Alucan

Rhodes Beat International Competition

The leading UK press manufacturer, Joseph Rhodes Limited, has recently supplied three KJX Horizontal Impact Extrusion Presses to Alucon PCL. The order consists of two KJX 50 (160 tonne) presses and a KJX 25 (60 tonne press).

Joseph Rhodes are one of only a few press manufacturers in the world capable of producing Impact Extrusion Presses. As Alucons' technical plant manager, Mr Ian Neighbour, explained, "Having already purchased a number of similar Rhodes KJX presses, we knew we would be getting superior machines backed with excellent service support.

Based in Thailand, Alucon is the largest producer in Asia of aluminium impact extruded packaging materials, with an annual capacity of 400 million components produced on 22 complete production lines. Product output from these lines includes aluminium collapsible tubes, aerosol cans, bottles and rigid wall containers. The award winning Rhodes KJX presses will be installed in a new manufacturing site, built to keep pace with rising sales and market share.

The two KJX 50 presses incorporate many advanced features unique to the KJX range, in particular an integral mechanical balance system which eliminates the horizontal forces produced by the reciprocating main slide and ensures that the press remains stable at high speeds. In addition, the KJX 50 presses have been customised to provide a 355mm stroke, dramatically improving machine flexibility by allowing a greater range of tubes to be produced. The smaller machine, a KJX 25, is to produce 15mm aluminium bodies for the production of Marker Pens.