Bekum, a German producer of extrusion blow moulding machines (EBM), recently unveiled SmartLine, a fully electric range designed to make EBM more cost-efficient and sustainable.
In its announcement, Bekum said the SmartLine series was engineered to cost 30% less than traditional blow moulding machines while maintaining the company’s process reliability and quality standards.
The machines also incorporate energy-optimised drive systems paired with Bekum’s HiPEx extruders, resulting in operational energy savings of up to 20%. Furthermore, precise process control and efficient material utilisation allow for material savings of up to 10%, the company explained.
“A strategic milestone is the world premiere of our fully electric SmartLine series, which we presented for the first time at K 2025. We clearly understand that our customers, particularly in consumer packaging, must calculate sharply. With the new SmartLine, we were able to reduce machine investment costs by 30%,” says Bekum managing partner Michael Mehnert.
Bekum said the new series was specifically designed for small and medium-sized producers in the consumer packaging segments and for companies new to EBM.
The company initially released two models – the SBLOW 5S/D and SBLOW 15S/D – available in both single-station (S) and double-station (D) configurations.
“Maximum mould width is 370 mm and 560 mm respectively, with mould heights of 350 mm and 500 mm. This makes the machine ideally suited for demanding packaging applications while maintaining a small footprint,” the company explained in a press release.
The SmartLine series comes standard with Bekum Control 8.0, a sophisticated control platform designed for long-term technological relevance. Operators interact with the system through a 24-inch Full HD portrait-oriented touchscreen that displays comprehensive dashboards tracking energy consumption and output.
Bekum has also fully embedded the SmartLine within its digital service framework to enhance operational support.
“Bekum SmartConnect provides real-time remote support. A digital spare parts catalogue ensures permanent access to relevant component information. The service portfolio is complemented by worldwide Bekum Field Service and reliable spare parts availability,” the company explained.
