the keys to protecting your compressor room from excessive noise and heat, but is not always needed.

Here is an important tip: Compressing air generates a lot of heat. Instead of just venting it (to ensure the compressor room doesn’t get too hot), you should look into recovering it to reduce your energy consumption and your environmental footprint. If done right, you can recover up to 90% of this waste heat and make use of it elsewhere.

Expensive high-pressure pipes for PET bottle production

A great option is choosing a hybrid plant set-up in which the low- or medium-pressure compressor is placed in the compressor room and a high-pressure booster is installed at the point of use. 

Conclusion: A plan, the right products and a great partner

As you can see, with a plan, the right equipment and a dependable compressed air partner, you can address all of the PET bottle blowing problems you face. This always allows your PET bottling plant to have reliable access to top-quality compressed air. 

Read more on PET by clicking the articles below

Air compressor FAQ
air compressor FAQ
Air compressor FAQ
An optimal hybrid PET air compressor installation
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An optimal hybrid PET air compressor installation
The importance of correct PET air compressor sizing
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