A process station (1) for a parison or a container (2) made of thermoplastic material, comprising: a concave shell (3) configured to be applied onto the mouth (2b) of the individual parison or container (2) in such a manner as to enwrap at least partially the neck (2a) of the parison or container (2) so as to delimit a volume for treatment (4) of the neck (2a) subjected to plasma balls immersed in a carrier gas stream.

Described herein is a preform heating device, in particular a heating device which uses monochromatic infrared radiation preferably generated by lasers. In particular, a heating device for preforms is configured so as to be positioned outside a preform and radiate an electromagnetic radiation in the infrared range, forming a radiation disk in such a device according to a radial symmetry with respect to the center of the preform axis.

A method and a device for producing blow-molded containers which are sterile at least in some areas. A preform made of a thermoplastic material is first heated in a heating device on a transport path through a blow-molding machine and then supplied with a pressurized fluid in a blow-molding station of the device. The preform is guided along a channel, which conducts a sterile gas, at least over one sub-section of the transport path of the preform. The transport path of the preform out of the channel is supplied with the sterile gas in order to produce a sterile gas corridor in which at least the opening region of the preform is guided. Multiple radiation sources are arranged along the channel and one behind the other in the transport direction. The radiation sources emit a sterilizing radiation onto the preform and/or onto the channel, and/or onto the sterile gas corridor.

Apparatus for treating plastic preforms, having a heating device for heating the plastic preforms, having forming devices for forming the plastic preforms into plastic containers, and having a sterilization device for sterilizing the plastic preforms,

wherein
the sterilization device has at least one first sterilization unit which has a rotatable transport carrier and a plurality of holding devices arranged on this transport carrier for holding the plastic preforms, as well as a plurality of first application devices for acting upon the plastic preforms, and the sterilization device has a second sterilization unit.

Apparatus for producing containers, and in particular beverage containers, having a heating device configured to heat plastic parisons, having at least one first transport device, which transports the plastic parisons along a predetermined transport path, a sterilization device configured to sterilize the plastic parisons, and a forming device arranged downstream of the sterilization device, as seen in a transporting direction of the plastic parisons, and configured to form the plastic parisons into plastic containers by the application of a free-flowing medium, wherein said forming device has a transport chamber within which the plastic parisons are transported. The apparatus has an application device configured to apply a free-flowing sterilization medium, at least temporarily, to the transport chamber.

An apparatus for transforming a preform into a container filled with liquid filling material includes a mold that forms a mold head, a sterilization system, a chamber that is common to a group of mold heads, an evacuation system that is connected to the chamber, and conduit lines, each of which connects a mold head to the chamber. The sterilization system sterilizes the interior of the preform while it is in sealing engagement with the mold head. The evacuation system creates a vacuum in the preform. Liquid filling material enters the preform under pressure and causes it to transform into a container.

A preform is sterilized by a preform sterilizer. The preform is blow-molded by a blow-molding device to manufacture a container. Next, the container is filled with a culture medium by a filling device without sterilizing the container by a container sterilizer, and the container is plugged by a plugging device. Thereafter, it is verified how much microorganism survive or propagate in the culture medium in the container. A degree of sterilization in the container sterilizer is adjusted on the basis of a verification result.

A method for producing a sterilized container comprises: providing a preform having a hanger arranged on a bottom of the preform, heating the preform in a heating device, feeding the heated preform into a stretching and blowing apparatus, stretching and blowing the preform in the stretching and blowing apparatus such that the container for the infusion solution is formed from the preform, cleaning the formed container in a rinsing apparatus, and drying the cleaned container in a drying device, filling the cleaned and dried container at least with an infusion solution, via a filling opening present in the container, in a filling plant, closing the container by attaching a closure cap to the filling opening of the container, sterilizing the closed container in an autoclave, wherein the hanger of the preform is oriented and folded over by a bending apparatus prior to stretching and blowing in the stretching and blowing apparatus.

Provided is an apparatus for processing containers, in particular plastic containers and plastic parisons, including at least one processing device which processes the containers in a predetermined manner, and including at least one transfer device, which transfers the containers, individually, to the processing device in a transfer region and/or to which the containers are transferred from the processing device in a transfer region. At least one inspection device is provided, which is suitable and intended for visually inspecting at least a part of the processing device and or the transfer region at least at sections and completely, at least temporarily during a transfer process of a container.

A preform is sterilized by a preform sterilizer. The preform is blow-molded by a blow-molding device to manufacture a container. Next, the container is filled with a culture medium by a filling device without sterilizing the container by a container sterilizer, and the container is plugged by a plugging device. Thereafter, it is verified how much microorganism survive or propagate in the culture medium in the container. A degree of sterilization in the container sterilizer is adjusted on the basis of a verification result.