Any line manager running a blow molder has felt that familiar sink—when the heating section starts to drift. Preforms that once hit the right stretch ratio suddenly show thin walls or stress marks. The heat across the tunnel goes uneven, and you spend more time chasing rejects than running full cycles. On a Sidel SBO, the heating system is the heartbeat of stretch blow molding. When the lamps underperform, the whole line pays for it—scrap, slow speed, and unplanned stops. We built the SBO heater lamp replacement kits to fix the headaches that actually show up on the plant floor: inconsistent preform heating, short lamp life, and the drag of extended downtime. The goal is simple—get the heat profile back to the OEM intent, restore repeatability, and keep your SBO running at the speed it was designed for.
What matters, technically
On a Sidel SBO, heating performance comes down to matching infrared output, geometry, and the electrical interface. Swapping a lamp isn’t just changing a bulb—you’re restoring a thermal system. Our SBO replacement lamps are direct-fit emitters engineered to match the OEM heating architecture. They’re built around the SBO heating tunnel layout, with these core specs:
- **Infrared spectrum:**Short-wave infrared (tungsten filament) for fast, controllable heat response in the preform heating zones.
- **Wattage and voltage:**Matched to the SBO heater zone power design, so the control loop sees the same load behavior it expects.
- **Dimensions and geometry:**Lamp length and hot-zone profile aligned to the reflector and heating window, so the energy lands where the preform needs it.
- **Connector type:**Correct high-temperature connector commonly used on SBO machines—often an R7s-based interface—so you can replace quickly without messing with field wiring.
- **Materials:**Quartz envelopes built to handle thermal shock and hold stable output across repeated heating cycles. Why those choices matter: preform heating needs fast response and stable output. Short-wave infrared delivers both—rapid warm-up at startup and tight control during the cycle. If geometry or wattage is off, you get hot spots, cold edges, or a control loop that hunts for setpoint. That translates straight to inconsistent bottle weight, wall thickness variation, and more scrap.
Why this works on an SBO
The SBO heating tunnel is a balancing act. You need enough energy to soften the PET uniformly, but not so much that you drive crystallization or degradation. As original lamps age, output drops and the balance shifts. Operators compensate by slowing the line or nudging setpoints up. Then you lose output and stability. A proper SBO heater lamp replacement brings the system back to the intended thermal behavior.
- **Fewer unplanned stops:**The right connector and fitment cuts down on time spent troubleshooting loose terminals, mismatched parts, and unstable heating.
- **Less heating-related scrap:**Restoring the designed heat profile improves temperature uniformity across the preform, so stretch and blow are more consistent.
- **Faster return to full speed:**When the lamps match the SBO’s thermal expectations, the machine can run the intended cycle rate without chasing temperature drift.
- **Predictable maintenance:**A scheduled lamp swap is cheaper than an emergency one. With matched lamps, you can plan replacements during planned stops, not during production panic. It isn’t about specs on paper. It’s about fewer interruptions, less scrap, and a heating section that behaves the same shift after shift.
What to watch for
A heater lamp replacement is only as good as the install details and the operating conditions. Here’s what we see in the field that you should plan for.
- **Match the lamp to the zone.**The SBO tunnel has zones with different roles. Don’t assume one lamp fits all positions. Use the correct wattage and geometry per zone to keep the intended heat profile.
- **Check the reflector.**A new lamp behind a worn or oxidized reflector will still lose efficiency. Replace reflectors when you replace lamps, or clean and inspect them in the same maintenance window.
- **Handle clean and dry.**Quartz lamps are tough, but contamination matters. Oils and residues create hot spots and shorten life. Use clean gloves, keep terminals dry, and don’t touch the quartz surface.
- **Confirm electrical compatibility before energizing.**Verify voltage and connector alignment against the machine tag and lamp spec. A mismatch can damage the lamp and the heater circuit.
- **Expect a short burn-in.**New lamps settle into stable output after the first few hours. Monitor temperature stability, make small setpoint tweaks if needed, then lock the profile. If you’re still chasing heating drift, running at reduced speed, or paying for emergency maintenance because the lamps don’t match the SBO design, treat the heater as a system—not a consumable. Specify replacement lamps that align with the SBO heating tunnel requirements, install them cleanly, and you’ve removed one variable that fights your production plan. When the heat is right, the line runs right.