{"id":1190,"date":"2026-08-18T07:33:28","date_gmt":"2026-08-18T07:33:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ever-powers.com\/?p=1190"},"modified":"2026-08-18T07:39:37","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T07:39:37","slug":"cosmetic-bottle-blow-molding-cavity-bph-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ever-powers.com\/it\/application\/cosmetic-bottle-blow-molding-cavity-bph-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"How Many Cavities Does Your Cosmetic Bottle Line Need? A BPH Production Planning Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cavity count on an injection stretch blow molding machine is not a performance specification \u2014 it is a production planning output. The correct cavity count is the one that matches your actual bottle-per-hour requirement at the right operating efficiency margin, without carrying unnecessary capital cost in excess capacity or running into output shortfalls on peak days. This guide works through the calculation from daily production target to machine model specification.<\/p>\n

\"Production<\/p>\n

\n

Step 1 \u2014 Convert Your Production Target Into a BPH Requirement<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n

Input parameters required before opening any machine specification sheet:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Parameter<\/th>\nExample Value<\/th>\nNotes<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Weekly production target<\/td>\n200,000 bottles<\/td>\nFrom sales forecast or confirmed order volume<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Production days per week<\/td>\n5 days<\/td>\nOr 6 if weekend running is planned<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Production hours per day<\/td>\n16 hours<\/td>\nTwo 8-hour shifts<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Target OEE<\/td>\n82%<\/td>\nAdjust based on facility standard<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Startup scrap allocation<\/td>\n1.5%<\/td>\nStartup and changeover waste<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Steady-state scrap rate<\/td>\n1.2%<\/td>\nFor servo-drive cosmetic bottle production<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\n

BPH Calculation (using example values above):<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Gross BPH required<\/td>\n= Weekly target \u00f7 (days \u00d7 hours\/day \u00d7 OEE)<\/td>\n= 200,000 \u00f7 (5 \u00d7 16 \u00d7 0.82) = 3,049 bph<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Add scrap allowance<\/td>\n\u00d7 (1 + 0.012 + 0.005) = \u00d7 1.017<\/td>\n\u2192 3,100 BPH minimum specification<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Round up to the next available machine configuration output level \u2014 this is your minimum specification BPH. Never build a production plan that requires 100% OEE to meet the target.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

Step 2 \u2014 Map BPH Requirement Against the HGA Machine Range<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Model<\/th>\nCavities<\/th>\nMax Volume (ml)<\/th>\nOutput (bph)<\/th>\nBest Fit<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
HGA.ES-2C100<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n500<\/td>\n2,400<\/td>\nSmall cosmetic, serum bottles<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
HGA.ES-2C114.3<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n1,000<\/td>\n2,000<\/td>\nLotion, conditioner, 1L format<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
HGA.ES-3C76<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n700<\/td>\n3,000<\/td>\nMid-volume cosmetic, 500\u2013700ml<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
HGA.ES-3C114<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n1,500<\/td>\n2,400<\/td>\n1L+ shampoo and conditioner<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
HGA.ES-4C76<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n700<\/td>\n4,800<\/td>\nHigh-volume small cosmetic bottles<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
HGA.ES-4C100<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n800<\/td>\n4,600<\/td>\nHigh-volume 500\u2013800ml cosmetic<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
HGA.ES-4C114.3<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n1,000<\/td>\n4,000<\/td>\nStandard 1L cosmetic and personal care<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
HGA.ES-6C76<\/td>\n6<\/td>\n700<\/td>\n7,200<\/td>\nMaximum output small cosmetic format<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
HGA.FS-1CG130<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n1,500<\/td>\n700<\/td>\nIrregular geometry, specialty<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
HGA.FS-2CG220<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n5,000<\/td>\n1,000<\/td>\n2-cavity irregular geometry<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

Step 3 \u2014 Account for Multiple SKU Changeovers<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n

A cosmetic bottle line rarely runs a single SKU continuously. Each mold changeover reduces effective production time available. Ignoring this step when specifying cavity count is the most common reason a machine appears undersized after delivery.<\/p>\n

