Provided is a device for forming plastic preforms into plastic containers, having a feed device for feeding the plastic preforms to the device, at least one first preform store, a multiplicity of plastic preforms being arranged unsorted in the preform store, and having an alignment device for bringing the plastic preforms into a predetermined position before feeding them to the device. The device includes at least a second preform store, wherein a plurality of plastic preforms of exactly one production batch can be accommodated in each preform store.

The invention concerns a method of blowing and filling a container (120) from a preform, the method comprising: —placing a preform within a mold (140), —stretching the preform —injecting a liquid into the preform after the stretching has started so as to cause expansion of the preform within the mold, thereby obtaining a blown and filled container (120), —capping the blown and filled container (120).

A container manufacturing plant (10) includes an air circuit (78) employing a recycling method that includes at least the successive steps of: extracting filtered air from an oven (26), after the air has been used in the latter, for the purpose of cooling at least one part of the preforms; treating the sterilizing agent present in the extracted air resulting from the sterilization of the preforms; and recycling the extracted and treated air to the industrial area (16) where the plant (10) is installed. An air recycling method is also described.

A balloon in which a rupture in a circumferential direction can be prevented from occurring, and a method of manufacturing the same is disclosed. The balloon is configured to be arranged on a medical catheter, and includes a dilatable cylindrical portion formed with a birefringent polymer material. A ratio of the number of orientation distributions, calculated by dividing the number of orientation distributions of the cylindrical portion in a circumferential direction by the number of orientation distributions of the cylindrical portion in an axial direction, is less than 2.

A balloon in which a rupture in a circumferential direction can be prevented from occurring, and a method of manufacturing the same is disclosed. The balloon is configured to be arranged on a medical catheter, and includes a dilatable cylindrical portion formed with a birefringent polymer material. A ratio of the number of orientation distributions, calculated by dividing the number of orientation distributions of the cylindrical portion in a circumferential direction by the number of orientation distributions of the cylindrical portion in an axial direction, is less than 2.

Apparatus for producing plastic containers has a heating device having a transport device for transporting the plastic preforms singly along a predefined transport path. The transport device has a plurality of holding devices for holding the plastic preforms, and at least one heating unit for heating the plastic preforms, wherein furthermore a rotating device is provided which rotates the plastic preforms held by the holding devices and is connected to a forming device, which transforms the plastic preforms transported by the heating device into plastic containers. The apparatus has an alignment device which enables alignment of the rotational position of the plastic preforms with respect to their longitudinal direction relative to the holding devices holding these plastic preforms and/or the apparatus has a rotational position alignment device arranged along the transport path which enables alignment of a rotational position of the holding devices with the plastic preforms arranged thereon.

Disclosed is a method for heating plastic preforms, wherein the plastic preforms are transported along a predetermined transport path and are heated during this transport by applying electromagnetic radiation, wherein an absorption and/or transmission of the plastic preforms is determined for radiation in an infrared wavelength range, wherein an absorption and/or transmission of the plastic preforms and/or of the plastic containers produced from these plastic preforms is determined for radiation in a visible wavelength range.

An injection blow molding apparatus comprises: a first oil supply section which has a hydraulic drive source composed of a drive motor, whose number of revolutions can be controlled, and a hydraulic pump and which supplies oil from an oil tank to an injection mold drive unit provided in an injection mold unit; and a second oil supply section which has a hydraulic drive source composed of a drive motor, whose number of revolutions can be controlled, and a hydraulic pump and which supplies oil from the oil tank to a blow mold drive unit provided in a blow mold unit, the second oil supply section being provided independently of the first oil supply section.

An injection blow molding apparatus comprises: a first oil supply section which has a hydraulic drive source composed of a drive motor, whose number of revolutions can be controlled, and a hydraulic pump and which supplies oil from an oil tank to an injection mold drive unit provided in an injection mold unit; and a second oil supply section which has a hydraulic drive source composed of a drive motor, whose number of revolutions can be controlled, and a hydraulic pump and which supplies oil from the oil tank to a blow mold drive unit provided in a blow mold unit, the second oil supply section being provided independently of the first oil supply section.

A system for forming a container from a preform includes a first mold having a plurality of first portions that cooperate to define a first internal surface against which the preform is blown for forming a first form. The system also includes a second mold having a plurality of second portions that cooperate to define a second internal surface against which the first form is blown for forming a second form. Also, the system includes a mold servo motor that actuates the plurality of first portions relative to each other and/or actuates the plurality of second portions relative to each other. Furthermore, the system includes a controller that controls the mold servo motor for controlled actuation of the plurality of first portions and/or the plurality of second portions.