Getting Your Heat Right on Krones and Sidel Lines
If you’ve ever dealt with PET stretch blow molding, you know the struggle. Getting that heat profile exactly right is a balancing act. One wrong move and you’re fighting with the material all day. That’s why we make replacement IR bulbs specifically for the Krones Contiform S and the entire Sidel lineup—everything from the old-school SBO units to the new Matrix series. The best part? They’re direct drop-ins. No messing around with brackets, no “hacking” the machine, and definitely no wasted downtime.
The Nitty-Gritty on Heat
We build these lamps to fit the original footprints perfectly. Whether your setup is 230V or 400V, we’ve calibrated the wattage so your preforms hit that glass transition temperature without scorching the neck. If you need fast cycle times, our high-wattage tubes give you the heat density to make it happen. One quick tip:**Keep your cooling blowers clean.**If dust builds up and the heat can’t escape, your lamps are going to burn out way faster than they should. It’s a simple fix that saves a lot of money.
Built to Last (and Actually Fit)
There’s nothing worse than a bulb that bows or warps under pressure. We use heavy-wall quartz glass to stop that from happening. We also obsess over the connectors—the R7s and SK15 types. They’re machined so tightly that you can just slide them in. No fighting with the sockets, no frustration. You can choose between clear or coated lamps. If you go with the coated ones, the IR spectrum shifts. This helps the heat soak deeper into the PET, which means you get a better melt without burning the surface of the preform.
Swapping Them Out
Moving from an SBO to a Matrix series usually means your heating zones look completely different. We’ve already mapped out the dimensions for every single generation. You don’t need to adapt the housing. Just pull out the dead tube and slide the new one in. Since we match the original electrical resistance, you don’t have to touch your PLC settings or mess with the power controllers. Everything just works. Your wall thickness stays consistent, and your bottles come out looking exactly how they should.