UAB „Terekas” expands production in Kretinga

Based in Kretinga, UAB „Terekas”, operating under the FlexBlow brand, develops and manufactures versatile PET blow molding machines and PET preforms. The company combines equipment development, packaging manufacturing technologies, and preform production. This year, it is increasing factory capacity and investing in solutions that allow wider use of recycled plastic, automated quality control of packaging, and smart equipment maintenance.

806 thousand euros for the expansion of preform production. For 806 thousand euros, „Terekas” acquired two new PET preform injection molding machines, including a unit from a Japanese manufacturer. Greater capacities allow preforms manufactured in Kretinga to be supplied quickly and at competitive prices not only to European, but also to American and Australian clients. Following the acquisition of the new equipment, it will be possible to produce an additional 22–25 million PET preforms per year.

One of these machines was acquired as part of an energy efficiency enhancement project completed this year, valued at 557 thousand euros. During this project, a metal milling machine was also added to the factory. The equipment upgrade aimed to use energy more efficiently and reduce the amount of greenhouse gases emitted during the technological process by at least 30 percent.

Production automatically adapting to recycled plastic. When using recycled PET plastic, known as rPET, one of the challenges is the uneven properties of the preforms. As these change, the operator has to monitor production and adjust machine settings.

To automate this task, „Terekas”, together with UAB „Elinta Robotics”, developed equipment that adjusts the manufacturing process based on preset parameters and the quality of the manufactured packaging. This reduces the need for continuous operator intervention. The equipment is designed to work with preforms made of 100 percent recycled PET, and the developed solutions cover the production of containers up to 6 liters in capacity. The value of the project completed this year stands at 1.609 million euros.

The company is also developing a technology to measure bottle wall thickness during production and automatically adjust machine settings upon detecting deviations. Combining optical measurements and artificial intelligence algorithms, the system should help maintain consistent packaging quality, reduce raw material and electrical energy consumption, and ensure more reliable use of recycled plastic. The project, valued at around 968 thousand euros, is scheduled for completion in April 2027.

Artificial intelligence for smarter equipment maintenance. „Terekas” is also investing in technologies that help maintain FlexBlow equipment remotely. Development of the „Smart Diagnostics” solution, begun this year, will combine camera video feeds, machine sensor data, and artificial intelligence analysis. The system is being developed to enable technicians to more accurately assess equipment operation and detect deviations that could affect production earlier. It is expected to provide clients with more prompt technical support, reduce the need for service visits, and help avoid unplanned downtime. The value of this project is approximately 168 thousand euros, with completion planned for July 2027.

Nuotraukose – įmonės vykdantysis direktorius Robertas Bružas su darbuotoju ir nauja įranga