Blow Molding Machine Utility Requirements: Power, Air & Water Guide

I have seen it happen more than once. A client gets excited about a shiny new machine. They sign the contract, we build it, and we ship it. The truck arrives at their factory, they uncrate the equipment… and then everything stops.

Why? Because the power cable isn’t thick enough. Or the water chiller is too small. Or the air compressor can’t keep up.

Buying the machine is the fun part. Getting your factory ready to plug it in is the real work.

At LEKAmachine, I help clients ranging from growth-stage brands to big OEM factories. Whether you are buying an Extrusion Blow Molding (EBM) machine for shampoo bottles or a Stretch Blow Molding (SBM) machine for water bottles, the “Big Three” utilities—Power, Air, and Water—are the lifeblood of your production.

If you get these right, your machine runs smoothly from day one. If you get them wrong, you face downtime and expensive upgrades later.

Let’s walk through what you actually need to know.

Why “power, air, water” decide how smooth your project runs

Your machine is just a hunk of metal without utilities. The utilities determine how fast you can run and how much money you spend on energy.

It is important to understand that HDPE extrusion lines and PET stretch blow lines are totally different beasts.

• HDPE Extrusion (EBM): Think of our Forma or Titan series. These machines need a lot of steady power to melt plastic pellets and cool water to freeze the thick plastic in the mold.
• PET Stretch Blow (SBM): Think of our Aqua or Bottler series. These machines need less force to close the mold, but they are hungry for high-pressure air to blow the bottle into shape.

How to read the utility section of a machine datasheet

When I send you a quote, there is always a technical table. It can look scary, but you only need to look for four things:

1. Total Power (kW): This tells your electrician how big the main breaker needs to be.
2. Air Pressure (bar/psi): Tells you how “strong” your compressor needs to be.
3. Air Flow (m³/min or CFM): Tells you how “big” your compressor needs to be.
4. Cooling Water (L/min & kcal/hr): Tells you how much heat your chiller needs to remove.

How LEKA configures machines to match local utilities

We export to the US, Canada, Russia, and Indonesia. Every country is different. Standard industrial power in China is 380V, 50Hz, 3-phase. But if you are in the USA or Mexico, you might have 480V or 220V, 60Hz.

We customize the internal electrical components (transformers, motors, servo drives) to match your factory. We just need to know what comes out of your wall socket before we start building.

Power supply: how much electricity a blow molding machine really needs

Electricity is usually the biggest operating cost after raw material.

Main power consumers on a blow molding line

Where does all that energy go?

• On an EBM machine (Forma/Titan): The biggest consumer is the extruder motor. It has to turn a heavy screw to push melted plastic. The second biggest is the heating bands wrapped around the barrel to melt the plastic. If it’s a hydraulic machine, the oil pump motor also uses a chunk of power.
• On an SBM machine (Aqua/Bottler): The machine itself is quite efficient. The main power drain comes from the heating ovens (infrared lamps) that warm up the preforms. However, the hidden power eater is the external high-pressure air compressor required to run the machine.

Installed power vs running power

This confuses people all the time.

• Installed Power: This is the maximum potential power if you turned on every motor, heater, and light at 100% simultaneously. You need to size your electrical cable and breaker for this number (plus a safety margin).
• Running Power (Average Consumption): This is what you actually pay for. Once the machine is warm, the heaters turn off and on. The motor doesn’t always run at peak load.

For example, our Forma H15L has a specific average energy consumption listed in our specs, usually much lower than the installed power.

Tips to control energy cost from day one

Many of our clients in Europe and the Americas are worried about high energy bills killing their profit margins. Here is how we handle that:

1. Choose Servo/Hybrid: Our machines use servo systems for the oil pump and clamping. This saves 30-50% energy compared to old-school hydraulic machines because the motor stops when the machine pauses.
2. Warm-up Routines: Don’t turn the heaters on full blast 3 hours before the shift starts. Plan your startup so the machine is ready exactly when the operators arrive.

Compressed air: planning plant air and blowing air

Air is not free. It costs electricity to make it. In blow molding, we use two very different types of air.

The two types of air: low-pressure vs high-pressure

• Low-Pressure (Plant Air): This is standard 7-10 bar (100-145 psi) air. It runs the pneumatic cylinders that move parts of the machine, stretches rods, and packs bottles.
• High-Pressure (Blowing Air): This is 25-40 bar (360-580 psi) air. This is strictly for PET Stretch Blow Molding. You need this massive pressure to force the plastic into the mold details quickly.

Key Difference: Most HDPE EBM lines (Forma/Titan series) only need low-pressure air. Most PET lines (Aqua/Bottler) need both.

Sizing your compressors

Don’t buy a compressor from a catalog based on “horsepower.” You need to look at Flow (m³/min).

If our spec sheet says the machine consumes 1.2 m³/min, do not buy a 1.2 m³/min compressor. Buy one that does 1.5 or 2.0. Why? Because filters get dirty, pipes leak, and you never want your machine starving for air.

Also, get a large receiver tank. The tank acts like a battery. It smooths out the pressure so your bottles don’t come out deformed when another machine in the plant turns on.

Air quality: clean, dry, oil-free

This is non-negotiable for food and cosmetic packaging. Compressed air is naturally wet and dirty. If water gets into your machine’s valves, they will rust and jam. If oil gets into your bottles, you will fail your quality audit.

• Filters: You need stages of filtration to remove dust and oil.
• Dryers: You need a refrigerated air dryer (for EBM) or a desiccant dryer (for PET) to remove moisture.

Cooling water: chillers, cooling towers, and flow rates

If you can’t cool the plastic down, you can’t take it out of the mold. Cooling time is usually the longest part of the production cycle.

Chilled water vs cooling tower water

• Cooling Tower: Uses a fan and outside air to cool water. It’s cheap, but the water only gets as cold as the weather outside (maybe 25°C-30°C). This is fine for hydraulic oil.
• Chiller: Uses a refrigeration compressor (like a giant AC) to force water down to 5°C-10°C. You must have this for the molds if you want fast production.

For example, our Titan series for large drums requires substantial cooling capacity because the plastic is very thick. If you use warm water, a 30-second cycle might turn into a 60-second cycle. You just cut your daily production in half.

Keeping the cooling system reliable

Water channels inside molds are tiny. If you use dirty water, they get clogged with scale (calcium) or rust. Once they clog, your bottles start coming out warped because they aren’t cooling evenly.

• Use treated water: Add rust inhibitors.
• Install a strainer: Put a simple mesh filter before the water enters the machine to catch debris.
• Flow Rate: Ensure your pump is strong enough. The water needs to flow fast (turbulent flow) to grab the heat and carry it away.

Utility checklist: what to confirm before you sign

Before we sign a contract, I always ask my customers to check these things. It saves so many headaches later.

1. The “One-Page” Spec Sheet: Ask me for the specific utility layout for the exact model you are buying (e.g., Forma H5L). Do not guess based on a brochure.
2. Voltage Confirmation: What is your plant voltage? (e.g., 480V 3-phase). Does it fluctuate?
3. Cooling Capacity: Do you already have a central chiller? Does it have extra capacity (tons or kW) for this new machine?
4. Air Compressor Check: For EBM: Do you have clean, dry air at 8-10 bar? For PET: Do you have a high-pressure (30+ bar) booster?
5. Physical Layout: Where will the machine sit? Where are the nearest drops for power, air, and water?

Next Step: Let’s check your factory

If you are looking at your factory floor and aren’t sure if you have enough power or the right chiller, let me help.

Would you like me to review your current facility setup and tell you exactly what utility upgrades you might need for a new machine? Just send me a quick layout or description of your current equipment.