An apparatus for forming plastic preforms into plastic containers, having a transport device which transports the plastic preforms to be formed along a predetermined transport path, wherein the transport device has a rotatable transport carrier wherein a plurality of forming stations are arranged. The forming stations each have blow-molding devices within which the plastic preforms can be formed into the plastic containers by applying a flowable medium. The forming stations each have application devices for applying the flowable medium to the plastic preforms, and the apparatus has a feed device for feeding plastic preforms to be formed to the transport apparatus, and a discharge device for discharging formed containers from the transport device. The apparatus has a clean room within which the plastic preforms or the plastic containers are transported at least sectionally. The apparatus has an ejection device to eject plastic preforms or plastic containers from the transport path.

A laser processing method includes: marking multiple concaves on a surface of a preform before blow molding.

The disclosure relates to a plant for producing and treating containers, comprising: a preform production machine for producing preforms, in particular an injection-molding machine; at least one container production unit for producing containers from the preforms; at least one container treatment unit, arranged downstream of the container production unit, for treating the containers produced in the container production unit; a cooling unit for cooling the containers produced in the container production unit, wherein the cooling unit is arranged downstream of the container production unit, and wherein the cooling unit is configured to cool the produced containers, in particular the bottoms of the produced containers, with a cooling medium as a function of control parameters of the preform production machine and/or as a function of control parameters of the container production unit and/or as a function of the container treatment unit.

A thermoplastic resin is molded to define a container bearing a surface 2D code signal, such as a digital watermark pattern. In some arrangements, the mold dimensions are tailored, and process parameters are selected, so that an indentation in the mold gives rise to a corresponding indentationrather than a corresponding protrusionin the shaped plastic. In other arrangements, a metal mold is provided with a patterned resin on its surface to define the 2D code signal. The resin may take the form of a rigid or non-rigid insert that can be removed or re-worked to change the code signal without changing the metal mold. A variety of other improvements and arrangements are also detailed.

A resin container manufacturing method includes: forming a first pattern on a preform of a resin container; and forming a second pattern on the preform based on a position of the first pattern on the preform.

A thermoplastic resin is molded to define a container bearing a surface 2D code signal, such as a digital watermark pattern. In some arrangements, the mold dimensions are tailored, and process parameters are selected, so that an indentation in the mold gives rise to a corresponding indentationrather than a corresponding protrusionin the shaped plastic. In other arrangements, a metal mold is provided with a patterned resin on its surface to define the 2D code signal. The resin may take the form of a rigid or non-rigid insert that can be removed or re-worked to change the code signal without changing the metal mold. A variety of other improvements and arrangements are also detailed.

A container treatment system includes a manufacturing machine for preforms, a blow molding machine, and at least one heat recovery device. A first process medium can be supplied from the manufacturing machine and/or the blow molding machine to a first heat recovery device. Heat can be exchanged between the first process medium and a second process medium of the container treatment system using the first heat recovery device.