AlphaMAC’s fully electric equipment portfolio uses 50% less energy than most legacy machinery.

Leominster, Massachusetts – IMA DAIRY & FOOD USA – whose equipment solutions comprises the long-established brands Gasti, Hamba, Hassia, Fillshape, Corazza, Erca and Intecma – has assumed sales, marketing and service responsibilities for extrusion blow mold machinery supplier AlphaMAC. The Italy-based equipment provider specializes in solutions for the packaging of liquid products, and is also part of the IMA Group.

In North America, AlphaMAC equipment will meet an emerging need for modern, reliable equipment that is energy efficient. For example, currently one company has 80% of the US market share for extrusion blow molding (EBM) machines producing HDPE bottles for refrigerated and aseptic milk-based products. These machines are, on average, about 25 years old, and require energy consumption some 50% higher than AlphaMAC’s fully electric equipment, which do not operate via hydraulic fluid and therefore do not consume energy when idling.

In addition, the age of most EBM machines in the North American market means they lack remote assistance capabilities, leading to higher-than-necessary maintenance costs and a sizable workforce. With the support of IMA Dairy & Food USA, AlphaMAC’s line will have the technology and personnel support to close these longstanding gaps.

AlphaMAC’s portfolio includes comprehensive, custom-engineered lines for plastic containers production, secondary packaging and quality assurance. Solutions include:

Extrusion blow molding machines
Extrusion blow molding molds
Bottle design development and production optimization tools
Total quality control systems for bottles
Secondary packaging solutions robotics systems

“As the industry-wide push for more sustainable food & beverage packaging solutions continues, the North American liquid dairy sector is one where eco-conscious upgrades are overdue,” said Patrick Carroll, President of IMA Dairy & Food USA. “Adding AlphaMAC to the IMA Dairy & Food USA portfolio provides our customers with more sustainable options while significantly expanding our market share potential.”

AlphaMAC’s’s management and technical teams have over 30 years of experience in extrusion blow molding equipment and production lines design and manufacturing, with over 2,000 machines sold in 61 countries. AlphaMACc EBM machines are well regarded for efficiency and favorable total cost of ownership.