An actuator system for use in a mold system includes a first actuator operatively coupled to a first mold portion and configured to move the first mold portion along an axis in a first direction from a first molding position toward a first ejecting position. The system also includes a second actuator operatively coupled to a second mold portion and configured to move the second mold portion along the axis in the first direction from a second molding position toward a second ejecting position. The system further includes a controller in communication with the first and second actuators and configured to independently activate the first and second actuators.

A system for direct injection of selected thermal-infrared (IR) wavelength radiation or energy into articles for a wide range of processing purposes is provided. These purposes may include heating, raising or maintaining the temperature of articles, or stimulating a target item in a range of different industrial, medical, consumer, or commercial circumstances. The system is especially applicable to operations that require or benefit from the ability to irradiate at specifically selected wavelengths or to pulse or inject the radiation. The system is particularly advantageous when functioning at higher speeds and in a non-contact environment with the target.

The invention relates to a method for operating a temperature control device (116) for the thermal conditioning of preforms (14) made of a thermoplastic material in the temperature control device (116), wherein the respective preform (14) is prepared by the thermal conditioning in the temperature control device (116) for a subsequent forming procedure, in which the preform (14) is formed into a container (12) using a forming fluid supplied under a pressure into the preform (14) and in which the preform (14) is stretched in its axial direction by a stretching unit (11), wherein the temperature control device (116) is regulated in its heating power by a heating regulator (400, B) on the basis of a metrologically determined guide value, and is characterized in that a guide value is metrologically detected, from which the stretching force exerted on the preform (14) is derivable. Furthermore, the invention relates to a temperature control device (116) for the thermal conditioning of preforms (14) made of a thermoplastic material which is regulated on the basis of the guide value, wherein the guide value is derived from the stretching force exerted by the stretching unit (11). Finally, the invention relates to a container production machine having a temperature control device as defined above.

A method for correcting non-rigid thin-walled tubular elements having geometric deficiencies, wherein, following correction, the tubular elements may perform over a wide range of pressure and temperatures, for example as a rocket motor beaker, from about −70 C to about 1000 C. Correction is required to remove asperities, maximize cylindricity, squaring a forward end wall and a rearward end wall, so that the forward end wall of the tube product may be fitted, bonded and sealed to a circular planar element using a labyrinth-joint closure. The method provides uniformity so that both the tubular elements and the circular planar elements are interchangeably uniform in size, shape and performance, and may be readily assembled into non-rigid thin-walled tube products.

Method for thermal conditioning, within a thermal conditioning unit that is equipped with a row of adjacent emitters that each comprise a number of monochromatic electromagnetic-radiation sources, of a queue of preforms of containers having a head preform or a tail preform, with this method comprising the following operations: Periodically determining the position of the head preform, or, respectively, of the tail preform; As the queue of preforms moves along, gradually igniting the emitters that are located downstream and in the vicinity of the head preform or, respectively, gradually extinguishing the emitters that are located upstream and in the vicinity of the tail preform.

Methods and systems are provided for heating a dielectric preform material. An exemplary method includes inserting the preform material into a microwave cavity along a longitudinal axis of the microwave cavity and supplying the microwave cavity with microwave power having a frequency that corresponds to an axial wavelength along the longitudinal axis of the microwave cavity. The axial wavelength is greater than a length of the preform material along the longitudinal axis. The method includes heating the preform material within the microwave cavity by the microwave power and determining temperatures of the preform material at one or more locations on a surface of the preform material. The method further includes adjusting, based on the temperatures of the preform material, the microwave frequency to achieve substantially uniform heating at least on a sidewall of the preform material along the longitudinal axis.

The present invention relates to a heating system for preforms upstream of a blowing or stretch-blowing machine, in particular a heating system using monochromatic infrared radiation, preferably laser-generated.

In particular, the invention relates to a heating system (301) for preforms (P), comprising a carousel for treating the preforms (P) comprising a plurality of heating elements (304) configured to be inserted either inside or outside each preform (P) and to radiate electromagnetic radiation in the infrared field which forms, in such a device, a disc of radiation according to a radial symmetry which departs from the center of the axis of the preform and which appropriately converges and diverges.

A laser diode based system for direct injection of selected thermal-infrared (IR) wavelength radiation or energy into articles for a wide range of processing purposes is provided. These purposes may include heating, raising or maintaining the temperature of articles, or stimulating a target item in a wide range of different industrial, medical, consumer, or commercial applications. The system is especially applicable to operations that require or benefit from the ability to irradiate at specifically selected wavelengths or to pulse or inject the radiation. The system is particularly advantageous when functioning at higher speeds and in a non-contact environment with the target.

An object of the present invention is to propose a device capable of automatically insetting a tube into a bending die instead of doing so manually, even if the shape of a product exceeds two meters in length, the device comprising a bending die having a tube insetting portion, and a traveling body that includes a guide mechanism guiding a tube to an upper portion of the tube insetting portion, an auxiliary guide mechanism keeping the tube in the upper portion of the tube insetting portion, a insetting roll insetting the tube in the tube insetting portion, a pair of drive wheels rolling along lower rails, and a drive mechanism, wherein the traveling body moves and insets a tube into the bending die while having the auxiliary guide mechanism and the drive wheels grip the bending die.

Disclosed is a processing unit for an electromagnetic processing of plastic parisons and including a series of processing modules, each including a hollow housing, a light emitting assembly and a dehydration circuit for preventing each hollow housing from moisture via a dehydrated fluid. The dehydration circuit extends outside the main body, where the circuit can be in fluid communication with a source of pressurized fluid, on which are disposed a fluid dehydration unit and fluid circulation unit for forcing the dehydrated fluid to feed the respective hollow housings.