\n

Changeover time by cavity count (2-person trained crew):<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Configuration<\/th>\nChangeover Duration<\/th>\n5 changeovers\/week<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
2-cavity ES mold<\/td>\n60\u201390 min<\/td>\n5\u20137.5 hrs lost\/week<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4-cavity ES mold<\/td>\n90\u2013150 min<\/td>\n7.5\u201312.5 hrs lost\/week<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Revised BPH calculation with 5 changeovers\/week at 2 hours each:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Effective production hours = (5 \u00d7 16) \u2212 (5 \u00d7 2)<\/td>\n= 70 hours<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Revised BPH = 200,000 \u00f7 (70 \u00d7 0.82)<\/td>\n= 3,484 BPH<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

This is 13% higher than the 3,049 bph calculated without changeover time \u2014 enough to move the specification from 3-cavity to 4-cavity in most container volume classes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"Mold<\/p>\n

\n

Quick Reference: BPH to Model for Four Common Cosmetic Formats<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

200ml Round PET Lotion Bottle (50mm body diameter, 150mm height)<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Required BPH<\/th>\nRecommended Model<\/th>\nMachine BPH<\/th>\nUtilization<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Under 2,500<\/td>\nHGA.ES-2C100<\/td>\n2,400<\/td>\n\u2264 100%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2,500\u20134,000<\/td>\nHGA.ES-4C76<\/td>\n4,800<\/td>\n52\u201383%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Above 5,000<\/td>\nHGA.ES-6C76<\/td>\n7,200<\/td>\n70% at 5,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n

1,000ml Standard PET Pump Bottle (88mm body diameter, 250mm height)<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Required BPH<\/th>\nRecommended Model<\/th>\nMachine BPH<\/th>\nNotes<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Under 2,000<\/td>\nHGA.ES-2C114.3<\/td>\n2,000<\/td>\n100% utilization \u2014 specify ES-3C114 for buffer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2,000\u20133,500<\/td>\nHGA.ES-3C114<\/td>\n2,400<\/td>\nCeiling at 2,400 bph limits buffer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3,500\u20134,500<\/td>\nHGA.ES-4C114.3<\/td>\n4,000<\/td>\nGood buffer at 3,500 bph<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Above 4,500<\/td>\nHGA.ES-6C114<\/td>\n5,400<\/td>\nHigh-volume personal care lines<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n

100ml Faceted PETG Perfume Bottle (40mm \u00d7 25mm cross-section, 130mm height)<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Required BPH<\/th>\nRecommended Model<\/th>\nCavities<\/th>\nNotes<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Under 700<\/td>\nHGA.FS-1CG130<\/td>\n1<\/td>\nFS required \u2014 aspect ratio 1.6:1 exceeds ES threshold<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
700\u20131,000<\/td>\nHGA.FS-2CG220<\/td>\n2<\/td>\nOnly FS-2CG handles this geometry at higher output<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Above 1,000<\/td>\n2\u00d7 HGA.FS-1CG130<\/td>\n1 + 1<\/td>\nTwo machines \u2014 or evaluate container design change for ES compatibility<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

Utilities Checklist: What the Cavity Count Decision Also Determines<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n

Cavity count determines not only which machine you order but also what supporting utilities the production line requires. Specify these before committing to a model \u2014 high-pressure compressed air is the most frequently underspecified utility in new cosmetic bottle line installations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Utility<\/th>\n2-Cavity ES<\/th>\n4-Cavity ES<\/th>\n6-Cavity ES<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
High-pressure blow air<\/td>\n1,000\u20131,600 ltr\/min
\nat 26\u201335 kg\/cm\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n		3,900\u20136,500 ltr\/min
\nat 35 kg\/cm\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n		5,800\u20139,500 ltr\/min
\nat 35 kg\/cm\u00b2<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cooling water<\/td>\n30\u201350 ltr\/min
\n5\u20136 kg\/cm\u00b2, 8\u201312 \u00b0C<\/span><\/td>\n		30\u201360 ltr\/min
\n5\u20136 kg\/cm\u00b2, 8\u201312 \u00b0C<\/span><\/td>\n		40 ltr\/min
\n5\u20136 kg\/cm\u00b2, 8\u201312 \u00b0C<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Electrical load (operating)<\/td>\n15\u201335 kW<\/td>\n18\u201332 kW<\/td>\n26\u201332 kW<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\"Personal<\/p>\n

