Blow molder system and associated method optimizes the performance, energy efficiency and/or operating costs of the blow molder. A blow molder controller executes a system model that relates blow molder input parameter changes to the characteristics of containers generated by the blow molder. Equipped with energy and/or operating cost data for operating the blow molder, the blow molder controller can select a set of blow molder input parameter changes for the blow molder that: drives the containers produced by the blow molder toward desired container characteristics, in an efficient amount of time, and in cost effective manner, considering the energy costs involved in implementing the changes.

Blow molder system and associated method optimizes the performance, energy efficiency and/or operating costs of the blow molder. A blow molder controller executes a system model that relates blow molder input parameter changes to the characteristics of containers generated by the blow molder. Equipped with energy and/or operating cost data for operating the blow molder, the blow molder controller can select a set of blow molder input parameter changes for the blow molder that: drives the containers produced by the blow molder toward desired container characteristics, in an efficient amount of time, and in cost effective manner, considering the energy costs involved in implementing the changes.

A heating unit for heating preforms made of plastics material and having a flange separating a body and neck. The heating unit comprising a plurality of supports, each bearing a gripping member for gripping the preforms. The supports are movable in the heating unit such that each gripping member moves along a conveying path of the preforms. The heating unit also comprises a plurality of shells secured to the supports, where each shell is connected to one or more supports by an actuating member. The actuating member is mounted on said support to pivot about an axis situated at a distance from the conveying path of the preforms. The heating unit further comprising means for pivoting the actuating member to drive the shell from an open position to a protection position when the support to which said shell is connected is passing from an admission/releasing zone to a holding zone.

There is provided a cooling mold unit for cooling a preform that has been injection-molded, the preform having a bottomed shape and made of a resin, the cooling mold unit including a core mold having an outer shape corresponding to an inner shape of the preform, and being insertable into the preform, in which an exhaust port configured to discharge air from an inside of the preform through an inside of the core mold is provided at a tip end portion of the core mold facing a bottom portion of the preform.

There is provided a cooling mold unit for cooling a preform that has been injection-molded, the preform having a bottomed shape and made of a resin, the cooling mold unit including a core mold having an outer shape corresponding to an inner shape of the preform, and being insertable into the preform, in which an exhaust port configured to discharge air from an inside of the preform through an inside of the core mold is provided at a tip end portion of the core mold facing a bottom portion of the preform.

A method for operating a heating device for thermal conditioning preforms made of a thermoplastic material in which each respective one of the preforms is prepared for a subsequent forming process during which the preforms are formed into containers with a forming fluid fed under pressure into the preforms. The heating device is operated in at least a first operating state and a second operating state. The second operating state is a startup phase of the heating device during which a temperature of the heating device approaches an equilibrium temperature of a thermodynamically stable equilibrium state of the heating device. The first operating state is a continuous operation state following the startup phase. The second operating state is operated with a heating output value that varies over time. Furthermore, the invention relates to a heating device and a machine having a heating device, which are configured to implement the method.

In a method for manufacturing a resin container, in the adjusting the temperature of the preform, the preform is accommodated in a cavity mold, a refrigerant introduction member is inserted into the preform, the refrigerant introduction member including a first flow path and a second flow path which are different in introduction or discharge position of a refrigerant, the preform is cooled by bringing the preform into close contact with an inner wall of the cavity mold at a pressure of the refrigerant introduced from the refrigerant introduction member. When the preform is cooled, cooling is performed by switching between a first cooling blow for introducing the refrigerant from the first flow path and discharging the refrigerant from the second flow path and a second cooling blow for introducing the refrigerant from the second flow path and discharging the refrigerant from the first flow path.

A system (1) for producing thermoplastic material bottles (5), the system (1) comprising in sequence: an extruder (10); a molding apparatus (20) for producing preforms; a thermal conditioning apparatus (30) for thermally conditioning the preforms; a blowing apparatus (40) for producing bottles (5) from the preforms; a pulsed light irradiation apparatus (50, 55, 60, 70); an aseptic filling and capping apparatus (80).

A system for molding an object includes an articulated mold having an axis and a plurality of mold portions configured to collectively define a molding cavity for shaping the object when arranged in respective molding positions. The system includes a plurality of actuators, each operatively coupled to a respective mold portion and configured to move the respective mold portion along the axis from the respective molding position toward a respective ejecting position for releasing the object. The system includes a controller in communication with each of the plurality of actuators and configured to independently activate each of the plurality of actuators such that one of the plurality of mold portions moves along the axis from the respective molding position toward the respective ejecting position while at least one other of the plurality of mold portions remains stationary relative to the object in order to at least partially support the object.

The invention relates to a method for processing plastic preforms (10) and/or plastic containers (20) by means of at least one first processing apparatus (2), which processes the plastic containers (10, 20) in a first specified manner, and by means of at least one second processing apparatus (4), which processes the plastic containers (10, 20) in a second specified manner and which is arranged before or after the first processing apparatus (2), wherein the plastic containers (10, 20) are transported from one processing apparatus (2, 4) to the other processing apparatus (2, 4) by means of a transport apparatus (5) and the at least first processing apparatus (2) and the at least second processing apparatus (4) are coupled to each other, the first treatment apparatus (2) is a blow-molding machine (25) for shaping plastic preforms (10) to form plastic containers (20), and the process speed of the blow-molding machine (25) is defined by means of a specification, which contains a plurality of process parameters that are characteristic of the shaping process. According to the invention, the process parameters associated with at least one further process speed are at least partially determined on the basis of at least two key specifications, such that the adaptation of the process speed of the blow-molding machine (25) to a speed of at least one further processing apparatus (2, 4) is enabled and/or adjustment of the speed is possible.