The invention proposes a method for positioning protective screening ramps of a station for heating preforms, on the occasion of a change of format, the heating station comprising: —members for transporting preforms; —at least one pair of parallel longitudinal screening ramps for protecting necks against heat, which ramps are parted in order to leave a slot through which the preforms progress; —a motorized device for moving the ramps transversely. The method includes a preliminary calibration step which consists in arranging at least two calibration elements between the two protective screening ramps occupying an initial position, and manually causing the protective screening ramps to move into a calibrated position in which they are each in simultaneous contact with the two calibration elements.

The invention concerns a method of controlling a device for conveying thermoplastic material preforms for use in a heat treatment oven and such a device for conveying preforms including at least one principal wheel and one auxiliary wheel at least one of which is driven in rotation to move at least one transport device to which are connected in movement holding device each configured to cooperate with a preform, said holding device being adapted to be actuated relative to a preform—or vice versa—between an inactive position and an active holding position, said principal wheel of the conveyor device including electric actuators that selectively drive at least in rotation said holding device in such a manner as to index said preform in a reference position.

An apparatus for heating plastic preforms, having a transport device which transports the to plastic preforms along a predetermined transport path, having at least one heating element which is arranged along the transport path of the plastic preforms in order to heat the plastic preforms during their transport, wherein the apparatus has a temperature detection device which is configured to detect a temperature of the plastic preforms in a spatially resolved manner.

An apparatus for producing plastic containers with a heating device configured to heat plastic preforms and with a forming device which forms the heated plastic preforms into plastic containers, wherein this forming device being arranged downstream of the heating device in the transport direction of the plastic preforms, and wherein the heating device and/or the forming device having at least one regulating device which makes it possible to regulate the heating process and/or the forming process as a function of at least one property of the plastic preforms. According to the invention, the at least one control device for controlling takes into account in advance at least one variable value which influences the heating process and/or the forming process.

Method for operating an apparatus for producing plastic preforms and plastic containers, comprising at least one injection moulding machine and one blow moulding machine, wherein the plastic preforms are injection moulded within the injection moulding machine and are formed into plastic containers within the blow moulding machine and are transported from the injection moulding machine to the blow moulding machine, wherein a heating device is arranged downstream of the injection moulding machine and the injection moulding machine and the blow moulding machine are coupled to one another. According to the invention, the plastic preforms produced in the injection moulding machine are transferred directly after production to a thermal preform storage, which holds the plastic preforms at a predetermined temperature and wherein a speed and/or at least one parameter of at least one subsequent treatment device can be changed.

Provided is a method for treating plastic preforms, wherein the plastic preforms are transported in a row by a feed transport device and are separated by a separating device, wherein the separating device has a carrier which is rotatable with respect to a predetermined axis of rotation and has on its outer circumference a plurality of recesses for receiving the plastic preforms in a takeover area and which are equidistant from one another in a circumferential direction of the carrier, wherein the separating device transporting the plastic preforms separately along a predetermined transport path section, and wherein the separating device transferring the plastic preforms in a transfer area to a further transport device which transports the plastic preforms further at a predetermined transport speed. During a start-up process, the separating device increases a transport speed at which it conveys the plastic preforms from the takeover area to the transfer area.

Apparatus for heating plastic preforms with a transport device which transports the plastic preforms during their heating along a predetermined transport path, with a first feed transport device which directly transfers the plastic preforms to the transport device in a transfer region, wherein this first feed transport device having a carrier which can be rotated with respect to an axis of rotation and has a plurality of holding devices which hold the plastic preforms, wherein each of these holding devices is in each case assigned an application device, wherein these application devices being arranged on a carrier which can be rotated about an axis of rotation.

Systems and methods for controlling the operation of a blow molder are disclosed. An indication of a crystallinity of at least one container produced by the blow molder may be received along with a material distribution of the at least one container. A model may be executed, where the model relates a plurality of blow molder input parameters to the indication of crystallinity and the material distribution and where a result of the model comprises changes to at least one of the plurality of blow molder input parameters to move the material distribution towards a baseline material distribution and the crystallinity towards a baseline crystallinity. The changes to the at least one of the plurality of blow molder input parameters may be implemented.

A blow moulding machine for blow moulding a container having an integrally formed handle; said container blow moulded from a previously injection moulded preform; said preform comprising a body portion and said integrally formed handle; said machine including a preform loading station at which said preform is oriented by a preform orienting apparatus.

The invention concerns a method for measuring the temperature of a preform in a facility comprising: a device for transporting preforms; a device for contact-less measurement of the temperature of a portion of the preform, comprising a sensor which is capable of measuring the temperature of the preforms in continuous travelling motion over a measurement section of the production path. The measurement device is equipped with an optical device which can project an image of the sensor in a measurement direction in the zone for measuring the temperature of the preforms, the measurement zone having a cross-section of dimensions less than the outer diameter of the portion of the preform to be measured. The invention also concerns a facility for implementing the method.