An apparatus for forming plastic preforms into plastic containers, includes at least one forming station which forms the plastic preforms into the plastic containers by applying a flowable medium to the plastic preforms, wherein the forming station comprises a blow mold (26), and a rod-like body which is insertable into the plastic preforms via a mouth of the plastic preforms, and a moving device which is configured for moving the rod-like body in the longitudinal direction of the plastic performs. The rod-like body has a channel for guiding the flowable medium, and the forming station has a valve device controlling the supply of the flowable medium into the channel. The said valve device is arranged on the moving device and/or a ratio between an inner diameter of the rod-like body and an outer diameter of said rod-like body is, at least in sections, smaller than or equal to 0.5.

Ways for simultaneously forming and filling a container are provided. A hydraulic intensifier (60) receives a first liquid (18) and dispenses the first liquid (18) at a first pressure, where a moveable member (62) having a first surface (64) contacts the first liquid (18) and a second surface (66) contacts a second liquid (68). The second liquid (68) provides a second pressure on the second surface (66) so that the first pressure is applied to the first liquid (18) by the first surface (64). The first surface (64) has a smaller area than the second surface (66) and the first pressure is greater than the second pressure. A blow nozzle (22) transfers the first liquid (18) at the first pressure into a preform (12) within a mold cavity (16) to urge the preform (12) to expand toward an internal surface (34) of the mold cavity (16) and form a resultant container. The first liquid (18) remains within the container as an end product.

Systems and methods for making a reduced material container (105) are provided that hold a preform (130) adjacent to an open end (165) of the preform (130), stretch the preform (130), close a mold (110, 120) about the stretched preform (175) to form a truncated preform (185), and introduce a pressurized fluid (160) into the truncated preform (185) to expand the truncated preform (185) and form the reduced material container (105). A stretch rod (125) can be inserted into the preform (130) to mechanically stretching the preform (130). The mold (110, 120) accepts the preform (130) at a first end (135) thereof, has an open state and a closed state, and the closed state forms a cavity (140) defining an internal surface (145) having a second end (150) located remotely from the first end (135). A first length (155) is defined by a distance between the first end (135) and the second end (150), the stretch rod (125) mechanically stretching the preform (130) to a second length (170), the second length (170) being greater than the first length (155).

Methods and systems for simultaneously forming and filling a container from a preform with fluid, adjusting a fill point of the fluid, and removing air and/or foam from within the container. One of the methods includes injecting fluid from a fill source into the preform through a nozzle passage defined between the nozzle and a seal pin of the forming and filling system to simultaneously form the container from the preform and fill the container. After the container is formed and filled, the seal pin is actuated to close the nozzle passage and prevent fluid and air from exiting the container through the nozzle passage, thereby trapping fluid and air within the container under pressure. Air, fluid, and/or foam is extracted out from within the container through a passageway defined within a stretch rod to adjust a fill point of the container.

A liquid container manufacturing method includes: a liquid blow molding step of molding a preform into a liquid container; and a headspace formation step of forming a headspace, by discharging, in a state in which a liquid supply path is closed, a liquid out of the liquid container through a discharge port, the discharge accomplished by drawing-in by a liquid drawing source. In the headspace formation step, a pressurized gas is supplied from a pressurized gas supply source into the liquid container through a gas supply port to thereby assist the discharge, by the drawing-in, of the liquid out of the liquid container through the discharge port, and, when a pressure in a discharge path has increased to a set value, the supply of the pressurized gas by the pressurized gas supply source is stopped.

In a liquid container manufacturing method, a nozzle unit includes a flow path that is configured to be opened and closed by a valve embedded in a blow nozzle, and a seal pin arranged in a pin accommodating space included in the flow path has a protruding portion configured to enter a communication space in a closed state of the valve. The liquid container manufacturing method includes a liquid blow molding step of molding a preform into the liquid container, by supplying, to an interior of the preform, a pressurized liquid.

Method of manufacturing containers by blow-molding in a mold starting from a plastic blank, involving, when manufacturing a container: —a step of introducing a blank into a mold; —at least a step of placing the inside of the blank in communication with at least one fluid circuit by an solenoid valve associated with the circuit; —at a predetermined moment, referred to as the solenoid valve opening pulse (TEV1; . . . ; TEV4), sending a command to open to the solenoid valve which has a theoretical opening delay (Dt1; . . . ; Dt4), the method including steps involving: —calculating the actual opening delay (De1; . . . ; De4) of the solenoid valve; —calculating a difference (Δt1; . . . ; Δt4) between the actual opening delay (De1; . . . ; De4) and the theoretical opening delay (Dt1; . . . ; Dt4); and—if the calculated difference is greater than a maximum permissible difference, emitting notification that a maximum permissible difference has been exceed.

When an injection stretch blow molding machine in which the molding cycle is tried to be shortened manufactures hollow molded bodies, blow molding in which shaping and cooling are simultaneously performed by blowing compressed air from a single compressed air supply source while discharging compressed air is performed to achieve energy saving for manufacturing hollow molded bodies.

A blowing apparatus 10 of a stretch blow molding apparatus 11 includes a compressed air supply source 32 configured to send out compressed air adjusted to have an air pressure at which an object to be shaped e is inflated to be shaped into a hollow molded body, an inflow passage 33 through which the compressed air from the compressed air supply source 32 flows to the internal space of the object to be shaped e disposed in a blow mold 8, and a non-closed outflow passage 34 through which the compressed air flows out from the internal space of the object to be shaped e to a discharging space outside the blow mold. In the entire process of the blowing operation by the blowing apparatus 10, a compressed air flow passage 36 is formed through which the compressed air from the compressed air supply source 32 flows through the inflow passage 33 and the internal space of the object to be shaped e and through the outflow passage 34 into the discharging space. Shaping and cooling are simultaneously performed by blowing the compressed air adjusted to have an air pressure at which the object to be shaped e being in the form of a preform is inflated to be shaped into the hollow molded body throughout the entire process of the blowing operation.

Process for aseptically forming containers (100) starting from parisons made of thermoplastic material, comprising the steps of: injecting sterile compressed air inside a parison arranged in a stretch-blowing forming mould (2) so as to obtain a container (100); evacuating the exhaust compressed air from the formed container (100); making at least a part of the exhaust compressed air evacuated from the formed container (100) passing through a sterile filter (SF) so as to obtain recovery sterile air; injecting the recovery sterile air in another parison arranged in another forming mould (2).

To simply sterilize a blow-molding machine. A mist or gas of hydrogen peroxide or a mixture thereof is introduced through a valve block disposed adjacent to a molding die, thereby sterilizing at least the molding die and an extension rod that extends into the molding die through the valve block.