133649Intelligent Inline Temperature Control of the Stretch Blow Moulding ProcessClosedFeasibility StudiesInnovate UK"Blow Moulding Technologies (BMT) is a micro SME who sell instrumentation and software to the Stretch Blow Moulding (SBM) industry, founded in 2011 as a spin-out from Queen's University Belfast, The world currently consumes 1 million plastic bottles per minute, therefore SBM process **demands high rates of production**. As the world advances towards half a trillion plastic bottle/annum by 2021, **productivity is hampered by large inefficiencies** frequently caused by **temperature variables** such as operator subjectivity, variation in material properties and environment changes, giving rise to material wastage, product defects and machine down-time. Furthermore, **increased public environmental concern** in the mass production and pollution of plastic bottles has instigated a **strong market opportunity for the use of recycled PET resins and bio-based polymers from waste bottles**. Our **vision** for this project is to develop ground-breaking technology to enable the intelligent control of temperature within the SBM process in the production of Plastic Bottles. Working alongside our partners, P&G, Sidel, Sacmi and Beverage Plastics, BMT's proposed solution involves the development of an **automated data-driven inline temperature management system** with advanced infrared sensor technology and control algorithms. Heated preforms will be ejected automatically at regular intervals prior to blowing to provide real-time internal and external temperature data. The temperature data will be communicated back to the SBM ovens through bespoke software to allow a more accurate control of the process temperature. Greater temperature control will lead to a **reduction in production trouble-shooting, reduction in machine down-time** and **greater productivity.** It will optimise bottle production leading to the consumption of **less raw material**, **generate less waste** and **decrease product defects** leading to **greater material use efficiency**. The system will permit a **greater optimisation of products**, in particular it will allow more accurate **production of recycled PET** within a narrower SBM process window. It will lead to **lighter more efficient preforms** which can still reach the **targeted performance standards** such as 'shelf-life' and 'top-load', with greater **ease of manufacture.** Savings on **production efficiencies** will also result in **lower running costs** and a **reduced carbon footprint**. This project represents **cutting edge innovation** through the creation of an inline system which does not require human touch. The ability to minimise all temperature related trouble-shooting within the SBM process through the use of intelligent algorithms communicating the exact measurements of the inner and outer profiles of the heated preforms is **a major step forward in the SBM industry.**"