The PET bottle segment is shifting from standard, off-the-shelf stretch blow molding machines toward engineered-to-order solutions. According to PET Technologies, demand for custom PET blow molding machines has increased by 30% in recent years. The driver is the diversity of conditions under which beverage producers and co-packers operate across regions and applications. Climate, regulatory and quality standards, consumer expectations and branding, as well as line layout and integration requirements, all influence bottle geometry, blow mold design, target output and machine configuration. In many plants these factors limit the effectiveness of generic equipment, which is prompting a focus on application-specific design and integration.
Customisation in this context extends well beyond introducing a new bottle shape. Manufacturers are asked to adapt control logic and user interfaces to plant standards, ensure tooling compatibility with molds from other equipment, and reconfigure footprints to fit restricted spaces. Continuous updates of pneumatic and electrical components in line with technology advances, tailoring to industry or climatic requirements, and providing software and manuals in the client’s language are part of the scope. The intended outcome is reproducible quality, predictable costs and the ability to respond quickly to changing production needs.
Scope of customisation
- Modifications to the control system
- Adaptation of machines to company, industry, application or climatic standards
- Compatibility with molds from other equipment
- Layout adaptation to space constraints
- Ongoing upgrades of pneumatic and electrical components alongside technology advances
- Program and manuals available in the client’s language
Examples from recent projects
PET Technologies cites project work in which custom engineering determined the outcome. In Salvador, the company’s R&D team adapted another manufacturer’s molds to its equipment. The approach enabled integration of existing blow molds into a new machine and helped reduce costs that typically accompany changing suppliers.
In Slovakia, interchangeable bottom sets were produced for blow molds. This allowed the customer to switch between bottles for still and sparkling water with minimal setup changes.
In Hawaii, the machine’s heating system was adapted to handle preforms containing rPET, recycled plastic collected from the ocean.
K 2025 preview
The central theme of PET Technologies’ exhibit at K 2025 in Düsseldorf will be customisation. Visitors will be able to discuss individual production requirements, review examples of implemented projects and see how the solutions operate in a production-like environment.
- Date: October 8–15, 2025
- Location: Düsseldorf, Germany
- Booth: Hall 14/A11
