Amsler Undertakes Major Sales Expansion in Latin America and Northeastern U.S.

Global Growth Strategy Includes Appointment of Plastec U.S.A.,
Custom Sales & Systems, and Keystone Plastics as New Agents


RICHMOND HILL, Ontario, November 19, 2009 – W. Amsler Equipment Inc., a leading Canadian manufacturer of all-electric, reheat stretch-blow molding machines based in Richmond Hill, Ont., has named Plastec U.S.A., Inc., Miami, Fla., and Custom Sales & Systems Inc., Oldsmar, Fla., as its agents in Mexico and several other Latin American countries. The company also appointed Keystone Plastics Equipment, in Nazareth, Pa., as its agent in the northeastern U.S.
Werner Amsler, president of W. Amsler Equipment, said the appointments are part of a growth strategy that initially targets the entire Latin American region and will later focus on Europe and other global regions. “We have an ambitious program underway to expand globally and introduce our innovative technologies to new customers,” explained Amsler. “Overall, we want to capitalize on the growing opportunities in small- and medium-volume production runs for PET containers which represent our core business.” He noted that all three manufacturers’ representatives boast a comprehensive sales and technical staff that will play an important role in this sales expansion program.
In addition to Mexico and Puerto Rico, Plastec U.S.A. will represent Amsler in Guatemala, Costa Rica, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic. Custom Sales & Systems will sell Amsler equipment in Mexico to a wide range of packaging companies in the beverage, food, pharmaceutical, and personal-care markets. Both agents will sell Amsler’s broad range of reheat stretch-blow machinery and auxiliary equipment including leak testers, spin trimmers, and palletizers. Custom Sales & Systems has a particular emphasis in inspection equipment.
In the northeast, Keystone Plastics will represent Amsler in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Delaware, and Maryland. It too will sell Amsler’s broad range of reheat stretch-blow machinery and auxiliary equipment including leak testers, spin trimmers, and palletizers.


About Plastec U.S.A. Inc.
Founded in 1985, Miami-based Plastec U.S.A. Inc. provides Latin American representation for major U.S. manufacturers of primary processing equipment, auxiliaries, machine components, and controls. Plastec offers complete PET bottle manufacturing systems including preform production, raw material handling and drying, injection molding, preform molds, and peripheral equipment. More information is available at (305) 887-6920 or visit www.plastecusa.com.

About Custom Sales & Systems Inc.
Custom Sales and Systems Inc. has been providing brand name equipment for the beverage, food, and pharmaceutical markets for the past 20 years in Mexico. The company represents leading manufacturers of packaging equipment including blow molding machinery, fillers, and on-line monitoring and inspection systems. At its Toluca, Mexico office, the company has 10 service engineers dedicated to providing technical support, with a complete supporting staff that coordinates spare parts orders and training seminars. Five salespeople are located in different regions of Mexico and quickly respond to customer needs. More information is available at (813) 855-1400 or visit www.css-fl.com.

About Keystone Plastics Equipment
Keystone Plastics Equipment, based in Nazareth, Pa., provides representation for major U.S. manufacturers of plastics primary processing equipment, auxiliaries, and controls. More information is available at (610) 297-0929 or visit www.keystoneplasticsequipment.com.

About W. Amsler Equipment Inc.
W. Amsler Equipment Inc. is a privately-held Canadian company founded in 1994 by Werner Amsler. The company manufactures state-of-the-art, highly-efficient reheat stretch-blow molding machines and auxiliary equipment for manufacturers of plastic containers for the carbonated soft drink, water, and food industries. The product line includes linear machines with output up to10,000 bottles/hr and rotary equipment for up to 24,000 bottles/hr. The company was one of the first to develop all-electric machines which provide users with highly-repeatable processing, energy savings up to 50% vs. hydraulics, and a 75% reduction in maintenance costs.

PET Bottle Manufacturers Shift to Smaller Reheat Stretch-Blow Units as Production Runs Get Shorter

