The Challenge
A major beverage-industry customer needed a manufacturing solution capable of producing very large quantities of lightweight plastic closures while maintaining consistent dimensions, seal performance and production efficiency across every cavity.
At this scale, even minor inconsistencies can create significant problems. A closure must apply correctly, maintain carbonation, withstand normal distribution conditions and perform consistently on high-speed bottling equipment.
The project required more than simply adding molding capacity. It required a highly automated production system capable of producing millions of closures efficiently and repeatably. 
The AdvanTech Solution
AdvanTech Plastics developed a high-volume production cell around a 96-cavity injection mold and a Husky HyCap molding press at its Woodstock, Illinois manufacturing operation.
The 96-cavity tool was engineered to manufacture 96 identical closures during every molding cycle.
The production cycle operated at approximately 3.7 seconds, allowing the mold itself to produce more than 1,500 closures per minute.
But molding the closures was only part of the challenge.
AdvanTech integrated the molding process with:
automated part handling
conveyor systems
post-mold cooling
closure orientation
high-speed printing
automated vision inspection
automatic rejection of nonconforming parts
After leaving the mold, the closures traveled through a “waterfall” cooling system before being oriented and transferred to the printing operation.
A high-speed printing system was capable of processing as many as 3,000 closures per minute, while an automated vision system provided 100% inspection for printing defects and dimensional deviations.
Validating All 96 Cavities
Producing 96 parts simultaneously is valuable only if every cavity produces a conforming part.
The closure underwent extensive testing under actual beverage-filling and bottling conditions. Performance testing included:
application torque
removal torque
carbonation retention
carbon-dioxide retention
dimensional performance
consistency across all 96 cavities
AdvanTech reported that the production tooling successfully passed performance testing across the entire 96-cavity mold.
The Result
The program demonstrated AdvanTech’s ability to combine high-cavitation tooling, automation and process control into a scalable manufacturing operation for extremely high-volume plastic components.
The 96-cavity mold could produce:
96 closures every 3.7 seconds
More than 1,500 closures per minute
More than 90,000 closures per hour at theoretical continuous output
The broader closure operation also illustrates the scale AdvanTech has achieved in high-volume molding. AdvanTech reported producing approximately 500 million closures in 2013, increasing to approximately 600 million closures in 2020 at its dedicated Center of Excellence operation.
Why High-Cavitation Experience Matters
Moving from an 8- or 16-cavity mold to a 64- or 96-cavity production tool is not simply a matter of producing more parts at once.
High-cavitation molding requires careful control of:
material flow
cavity balance
temperature
cooling
cycle time
tooling maintenance
dimensional consistency
automated handling and inspection
A process problem multiplied across dozens of cavities can quickly translate into thousands of defective components.
AdvanTech combines high-cavitation tooling with automation, robotics, mold-flow analysis and process monitoring to maintain consistent production across high-volume applications. Its current capabilities include experience with molds containing up to 96 cavities.
Applications Beyond Beverage Closures
The same high-cavitation manufacturing principles can be applied to other high-volume molded products, including:
pharmaceutical packaging
medical components
caps and closures
consumer products
food packaging
other repeatable high-volume plastic components
Project Snapshot
Application: High-volume plastic closures
Tooling: 96-cavity production mold
Cycle Time: Approximately 3.7 seconds
Production Rate: More than 1,500 closures per minute
Automation: Automated handling, cooling, orientation and printing
Quality Control: 100% automated vision inspection
Location: Woodstock, Illinois
Manufacturing Focus: High-volume automated injection molding
Need Millions of Parts Per Year?
When annual volumes reach the millions—or hundreds of millions—the molding strategy changes.
AdvanTech Plastics has experience combining high-cavitation tooling, high-speed molding, automation and automated inspection to help OEMs reduce unit cost while maintaining repeatable part quality.
Contact AdvanTech Plastics to discuss your high-volume injection molding program.