A Better Way to Handle IR Lamps for Your Krones Contiform S
Let’s be honest: most OEMs love to lock you into their own proprietary bulbs. It’s a racket. You’re stuck buying their specific parts at their specific prices just to keep the line moving. We decided to stop that. We looked at the actual physics of short-wave radiation and the electrical footprints already in your machines, and we built a drop-in replacement that actually works. The power side of things If you’re running a Contiform S, you know that heat distribution is everything. If it’s off, your preforms deform, and you’re wasting plastic. We spec our tubes for high wattage and voltage—usually anywhere from 230V to 400V depending on which oven zone you’re in. This means the lamp hits its operating temperature the second you flip the switch. But here is a heads-up: high heat density is a bit of a double-edged sword. Sure, you get faster cycle times, but your cooling blowers have to be spot on. If your airflow is choked up with dust or grime, these high-output lamps will fry your sockets. Keep those blowers clean. No rewiring, no headaches We use heavy-wall quartz glass infused with halogen. It keeps the filament hotter for longer, which means the bulb actually lasts. As for the fit? We stick to standard R7s or SK15 connectors. Why? Because they fit the wiring looms on about 95% of the blow molding machines out there. You don’t need adapters. You don’t need an electrician to rewire your oven. You just pull the old tube out and slide the new one in. Simple. Getting the perfect bottle At the end of the day, you just want a uniform heat soak across the preform wall. Our lamps have a narrow spectral output. That’s a fancy way of saying they penetrate the PET material deeply without scorching the surface. Plus, because we keep the length and diameter tight, the lamp sits exactly where the reflector expects it to be. No “cold spots” in the bottle. No weird thin walls. We keep these in stock and ready to ship because we know the feeling. One blown bulb can kill your entire production line, and that’s a nightmare nobody needs.