On a line pushing 1,000–1,800 bottles per hour, the heating tunnel is where uptime lives or dies. If the preform temperature starts drifting, you get flash, wall thinning, and off-spec weights. When the original heater lamp ages, recovery drags out, and you end up chasing setpoints instead of running clean.
What actually matters under the hood
The Krones Contiform Pro heater lamp is a short-wave infrared emitter built around a quartz tube and a halogen filament, and it’s engineered to match the Contiform Pro heating zone geometry. The numbers are straightforward: 230 V, 1.0–1.5 kW per lamp, with an R7s connector and a compact length that drops straight into the OEM reflector and mounting clips. That design gives you fast start-up, tight thermal response, and repeatable output across the preform heating curve.
Why this lamp belongs on a Contiform Pro
Stretch blow molding doesn’t forgive uneven preform surface temperature before the stretch rod and blow pin do their work. This lamp brings the heating profile back to the original spec, so the machine can hold the target cycle without over-heating or compensating. In real life, you see fewer rejects from cosmetic issues and more consistent bottle weight. Energy use drops, too, because the emitter hits the required temperature and holds it without pulling excess current. And because replacement intervals stretch compared with lower-grade lamps, you cut downtime and maintenance labor where it actually counts.
What you need to watch on install and in the tunnel
Installation is simple, but the lamp has to sit correctly in the R7s socket and stay aligned inside the reflector. Misalignment means uneven heating and a shortened lamp life. Verify voltage at the terminal, and keep the heating tunnel clean—dust and bottle residue will absorb IR and throw off the profile. Expect a warm-up period before thermal stability settles in, and make sure the controller PID settings match the Contiform Pro’s heating strategy.