Textron Kautex at a Glance
Textron Kautex is the brand under which Textron Industrial markets its extrusion blow molding systems. The business designs and builds machines that hollow plastic parts — bottles, containers, tanks, and large industrial vessels — are produced by melting resin, forming a parison, and inflating it against a mold. Kautex machines run the gamut from compact units for small bottles to heavy-duty lines capable of producing 20-liter containers or automotive fuel tanks, and the business is a recognized supplier to packaging, automotive, and industrial customers worldwide.
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The Kautex name carries a long lineage in blow molding. Before its integration into Textron's industrial portfolio, the Kautex works had already established a reputation for parison control, mold engineering, and process automation. That heritage is still visible in the company's emphasis on precision die heads, mold temperature control, and energy-efficient drive systems, which together aim to reduce scrap and cycle time.
Product Lines and Machine Types
Textron Kautex organizes its extrusion blow molding offering around several machine families, each tuned to a different production window and part geometry.
- SBL (Single-Blow Line) machines are built for lower-volume or larger-part runs. They use a single parison station and are common for tanks, drums, and large containers where cycle time is less critical than part size.
- FBL (Full-Blow Line) lines feature multiple parison stations and continuous indexing, which raises output for medium- to high-volume containers, buckets, and industrial packaging.
- CO2 and stretch-blow systems address PET bottle production, with configurations that pre-stretch the parison with carbon dioxide or mechanical stretching before inflation.
- Custom and special-purpose machines cover multi-layer coextrusion, barrier-layer production, and oversized industrial parts such as IBC totes and automotive trim components.
| Machine Line | Typical Output Range | Primary Applications |
|---|---|---|
| SBL | Low to medium volume | Large tanks, drums, industrial containers |
| FBL | Medium to high volume | Bottles, buckets, consumer packaging |
| CO2 Stretch Blow | High volume, fast cycle | PET bottles, beverage containers |
| Special Purpose | Variable | Multi-layer barriers, automotive parts, IBCs |
Technology and Process Capabilities
Kautex machines emphasize control over the parison, the tube of molten plastic that is pinched off and inflated into the mold. Modern Kautex lines integrate programmable parison programmers, which adjust wall thickness along the length of the parison to compensate for material draw and to hit target wall-profile requirements. This capability is especially relevant in packaging, where a consistent wall reduces material use and improves stacking strength.
Mold temperature control is another focus. Kautex blow molding systems often include cooling circuits built into the mold station and chiller packages that can be sized to the machine, with the goal of shortening the quench phase without introducing stress marks or distortion in the finished part. Process automation options — robotic takeout, inline labeling, and vision inspection — are available as add-ons or as part of integrated turnkey lines.
Markets and Applications
Textron Kautex machinery is deployed across several end markets. In packaging, the machines produce bottles for household chemicals, personal care, and food-related non-food packaging. The automotive segment uses Kautex lines for under-hood tanks, bumpers, and other hollow components where material uniformity and low weight matter. Industrial customers rely on the machines for large rotating parts, storage vessels, and custom containment systems. Each application brings different throughput and material requirements, and Textron Kautex works with customers on machine sizing and line integration to match those needs.
Place Within Textron Industrial
Textron Kautex sits within Textron Industrial, a division of Textron Inc. that also encompasses other machinery and automation businesses. The Kautex unit benefits from Textron's centralized R&D, global service network, and procurement scale, while retaining a focused mission around blow molding technology. For customers evaluating new equipment, this means access to both a specialized engineering team and the broader support infrastructure of a larger industrial group.
Buying and Service Considerations
Organizations considering Textron Kautex equipment typically evaluate machines based on part geometry, required output, material compatibility, and the level of automation they need. Lead times for new extrusion blow molding lines can vary depending on configuration and options, and it is common to request a machine specification tailored to the intended part. Ongoing service support — including spare parts, technical assistance, and retrofits — is handled through Textron Industrial's regional service channels. When comparing Kautex to other blow molding suppliers, buyers often look at total cost of ownership over the machine's life, not just the initial purchase price.