An inductively heated mold system enables rapid heating of the mold and rapid cooling to reduce thermal cycling times by employing an inductive coil in a heater module that inductively heats a ferromagnetic layer configured on the mold body, such as around the outside perimeter of the mold body. A cooling channel may be configured between the inductive coil and the ferromagnetic layer on the mold body to allow a fluid to be passed between the mold body and the heater module to rapidly cool the mold body for removal of the molded part. A plurality of heater modules may be employed that can be coupled together such that the cooling fluid passes through the coupled cooling channels from one module to a second module. In this way heater modules can be combined to provide an inductively heated mold system for a variety of mold body sizes, or lengths.

An inductively heated mold system enables rapid heating of the mold and rapid cooling to reduce thermal cycling times by employing an inductive coil in a heater module that inductively heats a ferromagnetic layer configured on the mold body, such as around the outside perimeter of the mold body. A cooling channel may be configured between the inductive coil and the ferromagnetic layer on the mold body to allow a fluid to be passed between the mold body and the heater module to rapidly cool the mold body for removal of the molded part. A plurality of heater modules may be employed that can be coupled together such that the cooling fluid passes through the coupled cooling channels from one module to a second module. In this way heater modules can be combined to provide an inductively heated mold system for a variety of mold body sizes, or lengths.

The invention provides a mould core and injection moulding apparatus for the production of a preform using a mould core which in the zone for defining the neck part of the preform comprises a combination of a raised portion and a shallow groove with a depth of 0.01 to 1 mm provided in the raised portion, for defining an internal attachment means in the neck of the preform. The invention also provides a preform and a container made from the preform, with internal attachment means in the neck. The internal attachment means is carried out rotation symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis of the preform. The combinations with an insert piece, preferably a pouring spout, flexible hose or dosing cap, have also been described. Furthermore, the invention provides an injection moulding method for the preform production and a stretch blow moulding method for the container production.

The invention provides a mould core and injection moulding apparatus for the production of a preform using a mould core which in the zone for defining the neck part of the preform comprises a combination of a raised portion and a shallow groove with a depth of 0.01 to 1 mm provided in the raised portion, for defining an internal attachment means in the neck of the preform. The invention also provides a preform and a container made from the preform, with internal attachment means in the neck. The internal attachment means is carried out rotation symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis of the preform. The combinations with an insert piece, preferably a pouring spout, flexible hose or dosing cap, have also been described. Furthermore, the invention provides an injection moulding method for the preform production and a stretch blow moulding method for the container production.

A method comprises the following steps: providing a pre-processed element made of at least one polymeric material, introducing the pre-processed element in a female mould part having a forming cavity, shaping the pre-processed element between the female mould part and a male mould part, the female mould part and the male mould part being movable relative to one another along a moulding direction so as to form a concave object from the pre-processed element. The forming cavity has a transversal dimension measured transversely relative to the moulding direction, the forming cavity further having a transition zone in which the transversal dimension passes from a larger value to a smaller value, the forming cavity further having a bottom. During the introducing step, the pre-processed element is placed on the transition zone, so that the pre-processed element rests on the transition zone at a distance from the bottom of the forming cavity.

A method comprises the following steps: providing a pre-processed element made of at least one polymeric material, introducing the pre-processed element in a female mould part having a forming cavity, shaping the pre-processed element between the female mould part and a male mould part, the female mould part and the male mould part being movable relative to one another along a moulding direction so as to form a concave object from the pre-processed element. The forming cavity has a transversal dimension measured transversely relative to the moulding direction, the forming cavity further having a transition zone in which the transversal dimension passes from a larger value to a smaller value, the forming cavity further having a bottom. During the introducing step, the pre-processed element is placed on the transition zone, so that the pre-processed element rests on the transition zone at a distance from the bottom of the forming cavity.

A preform configured to form a container by stretch blow molding. A finish portion of the preform is at a first end of the preform. The finish portion is a container finish of the container. A support flange is at the finish portion. A tip portion is at a second end of the preform opposite to the first end and is configured to form a container base. A neck portion is adjacent to the support flange, and is configured to form a neck portion. An external stretch radius is at an outer surface of the neck portion. An internal stretch radius is at an inner surface of the neck portion. A first distance is between the internal stretch radius and the external stretch radius and is equal to, or greater than, four times a second distance between the external stretch radius and the support flange.

When a hollow molded body using a preform to be molded with a thin bottom portion is produced while taking advantage of the roughening of the outer surface of an injection core mold, transferred roughening marks are prevented from appearing on the bottom portion of hollow molded bodies, so that the hollow molded body with an aesthetic bottom portion is obtained. An injection core mold (12) has an outer surface of its tip portion corresponding to a preform bottom portion (10) and a lower end portion (14a) of a preform body portion (14). The outer surface corresponding to the preform bottom portion (10) and the lower end portion (14a) of the preform body portion (14) is a mirror-finished surface (20), and the outer surface of the injection core mold for forming the preform other than the mirror-finished surface is a roughened surface (15).

A preform for multilayer container having a polyethylene furanoate layer includes an outer layer defining an exterior surface and including poly(ethylene terephthalate) and an inner barrier layer including semi-crystalline poly(ethylene furanoate) where the semi-crystalline poly(ethylene furanoate) of the inner barrier layer has a crystallinity in the range of 3 to 10%.

A preform for multilayer container having a polyethylene furanoate layer includes an outer layer defining an exterior surface and including poly(ethylene terephthalate) and an inner barrier layer including semi-crystalline poly(ethylene furanoate) where the semi-crystalline poly(ethylene furanoate) of the inner barrier layer has a crystallinity in the range of 3 to 10%.