Dutch Tides: PF1-XL-6022 for Large-Format Horticulture Tray Production

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Dutch Tides: PF1-XL-6022 for Large-Format Horticulture Tray ProductionArchive entry · Jan 15, 2023Historical content; not current machine specifications or a production guarantee.How a Netherlands-based horticulture company partnered with Machinecraft to produce 6-metre flood trays on the PF1-XL-6022 — the largest single-station vacuum forming machine in the Machinecraft range.When Dutch Tides, a Netherlands-based horticulture infrastructure company, needed to produce large-format flood trays for hydroponic growing systems, they turned to Machinecraft for a machine capable of handling their extreme forming requirements. The result was the PF1-XL-6022 — a 6000 × 2200 mm vacuum forming machine that remains one of the largest single-station thermoforming machines ever built in India.The ChallengeHydroponic flood trays present a unique set of thermoforming challenges. The trays must be large enough to accommodate full growing rows — Dutch Tides required trays up to 5800 × 2000 mm in finished size. The material of choice was HDPE (High Density Polyethylene), chosen for its chemical resistance to nutrient solutions, UV stability, and long service life in greenhouse environments. HDPE is notoriously difficult to thermoform at large scale: it has a narrow forming window, sags aggressively during heating, and requires precise temperature control to avoid stress whitening and uneven wall thickness.The Machine: PF1-XL-6022Machinecraft engineered the PF1-XL-6022 specifically for this application. Key design features included:

Closed Chamber Design with Pre-Blow: The sealed forming chamber allows compressed air pre-blow from below the sheet, creating a controlled bubble that pre-stretches the HDPE before vacuum forming. This is critical for achieving uniform wall thickness across a 6-metre forming area.

Zero-Sag Control: Three photocell sag sensors monitor the sheet during the heating cycle, automatically adjusting heater output to prevent excessive droop — essential for HDPE at this scale.

Top + Bottom IR Ceramic Heater Banks: Dual heater ovens with individual zone control across the full 6 × 2.2 m area. The bottom heater retracts downward during the sag phase to provide clearance for controlled sheet droop.

Servo-Driven Forming Table: A servo motor drives the forming table with programmable speed and acceleration profiles, ensuring precise mold contact and consistent part geometry.

Universal Motorised Aperture: Motorised clamp frame adjustment allows the machine to process different tray sizes without manual frame repositioning.

Production ResultsThe PF1-XL-6022 was installed at Dutch Tides’ production facility and commissioned within the agreed timeline. The machine produces flood trays with consistent wall thickness distribution, achieving the dimensional tolerances required for stacking and greenhouse installation. Cycle time for a standard 5800 × 1900 mm HDPE flood tray at 4 mm thickness is approximately 6–8 minutes, enabling production of 80–100 trays per shift.The installation at Dutch Tides demonstrated Machinecraft’s capability to engineer and deliver extra-large format thermoforming machines for demanding industrial applications — and established the PF1-XL series as a proven platform for horticulture, agriculture, and large-format industrial forming.About the PF1-XL SeriesThe PF1-XL series extends the PF1-X platform to forming areas from 3000 × 2000 mm up to 6000 × 2200 mm. All models feature the same closed-chamber servo-driven design as the standard PF1-X, with additional structural reinforcement, extended heater banks, and heavy-duty vacuum systems sized for the larger forming area. The PF1-XL is the machine of choice for pickup truck bed-liners, wind turbine nacelle covers, large agricultural equipment panels, and horticulture infrastructure.Browse all archive entries