At K 2025, Müller GmbH, headquartered in Troisdorf, Germany, launched the Reco 3 Accuhead system – a three-layer storage head designed to optimize the processing of post-consumer recycled resin (PCR).
This equipment integrates three layers of material, including the PCR layer, into a single barrel, reducing the traditional three-layer processing required three extruders to one. Currently, the system has completed production testing on 5-gallon (approximately 19 L) containers, and its applicability covers a wide range of production needs, from small 0.5-gallon (approximately 1.9 L) containers to medium-sized bulk containers (IBCs) of 265 gallons (approximately 1000 L).
Depending on the container size, the corresponding storage capacity of the equipment is configured as needed: a 5-gallon (approximately 19 L) container is compatible with approximately 1 gallon (approximately 3.8 L) of storage capacity, while large industrial components are compatible with a maximum storage capacity of 16 gallons (approximately 61 L). The system can be equipped with die heads ranging from 100 mm to 800 mm in diameter. This high scalability is highly attractive to processors—it enables standardization and uniformity in the production of containers of different sizes, while ensuring stability in layer distribution and consistency in output during the production process.
A spokesperson for Mueller stated that there is currently no comparable technology on the market to this accumulator head system: "The Reco 3 Accuhead enables clean and stable three-layer production on accumulator head equipment—competitors have tried before, but none have achieved the same level of consistency and overall performance."
The Reco 3 Accuhead is primarily designed as a single-head system, suitable for three-layer processing scenarios; in specific applications, this storage-type head can also be used in a dual-head system.
The US market has a large number of single-layer blow molding machines, widely used in industrial packaging. Mueller points out that many processors want to modernize their equipment sustainably, rather than replacing the entire machine.
“With Reco 3 Accuhead, we can provide our customers with a three-layer packaging equipment retrofit solution that not only supports the addition of a higher proportion of recycled materials but also effectively reduces the carbon footprint of production,” Mueller said. “We have entered into promising discussions with several major brands and processors in the U.S. market, whose existing equipment includes mainstream brands such as Uniloy, Milacron, Sterling, Davis-Standard, Graham Engineering, Kautex, and Bekum.”
The innovative concept received a positive response after its debut at the K Show. "Customers highly praised its retrofitting capabilities, adaptability to recycled material processing, and its contribution to sustainability goals. Its sustainability advantages are mainly reflected in two aspects: firstly, it allows for the incorporation of a higher proportion of recycled materials into the production process; secondly, it allows processors to continue using existing equipment through retrofitting without requiring a complete machine replacement," a Mueller spokesperson added.
Currently, Reco 3 Accuhead has been patented. Its internal flow channel design and the control principle that achieves stable multi-layer distribution throughout the entire storage cycle are the two core innovations of this product.
It is worth mentioning that Muller had previously developed CoEx4 barrier technology, which uses ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) or polyamide (PA) as a barrier layer to achieve packaging barrier function, replacing traditional packaging containers that rely on fluorination treatment (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)). This technology belongs to a different product line from the new storage head system.
