Plastic closure injection mould producer Kunststofftechnik Waidhofen (KTW) opened its test and technology centre at its Waidhofen an der Thaya, Austria headquarters in April where it ran two of eight 75-55 tonne injection moulding machines.

A Demag Elexis 550 produced 1.7g standard closures, with 3.5s cycle time, in a 48-cavity tool at a rate of 1.2m caps/day. A 3.9g two-component in-mould assembled oil cap, with 7.8s cycle time and 180,000 caps/day output, ran on a Ferromatik K-TEC 450-3F machine in a 16+16 KTW mould weighing 7,000kg. It was equipped with eight hydraulic and four pneumatic core-pullers.

The KTW centre has machines from Engel, Ferromatik and Sumitomo-Demag, but two Husky (400 tonne HyCap, 120 tonne Hylectric) machines and one 320 tonne Arburg 720H will arrive in 2011.

The centre also serves two other identical production sites in Jindrichuv Hradec, Czech Republic, and Chemnitz, Germany, and is now the Husky closure competence centre, following Husky's acquisition of KTW.

KTW's competence includes an easy installation EasyCube system for rotating plate, index plate, stack and cube moulds, moulds protected by total steel enclosure, core back moulds, modular mould concepts, and close contour mould cooling.

Closure developments include work on active packaging, a three-component "simple mix cap" to mix bottle ingredients and a three-part spice and herb mill.

KTW joint managing director Claus Ziegler said international moulders and OEM customers have been asking KTW when it was going to follow its growth strategies and KTW now has the answer with Husky global support.

Joint managing director Anna Ziegler told European Plastics News that turnover from the KTW mould making business should exceed €40m in 2011. Of KTW sales, 51% are in Europe and 21% in North America. Turnover of more than €40m is also expected at KTW's closure moulding subsidiary Injectoplast. A "good solution" for disposal of Injectoplast will be found, Claus Ziegler said, with "worldwide interest in the state-of-the art company already being shown".

Husky's vice president marketing, Jeff MacDonald, said: "The best solution would be a buyer as a partner continuing to maintain strong co-operation just across the parking lot". Ziegler now reports to MacDonald.

Ziegler stressed Husky has not bought KTW for its assets, such as buildings and machinery, as these can be bought anywhere, but for KTW staff.

Ziegler said a system approach helps KTW get even further away from the "steel cutter" image of mouldmakers, which he says makes KTW's offer more attractive against low-cost Asian mouldmakers. KTW recently provided design and equipment selection for a complete closure plant for a Thai customer.

The system approach with Husky helps, Ziegler says, "because if you want to develop the best beverage closure, you need close co-operation in hot runners, injection moulding machines and moulds".

Ziegler has dismissed customer fears that Husky would dispose of KTW. MacDonald confirmed Husky and KTW now have a more complete beverage system approach, adding "we are however, not just interested in KTW's beverage business". The companies say the combination of Husky and KTW can be represented as 1+1 equalling 3.

While both companies are involved with medical applications (4% of KTW turnover), McDonald said: "We are focussed on closures first and foremost at KTW. Our growth in the medical market is increasing and I think there are opportunities for a full system approach here, too. But we need to work with many strong players."

According to Ziegler, injection moulding has "regained [caps and closures] market share from compression moulding, especially in one-piece closures with integrated seals, through weight and energy consumption advantages".

MacDonald added: "There is a clear shift towards injection moulding, which is better in complex design closures. High production rates, high pressure, control systems and holding pressure are all important elements for design freedom."