W. Amsler Equipment Cites Growing Trend to Small-Volume
Machines as U.S. Processors Seek Greater Flexibility

LAS VEGAS, Nev., Oct. 5, 2009 – Shorter production runs and continually changing bottle designs in the U.S. are creating new opportunities in the PET container market for manufacturers of small- to medium-volume reheat stretch-blow molding machines, according to W. Amsler Equipment Inc., a leading Canadian manufacturer of all-electric, reheat stretch-blow machines based in Richmond Hill, Ont. Bottle makers are moving to lower cavitation and smaller volumes as they attempt to regain flexibility and align themselves with changing market conditions. Amsler made the assessment this week during the International Bottled Water Association’s (IBWA) Convention and the Pack Expo show (Booth C3219), both in Las Vegas.
In the U.S., the faltering economy has resulted in manufacturers maintaining smaller and smaller inventories. This trend is clearly evident in the food and beverage industry where producers “would rather have a truckload a week of bottles rather than a million sitting in their warehouse,” explains John Kowal, Amsler project manager. The result is that even larger bottle processors are considering smaller blow molding machines. “We are getting inquiries from some of the larger producers who we’ve never talked to,” noted Kowal. “They need flexibility and the 24-cavity reheat machine is inflexible.” There will always be a need for ultra-high-volume production but presently the demand for larger machines has slackened, says Kowal.
Currently in demand are reheat machines with one to six cavities and output up to 10,000 containers/hr, according to Kowal. These machines provide the necessary capabilities for short-run production, namely; a smaller footprint and quick mold changeovers (less than one hr).
Another important trend is the emergence of new and innovative bottle designs that require shorter runs. These are critical to beverage makers who are increasingly creating niche products such as new juices, flavored waters, and energy drinks which require specialized, custom eye-catching containers. These novel bottle designs are generally more
technically complicated, harder to mold on larger machines, and require fewer cavities, quick mold changeovers, and shorter runs.
Many of the market trends toward smaller runs and innovative bottle design play to the strengths of Amsler. The company is enjoying strong growth and has capitalized on the expanding opportunities in small- and medium-volume production runs which represent its core business. The company is the only North American manufacturer of small- to medium-volume PET reheat machines. Its primary competition is among European equipment suppliers.
Amsler’s all-electric reheat stretch-blow units deliver high output per cavity, energy savings of 50%, greater precision, smaller footprint, faster speed, reduced maintenance, and quicker mold changeovers. The company recently introduced the L15 custom blow molder, a single-cavity unit that produces widemouth containers from 20-mm to 70-mm at up to 1700 bottles/hr. Also recently introduced is the L120 series, a new line of all-electric reheat machines for production of PET water containers up to 18.9-L (5 gal.).

Three new machine models unveiled to meet growing demand for larger PET plastic containers

W. Amsler Equipment Launches L120 Series All-Electric
Reheat Line for 5-Gal PET Water Containers

Three New Machine Models to Meet Growing Demand
For PET Bottles as a Replacement for Polycarbonate

(Visit Amsler at Pack Expo in Booth C3219 Along Side quality partners E-pak and Changeparts - On Wednesday Oct 7 visit Amsler at the IBWA Table top at the MGM Grand)

LAS VEGAS, Nev., Oct. 5, 2009 – W. Amsler Equipment Inc., based in Richmond Hill, Ont., has unveiled the L120 series, a new line of all-electric reheat stretch-blow molding machines for production of PET water containers up to 18.9-L (5 gal.). The company made the introduction at the International Bottled Water Association’s (IBWA) Convention and the Pack Expo trade show, both in Las Vegas Oct. 5-9.

The three new models represent Amsler’s entry in reheat stretch-blow machines for larger water containers, according to John Kowal, Amsler project manager. “We have seen a growing demand for larger reheat machines as the bottled water industry moves increasingly to PET as a replacement for polycarbonate in 5-gal water bottles,” explains Kowal. Five-gallon PET water containers are a BPA-free option and offer durability, clarity, and recyclability.

The L120 convertible is a fully automatic unit that can be used in one-, two-, or three-cavity modes for production of 4-L to 22-L containers. The high-output L120 makes 18.9-L (5 gal) containers at about 300/hr, 15-L (4 gal) at 1000/hr, and 4-L (1 gal) containers at 3000/hr. Neck sizes range from 28 mm to 70 mm.

The new range also includes the LM 120, a semi-automatic, monoblock reheat machine with manual preform loading. It is a one-piece unit that produces 18.9-L (5-gal) containers at 170/hr. Neck sizes range from 33 mm to 63 mm. Rounding out the large-container machine range is the entry level M120. It is said to be the most affordable option for bottlers who want to manufacture their own containers, according to Kowal. The single-cavity M120 is equipped with manual preform loading and has separate preheat and blowing units. The compact machine produces 3.8-L (1 gal) containers at 120/hr and 18.9-L (5-gal) at 80/hr. Neck sizes range from 33 mm to 80 mm.

All three new models offer unique advantages compared to hydraulics. They deliver high output per cavity, energy savings of 50%, greater precision, smaller footprint, faster speed, reduced maintenance, and quicker mold changeovers, according to Amsler.

The new machines have already found commercial use in 5-gal water containers. As an added service, the company also supplies 18.9-L (5 gal.) preforms for these machines.

Semi-Automatic 5 Gallon All-Electric Stretch Blow Molder for 3 & 5 Gallon Bottles
Compatible with refillable & one way PET bottles
1 cavity
Output speed is 170 bottles per hour (for 5 Gallon/18.9L bottle)
All Electric
Compact footprint

Amslers New Reheat Stretch-Blow Molder satisfies Widemouth Container Demands

Amsler's New Reheat Stretch-Blow Molder

Satisfies Widemouth Container Demands

Caribbean Manufacturer Purchases All-Electric Machine

For Food & Household Detergent Bottles

RICHMOND HILL, Ontario, Sept. 25, 2009 – W. Amsler Equipment Inc. recently sold its newest model, the L15 all-electric reheat stretch-blow molder with hot-fill capability, to Diversified Ltd., based in Trinidad & Tobago, a PET bottle manufacturer for the food and household detergent industries. Diversified will use the machine to produce widemouth food jars ranging from 8-oz to 32-oz, along with 5-L detergent containers for the local market.