\n

Domande frequenti<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
\n\u25b6 \u00a0If my volume will double in 18 months, should I buy the higher-cavity machine now?<\/summary>\n
If the volume increase is based on a confirmed customer order or binding supply agreement, specify for the future volume. If it is a sales forecast, specify for current confirmed volume. Carrying 18 months of excess machine capacity is an opportunity cost \u2014 the capital tied up could fund other production assets or inventory. The HGA series molds are interchangeable within the same platform: if you start with a 2-cavity ES machine, a 4-cavity mold set is available when volume justifies the upgrade.<\/div>\n<\/details>\n
\n\u25b6 \u00a0Does the model number encode the cavity count and container size?<\/summary>\n
Yes. HGA model number convention: platform (AS\/ES\/FS) \u2014 cavity count (2C, 3C, 4C, 6C) \u2014 nominal clamping dimension in mm (76, 100, 114, 130, etc.). An HGA.ES-4C114.3<\/strong> is an ES-platform, 4-cavity machine with a 114.3mm clamping dimension \u2014 capable of containers up to 94mm body diameter and 1,000ml at 4,000 bph. Specifying the model number to the engineering team immediately communicates the complete mechanical configuration.<\/div>\n<\/details>\n
\n\u25b6 \u00a0Can one machine run a 500ml and a 200ml bottle in the same production week?<\/summary>\n
Yes, with a mold changeover between sizes. Both containers must fit within the clamping stroke and cavity spacing of the selected model. On an HGA.ES-4C100 (max 800ml, 80mm body diameter), both a 500ml bottle (~75mm body) and a 200ml bottle (~52mm body) are within the mechanical envelope. PLC product recipes for each container are stored separately and recalled in under 30 seconds \u2014 no additional setup time beyond the physical mold swap.<\/div>\n<\/details>\n
\n\u25b6 \u00a0What is the minimum production run length that makes a mold changeover economically viable?<\/summary>\n
For most personal care cosmetic bottles with ex-works values above $0.10, a minimum run length of 8,000\u201312,000 bottles per changeover keeps the changeover cost below 2% of batch value \u2014 a manageable overhead for B2B packaging contract operations. Below 8,000 bottles per run, the changeover overhead exceeds 3\u20134% of batch value and the economics favor a dedicated single-SKU machine or contract-out to a specialist.<\/div>\n<\/details>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

Ready to size the right machine for your line?<\/p>\n

Submit your container volume, body diameter, neck finish, and weekly production target \u2014 receive a specific model recommendation from the 23-model HGA cosmetic range within 24 hours.<\/p>\n

View Full Specification Table \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cavity count on an injection stretch blow molding machine is not a performance specification \u2014 it is a production planning output. The correct cavity count is the one that matches your actual bottle-per-hour requirement at the right operating efficiency margin, without carrying unnecessary capital cost in excess capacity or running into output shortfalls on peak […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[50,52,51,49],"class_list":["post-1190","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-isbm-machine-blog","tag-bph-calculation-blow-molding","tag-hga-blow-molding-machine-selection","tag-hga-blow-molding-machine-selection-cosmetic-blow-molding-machine-cavities","tag-remove-term-cosmetic-blow-molding-machine-cavities"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ever-powers.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1190","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ever-powers.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ever-powers.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ever-powers.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ever-powers.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1190"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/ever-powers.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1190\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1195,"href":"https:\/\/ever-powers.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1190\/revisions\/1195"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ever-powers.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1190"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ever-powers.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1190"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ever-powers.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1190"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}