Patent application for alternative driven blow moulding train technology
VELOCITY Equipment Solutions, a leading supplier of packaging machinery, has filed a patent cooperation treaty (PCT) patent application for the use of its new alternative drivetrain technology, tradenamed Thunderbolt, on reciprocating blow moulding machines. This action follows the provisional application filed last year in the United States. The current filing protects Velocity’s intellectual property rights in the 158 countries that are signatories to the PCT.
Velocity’s technology provides dramatically improved energy efficiency as well as significantly lower maintenance costs over the life of the machine. Velocity has completed the design of new reciprocating machines with 90mm and 65mm extruders, as well as a bolt-on retrofit kit for older 3.5-inch and 90mm extruder machines. The company is currently building the first 65mm machine that is slated for completion in the second quarter of 2026. It has already drawn interest from potential buyers.
Under its PCT patent application, Velocity Equipment disclosed further technical details, specifications and benefits of the Thunderbolt technology. “We believe this is a game-changing innovation that will provide major operational efficiencies for blow moulders,” said Tom Blaszkow, president of Velocity.
“Energy represents the number 2 cost for processors, so this new technology will significantly improve the industry’s bottom-line results.”
The new drivetrain features a breakthrough synchronous electric motor that runs at very low speeds while generating high levels of torque. It is capable of running down to 0.1 rpm while maintaining stable operation. The drivetrain has an integral thrust bearing, and the motor runs with only integral fan cooling.
Among the technology’s key advantages are a very flat efficiency curve. The drivetrain operates at 92-95% efficiency through its entire operating range, unlike standard motors whose efficiency falls off dramatically as speed is decreased.
The drivetrain eliminates the need for a gear reducer, allowing for the direct drive of the extruder screw. This also eliminates the need for belts, sheaves, and motor and ball spline, which are all efficiency-robbing components. Typically, a new Thunderbolt drive will operate at 94-95% efficiency, while a new standard drivetrain will typically operate at less than 87% if operating at near full rpm.
According to Velocity Equipment, the Thunderbolt drive’s efficiency remains constant throughout its life cycle. The efficiency of a standard drivetrain degrades with every hour of operation as components wear, says the company.
The drivetrain’s lower operating temperature eliminates the need for water cooling of the motor or gear reducer. The only maintenance requirement is greasing the thrust bearing every six months, eliminating the daily greasing of the ball spline, and disassembly and repacking the thrust assembly.
Today’s more costly and inefficient drivetrain systems consist of some combination of hydraulic cylinders, hydraulic motors, gear reducers, v-belts and ball spline thrust bearings.
A new reciprocating blow moulding machine equipped with the new drivetrain would cost less than a machine with today’s existing drivetrain technology, according to Blaszkow. Similarly, an existing machine retrofitted with the new drivetrain would be equivalent in cost to a standard replacement. The technology is focused on packaging applications for the agricultural, pharmaceutical, industrial and dairy industries.
