Preface
Last year, a South African manufacturer of plastic molded packaging containers reached out to us.
The customer specializes in blow molding and mass production of plastic containers for daily chemical and beverage packaging. Its workshop runs nonstop around the clock under constant temperature and heavy-duty operating conditions, with minor dust and plastic volatile fumes present. The equipment undergoes high-frequency reciprocating operations year-round, demanding extremely high molding stability and reliability.
Founded in 2014, Suzhou Johnson Automation has accumulated over a decade of experience in precision drive technology, delivering a targeted solution tailored to this harsh operating environment.
I. Pain Points: Four Major Drawbacks of Hydraulic Systems
The customer’s original blow molding machines adopted conventional hydraulic and pneumatic cylinder drive structures, which exposed four prominent issues during long-term mass production:
Unstable molding precision ——Hydraulic systems are susceptible to oil temperature and pressure fluctuations, leading to poor pressure retention and large deviations in positioning and mold clamping accuracy. This results in uneven parison wall thickness, out-of-spec finished product dimensions, and persistently high reject rates across production batches.
High risk of oil contamination ——Aging and leakage-prone hydraulic pipelines and seals drip hydraulic oil directly onto plastic products, failing to meet clean production standards for high-grade packaging containers.
High maintenance costs & frequent downtime ——Hydraulic systems feature complex structures with rapidly consumable tubing, seals and hydraulic pumps. Regular oil changes, inspections and part replacements severely disrupt continuous mass production schedules.
Excessive energy consumption & poor automation compatibility ——Hydraulic pumps maintain idle operation, causing massive energy waste. Conventional drive structures suffer delayed response, unable to match high-precision, high-frequency automated molding cycles.
II. Solution: Precise Integrated Configuration of 7 Sets of S5 Servo Electric Cylinders
Johnson supplied a customized complete servo electric cylinder drive solution to replace the original hydraulic system
Centered on seven S5 electric cylinders deployed at distinct machine stations with dedicated functions:
· 2 Long-Stroke High-Speed: 625mm/s | Stroke: 700mm
Installed at mold shifting stations for rapid opening and closing of heavy molds. The 700 mm/s high speed drastically shortens production cycle time and boosts throughput.
· 2 Medium-Speed Cylinders-Speed: 500mm/s | Stroke: 550mm
Used for injection and ejection stations, balancing powerful thrust and stable, precise motion.
· 3 Low-Speed Precision Cylinders-Speed: 25mm/s | Stroke: 10mm
Deployed for fine positioning tasks including die head lifting and blow pin control. The 10 mm/s low speed paired with 25 mm short stroke enables ultra-precise adjustment of die head position and wall thickness control—an accuracy level unattainable by hydraulic systems.
This single integrated solution covers all motion requirements, from heavy-duty mold shifting to delicate wall-thickness fine-tuning.
III. Outcomes: Comprehensive Upgrades Across Five Core Dimensions
After the retrofit, the customer’s production line achieved remarkable overall performance improvements:
1.Oil-Free Clean Production
Hydraulic oil leakage contamination is completely eliminated, substantially raising the yield rate of premium plastic products.
2.Stable & Controllable Precision
Molding positioning and pressure retention accuracy are no longer affected by oil temperature fluctuations. Finished products feature uniform dimensions and wall thickness with drastically improved batch consistency.
3.Sharp Reduction in Equipment Failures & Downtime
Frequent replacement of hydraulic components and hydraulic oil is no longer required, cutting both maintenance workload and production downtime.
4.Markedly Lower Energy Consumption
Abandoning the continuous power draw of hydraulic pumps, electric cylinders only consume power on demand, delivering a significant drop in overall line energy usage.
5.Upgraded Production Line Automation
Faster response speeds accommodate high-volume rapid production cycles, minimizing manual tuning intervention and effectively slashing labor costs.
结语
From blow molding workshops in South Africa to industrial sites worldwide, Johnson leverages mature electric cylinder technology to help manufacturers eliminate headaches caused by hydraulic systems.
If you are troubled by accuracy, energy consumption or maintenance issues stemming from traditional hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder equipment, contact us for a customized hydraulic-to-electric retrofit solution.
