The invention relates to a device and a method for transporting and handling containers, in particular containers made of a thermoplastic material. The containers are transported from an inlet point (41) to an outlet point (30) in a transport direction by the transport device. The transport device has at least one handling device (26) which moves in the transport direction for handling one or more of the containers in a simultaneous manner in particular, and the handling device (26) is arranged in a movable manner relative to the transport device in order to move in a direction which deviates from the transport direction. The invention is characterized in that the transport device has at least one motor (32, 34, 37), by means of which the at least one handling device (26) can be moved in a motor-driven manner in the direction which deviates from the transport direction.

Method for the production of containers from a series of plastic preforms heated in a container production facility having at least one heating station, a forming machine with a number of forming stations, one or more treatment machines with a number of treatment stations. The method includes: forming the preforms in the forming machine; treating the individual containers in the treatment machine; and circulating each container held individually between the forming machine and the treatment machine(s). The method also includes individual identification of each container that is produced during a predetermined tracking period, an individual identification phase including a marking step during which each individual container that is produced during the tracking period receives a marking that matches the container, making it possible to identify individually the container by distinguishing it from all of the other containers produced by the production facility during the tracking period.

Disclosed is a maintenance method for an installation for production of containers from blanks made of plastic material, which includes: a blow-molding machine including a rotating carousel and a plurality of forming stations, each including a mold; a primary power unit connected to the carousel; a transfer device suitable for inserting a blank into a mold or for withdrawing a container therefrom; and a secondary power unit connected to the transfer device. The method includes the detection of a misalignment of the transfer device with the carousel, and, therefore, operations for desynchronization of the power units, for realigning and then for resynchronization of the transfer device and of the carousel.

A synchronization system for a container-processing plant, including a container-forming machine configured to form a container, the container-forming machine having a first rotating wheel for rotating the container about a first rotation axis; a container-filling machine operatively coupled to the container-forming machine and configured to fill the container, the container-filling machine having a second rotating wheel for rotating the container about a second rotation axis; and at least one electric motor configured to cause the first rotating wheel and the second rotating wheel to rotate, the synchronization system comprising: a position sensor provided in the container-forming machine and configured to detect a rotating position of the first rotating wheel and to generate a position detection signal; at least one control unit configured to: receive information associated with the position detection signal; synchronize the rotation of the second rotating wheel to the rotation of the first rotating wheel based on the information associated with the position detection signal; and synchronize the rotation of the container-forming machine and container-filling machine from a zero speed up to a full operating speed of the container forming machine at which processing operations are designed to be performed.

Some embodiments are directed to a system for detecting foreign matter in a parison discharged successively from a discharge device, the system comprising: infrared cameras that detect infrared beams emitted from the parison; and a determination unit that determines whether foreign matter is present in the parison on the basis of the infrared beams detected by the infrared cameras. A determination area is set in the parison in a discharge direction of the parison, a storage unit is provided that stores an infrared threshold set for the determination area, and the determination unit compares the detected values from the infrared cameras with the threshold.

A facility for processing containers includes a container production device and at least one processing device disposed downstream from the container production device, for further processing the containers. The container production device is synchronized with the processing device during regular operation. However, upon recognition of a malfunction in the processing device, synchronization of the container production device with the processing device can be at least temporarily canceled. Also provided is a method for remedying malfunctions in a facility, in which a container production device is synchronized with a processing device during regular operation, according to which, synchronization between the container production device and the processing device is at least temporarily canceled upon recognition of a malfunction in the treatment device.

A preform is heated, the heated preform is sealed in a sealing apparatus including a neck portion mold, a trunk portion mold and a bottom portion mold at a predetermined temperature range, and the heated preform sealed in the molds is blow-molded into a bottle. Any molded bottle is removed if the mold surface temperature of the neck portion mold, the trunk portion mold and the bottom portion mold are outside of the predetermined temperature range. A sterilizer is blasted to any molded bottle not removed when the mold surface temperature of all of the molds is in the predetermined temperature range.

An inspection and ejector unit for preforms for plastic containers in a transportation line, has at least one driver device which picks up preforms travelling from an inward conveyor device to the inspection and ejector unit, transports them further and passes on at least some of the preforms to an outward conveyor device, at least one detection device by which faulty preforms in the driver device are detected, and at least one ejection device by which preforms which are detected as faulty are removed from the driver device, and a corresponding method.

A synchronous running safeguard for transfer stations or devices for handling containers, in particular for handling bottle-like containers made of glass or plastic, having a first and a second rotary element, which each have holding elements for the containers and each have a motor drive. The rotary elements are disposed in relation to one another such that the containers can be transferred in a transfer area from one of the first holding elements to one of the second holding elements. The rotary elements, each rotationally connected, have a control element having engagement elements, and the control elements are in meshing engagement with one another. The control elements are disposed in such a way that, during operation the control elements are interengaged without contact during the rotary movement of the rotary elements and that, in the event of a fault, the control elements are interengaged with contact.

The invention relates to devices and methods for transporting preforms (2) made of a thermoplastic material in the region of a blow-molding (10), having a transport wheel (12) which is mounted in a rotatable manner about a rotational axis and which comprises multiple receiving recess (18) distributed in the circumferential direction over the circumference of the transport wheel for receiving and conveying preforms (20). A hook element (14) is arranged on the transport wheel (12) in the region of each receiving recess (18), said hook element being mounted on the transport wheel (12) in a pivotal manner between an open position and a closed position, and in the closed position, the hook element (14) secures a preform (20) to be transported in the respective receiving recess (18) from falling out of the receiving recess (18).