Upon winning new production work for widemouth containers, Diversified did an extensive examination of the blow molding machine supply base. “Based on our research, the W. Amsler machine is one of the few that can produce widemouth containers automatically,” explained Warren Scott, Diversified’s owner. “All of the advantages of an all-electric in terms of efficiency and economics also played a key role in our selection.”

W. Amsler’s new L15 custom blow molder is a single-cavity unit that produces containers from 20-mm to 70-mm at up to 1700 bottles/hr. It is targeted for small- to medium-size volumes and produces larger containers (up to 5-L) than the company’s L12 model (up to 2-L). The machine for Diversified is specially equipped for automatic loading of 89-mm diam. preforms and has a larger track for preform spigots. Diversified buys preforms and manufactures 13 different bottles for ketchup, peanut butter, mayonnaise, sauces, and other products. The company is also pursuing local opportunities for hot-fill containers.

Compared to hydraulics, the all-electric machine delivers an energy savings of 50%, along with greater precision, smaller footprint (170-in by 80-in), faster speed, reduced maintenance, and quicker mold changeovers, according to W. Amsler.

The new reheat blow molder is part of a turnkey operation sold to Diversified which also includes specially

designed blow molds from W. Amsler.

Amsler Sells and installs 2 Filling Lines at Bottled Water Producers in US and Canada

W. Amsler Equipment Inc. recently sold two of its rotary monoblock water filling lines to bottled water suppliers in Newfoundland, Canada, and Wisconsin. Berg Water, Mt. Pearl, Newfoundland, purchased a unit for its PET and glass-bottled premium iceberg water while Langlade Springs, Polar, Wis., bought a filler for its PET-bottled custom label and private label spring water products.


Berg Water entered the premium bottled water business three years ago and the purchase of the Amsler filler marks the company’s entry into filling. The company purchased an 18-18-6 unit (18 rinsing heads, 18 filling heads, and 6 capping heads) to accommodate both glass and plastic bottles on the same line. This was an important consideration due to space limitations, according to Tony Kenny, president of Berg Water. “We couldn’t install two lines so the overall machinery footprint was important,” explained Kenny.

With an output of 6000 bottles/hr, the filler handles Berg Water’s 500-ml PET bottles and 750-ml glass containers. W. Amsler also designed the mold for Berg Water’s unique PET bottle which features numerous grooves and contours that look like layers of ice. Berg Water’s Kenny also noted the high level of post-installation service from W. Amsler.
Langlade Springs bought a 32-32-10 filler unit which boasts an output of 15,000 bottles/hr. The company bottles its spring water in PET and biodegradable PET containers in 355-ml (12 oz), 500-ml (16.9 oz), and 591-ml (20 oz) sizes. Langlade buys preforms and produces containers with a used reheat stretch-blow molder from W. Amsler.

W. Amsler’s rotary monoblock water filling lines are made of stainless steel and all rinsing, filling, and capping operations are enclosed, thus promoting a sanitary environment. Plastic bottles are handled by the neck allowing for easy changeover while glass bottles are handled by the base. The machines feature PLC controls for reliable and repeatable performance. Machine speed is automatically varied depending on line conditions. Filling lines can be set up independently or inline with a W. Amsler linear or rotary blow molder. Optional equipment includes CIP (clean in place), bottle descramblers, labelers, and complete downstream packaging solutions.

Successful results at the NPE Show

On the first day of the show the 2 cavity L25 Machine was sold to Dahl-tech of Minesota for immediate delivery after the show. Machine will be used for the production of 50ml to 5 Liter containers.

The L16 single cavity fully automatic system on display will be delivered to Diversified Products in Trinidad for the production of 5 Liter water bottles and widemouth jars.


-->Also on display was the worlds fastest single head in line leak tester with an output of 150 bottles per minute with the precision to detect a hole size of only 0.004(0.1mm). Overall we had the capacity to run over 5000 bottles per hour within a 20x20ft booth.
All in all Amsler benefited from quality visitors which resulted in a larger than expected list of quality leads.


-->

Visit Amsler at NPE 2009 Booth 24081

Live Demonstrations at our Booth -

L12 - Single Cavity PET Stretch Blow Molder - 1800 Bottles Per Hour
L25 - Two Cavity PET Stretch Blow Molder - 3600 Bottles Per Hour

Bottle Inpsection units - Worlds Fastest! Test for leaks, color, wall thickness

Spin Trimmers - No change parts required for different size necks.