Extrusion International 5-2026-USA

46 Extrusion International 5/2026 46 INDUSTRY NEWS Advanced Take-Out System Launched Proco Machinery, a leading manu- facturer of automation systems for the custom bottling and packaging industry, has announced the launch of a new take-out system for shut- tle-type blow molding machines. The new take-out system is a major advancement on Proco’s flagship product, the Proco Robopik Take- out System. It takes advantage of Proco’s more than 30 years of take- out experience along with state-of- the-art Cobot (Collaborative Robot) technology. “Proco developed and patented the current Robopik Take-out System in 1995 and has sold more than 500 systems throughout North America,” said John McCormick, president of Proco. “This new product utilizes a Cobot as the centerpiece of the sys- tem and offers many improvements over the current design.” The innovative design features a Cobot which is mounted below the molds. Proprietary programming al- lows the Cobot to remove the con- tainers from the mold and transfer them to the tail detabber in a uid, ef cient, and rapid motion, making it faster than any other system on the market. The design of the new take- out system allows it to be con gured in both left-hand and right-hand ver- sions and can be changed over in the eld to work in either direction. The integral scrap conveyor is much wid- er and longer than current versions, making scrap removal easier and more ef cient. The conveyor also col - lects both the tail ash and the top ash, making scrap transfer to the grinder much simpler. The tail detabbing and the deashing operations are now combined into one single module, thereby providing for a more compact system. The tail detabbing is a standard feature while deashing can be added as an up - grade at minimal cost and ts within the same module, thereby minimiz- ing the system’s overall footprint. The take-off vacuum conveyor is a standard ex-type conveyor that ts directly into the detabber/deasher module, minimizing cost and com- plexity. The vacuum blower is mounted on top of the system and utilizes the hollow frame of the module to mini- mize the exible piping required and maximizing the system’s oor space ef ciency. Finished containers can be conveyed to the back or front of the molding machine for easy down- stream operations such as ame treatment, dome trimming, or leak testing. Another key feature of the system is the Cobot mounting method. The Co- bot is mounted on a mobile-wheeled cart that is docked to the main frame by location pins and an electro-mag- netic connection. The entire Cobot can be moved away by simply icking a switch and wheeling it to one side. This feature allows unimpeded ac- cess to the molds and head tooling, making both mold changeovers and maintenance of the molds or molding machine easy and ef cient. The new system also boasts mini- mal maintenance and service because Cobot technology is so advanced and failures are rare. There are virtually no moving parts to service, grease, or re- pair. In the rare event of a failure, the Cobot can be exchanged quickly and production resumed with minimal downtime, thereby providing many years of trouble-free operation. At the same time, changeovers are mini- mized by providing job storage within the system memory. Even after many years of operation, refurbishing is unnecessary as the Co- bot can be quickly exchanged, making the system a virtually new machine ready for many more years of opera- tion. Proco Machinery Inc. www.procomachinery.com Plastics Industry Leaders Gather in Houston, Give Back Through Community Cleanup Hundreds of leaders from across the plastics supply chain are gathering in Houston for the Plastics Industry Associa- tion (PLASTICS) 2026 National Plastics Conference, bring- ing the industry together in one of the nation’s leading regions for plastics manufacturing. As part of the conference, PLASTICS partnered with Keep Houston Beautiful and the Friends of Woodland Park to host a community cleanup at Woodland Park, where 40 volun- teers collected more than 400 pounds of litter and misman- aged waste, including 12 pounds of recyclable material. PLASTICS is partnering with Geared for GREEN to collect and manage the recovered recyclable material from the cleanup. “As one of the nation’s leading regions for plastics manufacturing, Houston is the perfect backdrop for our annual gathering of industry leaders to connect, chal- lenge each other and think bigger about the future,” said Matt Seaholm, President and CEO of the Plastics Industry Association. “This year’s conference is focused on leadership and the role our industry can play in shap- ing what comes next. At a time when people are plac- ing greater trust in their employers and business leaders, our members have an opportunity to turn that trust into stronger organizations, stronger connections to their communities and an industry that makes an impact.” PLASTICS plasticsindustry.org