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BMT’s smart prototyping takes centre stage at Drinktec 2025
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Thursday, 21 August, 2025, 13 : 00 PM [IST]
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Oxfordshire, UK
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BMT (Blow Moulding Technologies), a strategic technology partner for packaging, will showcase at Drinktec (C6-531) its Smart prototyping platform, which combines virtual simulation, 3D-printed moulds and lab-scale testing to accelerate and de-risk bottle development.
Yannis Salomeia, BMT CEO and co-founder, said, “In today’s fast-paced, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) market, brands face relentless pressure to bring new packaging to market quickly, making rapid prototyping a standard practice. However, speed alone isn’t enough - designs must be optimised to ensure top bottle performance and deliver an exceptional consumer experience. This is where innovations such as virtual simulation, 3D-printed moulds and lab-scale testing give FMCG manufacturers a decisive competitive edge.”
Smart prototyping follows its ‘measure, digitise, execute’ methodology, focusing on gathering insight rather than relying solely on iterative testing.
By capturing real-time data on temperature, pressure, and material behaviour, it enables manufacturers to optimise preform geometry, material selection and processing parameters long before mass production.
The prototyping utilises two core technologies, Blowscan and Thermoscan, which work in tandem with new techniques - including preferential heating and balayage - to deliver unparalleled insights that allow for control over preform temperature and material distribution.
Its signature Stretch Blow Moulding (SBM) simulation uses advanced material models to assess new designs from preform to final bottle before any physical prototype is made. Engineers can predict bottle formation, identify areas for optimisation, and verify performance virtually. By making smart decisions at this stage, costly modifications later in the process are avoided.
Small batches of bottles are produced under controlled conditions using its Blowscan, a lab-scale SBM machine. With Thermoscan technology, the full temperature profile of the preform is captured. At the same time, pressure data and material distribution are tracked in real time, providing a detailed picture of how the bottle is formed.
By using 3D-printed moulds, it cuts the time from concept to prototype from weeks to just days. The tooling is designed to integrate seamlessly with Blowscan, enabling fast turnaround, rapid testing and design iterations while generating valuable performance data to guide final production decisions.
Comparative studies confirm that 3D-printed moulds used with Blowscan deliver bottles that match production-grade quality while dramatically reducing prototyping time.
Jude Cameron, project lead at BMT, said, “These enhancements reinforce our mission to deliver actionable insights, not just speed. With Smart prototyping, manufacturers can progress from concept to validated design in a matter of days - reducing costs, mitigating risks and accelerating time to market with greater confidence.”
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