Cutting the Cost of Krones Contiform Heating Modules
Let’s be honest: OEM infrared lamps for Krones Contiform machines are expensive. Really expensive. When you’re staring at those invoices, it feels like you’re paying a massive premium just for a brand name on a box. We figured there was a better way. We’ve put together a technical alternative that gives you the same heat density and spectral output as the originals, but without that eye-watering markup.
Getting the Heat Right
Blowing PET is a balancing act. You need exactly the right amount of infrared energy to hit that glass transition temperature—too little and the bottle fails, too much and you’ve melted your preform. Our lamps are built to match the wattage and voltage of your Contiform oven perfectly. When you run these high-wattage tubes, you get the heat flux you need to keep your cycle times fast. But here is a pro tip: pushing higher power densities puts a lot of stress on your ventilation. If your cooling fans are clogged with dust, these lamps will heat soak and burn out way faster. Keep those fans clean.
Built to Last (And Fit)
We use heavy-wall quartz glass because thin glass bows when things get hot. To keep the light clear over thousands of hours, we use a halogen cycle. This stops the tungsten filament from evaporating and clouding up the glass. As for the fit? It’s simple. Depending on which generation of machine you’re running, we use standard R7s or Sk15 connectors. They’re a total drop-in replacement. You won’t have to mess with your boards or modify your lamp holders. You just pop them in and get back to work.
Real-World Tips for the Shop Floor
Switching to these lamps is a quick way to lower your cost per bottle. You’re getting the same short-wave IR penetration, just for less money. The install is easy: pull the old tube, check the contacts for any pitting or wear, and wire it up. One thing, though. Please don’t just replace one lamp here and there. We recommend swapping them in full sets across each heating zone. If you mix old and new lamps, you get uneven heating. That’s how you end up with weird wall-thickness variations in your bottles, and nobody wants that.