Delta El Nile for Industry supplies the PET preforms and closures that feed high-speed bottling lines — we do not sell the lines themselves. Knowing how those lines are configured helps you match preform neck finish, weight and packaging to the equipment on your floor. The notes below are a general industry reference; Delta confirms the exact preform/closure fit for your specific line at RFQ.
Two-step vs one-step — where the preform fits
In the two-step (reheat) process the preform is injection-moulded and cooled first, then later reheated and stretch-blown on a separate reheat stretch-blow machine. It is the standard for high-volume beverage lines because it decouples preform supply from blowing (PETnology). In the one-step (single-stage / ISBM) process, injection, conditioning, stretch and blow happen in one machine using the preform’s residual heat — suited to smaller batches and specialty shapes.
What a “combi” (blocked) line is
A combi — also called a combi-block or bloc — integrates blowing, filling and (usually) capping into one blocked machine, so blown bottles pass directly from the blow-moulder to the filler/capper with no empty-bottle air conveyor, accumulation table or bottle rinser in between. Sidel states it introduced the Combi concept in 1997. Removing the empty-bottle handling reduces floor space, cuts the number of bottle-transfer points and improves hygiene, and lowers water, compressed-air and energy use across the line (Krones; SMI).
The main OEM systems
The three large full-line European suppliers each offer a rotary blow-moulder plus an integrated block: Sidel (EvoBLOW blow-moulder + the Combi, including the Aseptic Combi Predis with dry preform/cap decontamination), Krones (Contiform blow-moulder + the Contiform Bloc and the ErgoBloc L wet-section block that also blocks a labeller), and KHS (InnoPET Blomax + the InnoPET BloFill blow-moulder/filler monoblock). SIPA and SMI (Italy) supply both blow-moulders and integrated lines — SIPA spanning injection-compression preforms (Xtreme), rotary and linear blowing and one-step ECS systems; SMI centred on its EBS rotary blow-moulders and the Ecobloc blow-fill-cap block. Sacmi is distinct in centring on preform injection (IPS), closure compression (CCM) and compression blow forming (CBF). Sources: Sidel, Krones, KHS, SIPA, SMI and Sacmi public product literature.
Rotary vs linear blowing
Rotary (carousel) blow-moulders mount the moulds on a rotating wheel for continuous high-speed output and dominate high-volume beverage lines; linear (shuttle/indexing) machines move moulds in-line, generally at lower output and capital cost with high format flexibility (SIPA).
Why it matters when you buy preforms
Combi and standalone lines both start from a preform, so the neck finish must match the capping head and the preform weight must suit the bottle and the line speed. Delta engineers the preform to your line’s finish and the matching closure. See the blow-moulding guide and how PET bottles are made, then start an RFQ for the matching SKU.