Nissei ASB – Leader in One-Step PET Technology

Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) made its first impact on the container molding industry via carbonated soft drinks during the late 1970’s just as Japan’s Nissei ASB Machine Co., Ltd. was founded. In those early days only three machine manufacturers existed globally that produced equipment capable of stretch-blow molding this new material.

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ASB’s solution

was to design a one-step injection stretch blow molding system where the raw material is converted into the final product within one machine, a significantly different approach to the two-step systems that require two separate machines and additional handling and support equipment.

As experience grew with mass production of PET containers, improvements in process design meant that the soft drink bottle designs of the era, being a simple, high-volume and low value product, could be molded at higher outputs via the two-step process. What then, did the future hold for the one-step process promoted by ASB?

In addition to the pressure resistance required by soft drinks, PET material offered many other advantages in terms of chemical resistance, impact resistance, toughness and visual appeal, that made it ideal for agrochemicals, industrial chemicals as well as a wide range of other products. With many of these having specialized necks and diverse shapes, the benefits of one-step molding, where custom designed preforms are a standard part of the process for each product, suddenly looked very attractive.

Diverse neck shapes are a specialty of one-step ISBM

Now, over 40 years later, Nissei ASB is the longest serving player in the PET container molding industry and despite robust competition through the intervening years, remains by far the largest producer of one-step equipment and molds. This resilience has been achieved as a result of continual research into new techniques and molding processes that have shaped the industry as a whole and with the company having its name on over 1,800 related patents.

With a solid market established and the reputation of one-step molding growing, ASB looked to reinforce its position by developing technologies to further increase the versatility of the process and its products.

Just a small selection of the more than 20 resin types moldable by ASB's one-step ISBM machines

Beyond being just a machine and mold maker, ASB is continually promoting new patented container molding technologies and has been the pioneer of many now common industry features such as injected and inserted handles, pasteurizable PET jars, glass-like cosmetic containers and multi-layer molding. Not only has this led to an almost limitless potential for container design, it has also resulted in the ability to mold more than 20 resin types in addition to PET.

These diverse technologies have helped the company to thrive and expand to now having five factories in two countries as well as local technical centers in Europe and the USA.

The company established a global manufacturing unit near Mumbai in India in 1997 and in 2018, this facility was expanded to more than four times the original floor area with the addition of two new factories in 2013 and 2018.

ASB's Head Office & Factory, Komoro City, Japan

To expand its global R&D facilities as well as domestic and East Asia manufacturing capacity, the Japanese manufacturing unit also saw a doubling in manufacturing floor space at the end of 2018 with the opening of its new Chikumagawa factory in Saku City.

Nissei ASB’s turnover already accounts for around 15% of world-wide sales in all PET container production and with this expansion plan resulting in a total of 70,000m² of global floor space, the company now has the capacity to produce up to 1,500 full mold sets and up to 700 machines annually.

Mold Component inspection at ASB's Mumbai Manufacturing Unit

Since the company produced its first molding machine over 40 years ago, the market has constantly put greater technical demands on packaging technology. Now, with growing pressures from social and mass media for a dramatic shift in the way we use plastics, the company has responded by developing its patented “Zero Cooling” molding technique to provide higher quality, lighter, yet ever stronger container from increasing quantities of recycled materials. The company is also actively engaged with environmental protection organizations to promote the safe and responsible use and recycling of plastic packaging.

Today, the founder, Mr. Daiichi Aoki still heads the company which, in a growing world of faceless corporations, remains as an independent organization that brings a sense of family to its staff and customers alike while remaining at the forefront of the container injection stretch blow molding industry.