A method for inspecting a device for forming plastic preforms into plastic containers, the device having a transport unit, at which a plurality of forming stations for forming plastic preforms into plastic containers is arranged, and an inspection unit that is arranged after the forming stations in a transport direction of the plastic containers and that determines a wall thickness of these plastic containers in at least one region of the plastic containers produced, includes the following steps: introducing at least one test container that has a predetermined and/or known wall thickness a least in sections, and determining a first wall thickness in at least one area of the container by the inspection unit.

Disclosed is a for forming a container with multiple walls by blow molding or stretch blow molding of a preform, including a blow-molding phase followed by a degassing phase, beginning at a moment, of the formed container, to bring t:s pressure back to the ambient pressure. The method also includes: a continuous measurement of the pressure prevailing in the neck during the degassing phase; the determination of the length of time that has elapsed between the beginning of the degassing and the attaining of a reference pressure in the neck; the comparison of the length of time that has elapsed with a theoretical length of time that is necessary so that the reference pressure is attained in the neck; and maintaining the locking of the mold if the length of time that has elapsed is less than the theoretical length of time.

A device (1) for optical inspection of parisons (2) comprises: an illuminator (3) configured to emit a beam of light directed at a parison (2) located at an inspection position (10); a detector (4) configured to capture an image (10) of the parison (2) interposed between the illuminator (3) and the detector (4), where the illuminator (3) includes an emission-polarizing filter (32) configured to generate a polarized light beam, and where the detector (4) includes a receiving polarizing filter (41) configured to receive the polarized light beam.

A device (1) for optical inspection of parisons (2) comprises: an illuminator (3) configured to emit a beam of light directed at a parison (2) located at an inspection position (10); a detector (4) configured to capture an image (10) of the parison (2) interposed between the illuminator (3) and the detector (4), where the illuminator (3) includes an emission-polarizing filter (32) configured to generate a polarized light beam, and where the detector (4) includes a receiving polarizing filter (41) configured to receive the polarized light beam.

An apparatus (1) and a method for optical inspection of parisons (2) made of thermoplastic material comprises: a conveyor (3) comprising a pair of lateral, under-flange guides 31A for holding each parison by its flange, and configured to transport the parisons (2) in succession along an inspection path; an inspection station (41, 42, 43, 51, 52), located along the inspection path and including at least one inspection camera (410, 411, 412, 413, 421, 431, 510, 511, 520, 521, 522), configured to capture image data of a parison (2) positioned in the inspection station (41, 42, 43, 51, 52), wherein the conveyor (3) has a first operating configuration for transporting parisons (2) of a first size and a second operating configuration for transporting parisons (2) of a second size, different from the first size, the conveyor (3) including at least one adjustment actuator (7), configured to move the conveyor (3) between the first and the second operating configuration.

An apparatus (1) and a method for optical inspection of parisons (2) made of thermoplastic material comprises: a conveyor (3) comprising a pair of lateral, under-flange guides 31A for holding each parison by its flange, and configured to transport the parisons (2) in succession along an inspection path; an inspection station (41, 42, 43, 51, 52), located along the inspection path and including at least one inspection camera (410, 411, 412, 413, 421, 431, 510, 511, 520, 521, 522), configured to capture image data of a parison (2) positioned in the inspection station (41, 42, 43, 51, 52), wherein the conveyor (3) has a first operating configuration for transporting parisons (2) of a first size and a second operating configuration for transporting parisons (2) of a second size, different from the first size, the conveyor (3) including at least one adjustment actuator (7), configured to move the conveyor (3) between the first and the second operating configuration.

Disclosed is a method analysing plastic preforms, wherein plastic preforms are transported along a predetermined transport path by a transport device and an infrared absorption coefficient is determined in at least one region of the plastic preform, wherein, in order to determine the infrared absorption coefficient of the plastic preform, infrared radiation is applied to the plastic preform by a first radiation device and radiation passing through the plastic preform is received by at least one receiving device and an infrared absorption behaviour of the plastic preform is determined from this received radiation, wherein the radiation device acts upon the plastic preforms with infrared radiation in a predetermined wavelength range and an evaluation device evaluates the radiation as a function of its wavelength in a wavelength range from 1500 nm to 2000 nm.

Disclosed is a method analysing plastic preforms, wherein plastic preforms are transported along a predetermined transport path by a transport device and an infrared absorption coefficient is determined in at least one region of the plastic preform, wherein, in order to determine the infrared absorption coefficient of the plastic preform, infrared radiation is applied to the plastic preform by a first radiation device and radiation passing through the plastic preform is received by at least one receiving device and an infrared absorption behaviour of the plastic preform is determined from this received radiation, wherein the radiation device acts upon the plastic preforms with infrared radiation in a predetermined wavelength range and an evaluation device evaluates the radiation as a function of its wavelength in a wavelength range from 1500 nm to 2000 nm.

The invention relates to devices and to methods for transporting preforms in the region of a blow-molding machine, in particular a sorting device (10) for transporting preforms (20) composed of a thermoplastic material in the region of a blow-molding machine for the blow-molding of containers, comprising a transportation wheel (12), which has a plurality of accommodating recesses (18) for accommodating and conveying the preforms (20), which accommodating recesses are arranged on the circumference of the transportation wheel in such a way that the accommodating recesses are distributed in the circumferential direction, a guide collar (16), which extends circumferentially around the transportation wheel (12) in some regions in such a way that the guide collar is radially spaced apart from the transportation wheel, wherein the preforms (20) are transported in suspension between the transportation wheel (12) and the guide collar (16) in the region of the sorting device (10), and a selection unit for selectively removing a respective individual preform (20) transported in one of the accommodating recesses (18) of the transportation wheel (12), wherein the selection unit comprises a pivotable ejecting star (14) with a plurality of ejecting arms (31), which ejecting star, when in the idle position, reaches into the peripheral region of the transportation wheel (12) by means of a first ejecting arm (31) immediately adjacent to the guide collar (16) in the transportation direction of the preforms (20), in such a way that the preforms (20) in the accommodating recesses (18) that are transported past the first ejecting arm (31) are secured against unintentionally falling out, wherein the ejecting star (14), in the event of a rotational motion, pushes an individual preform (20), which is marked for removal, out of one of the accommodating recesses (18) of the transportation wheel (12) by means of a second ejecting arm (32) following after the first ejecting arm (31), and wherein, in a recurring manner after the preform (20) marked for removal has been pushed out, the second ejecting arm (31) takes on the securing of the preforms (20) transported past the second ejecting arm against falling out of the accommodating recesses (18).

The invention relates to devices and to methods for transporting preforms in the region of a blow-molding machine, in particular a sorting device (10) for transporting preforms (20) composed of a thermoplastic material in the region of a blow-molding machine for the blow-molding of containers, comprising a transportation wheel (12), which has a plurality of accommodating recesses (18) for accommodating and conveying the preforms (20), which accommodating recesses are arranged on the circumference of the transportation wheel in such a way that the accommodating recesses are distributed in the circumferential direction, a guide collar (16), which extends circumferentially around the transportation wheel (12) in some regions in such a way that the guide collar is radially spaced apart from the transportation wheel, wherein the preforms (20) are transported in suspension between the transportation wheel (12) and the guide collar (16) in the region of the sorting device (10), and a selection unit for selectively removing a respective individual preform (20) transported in one of the accommodating recesses (18) of the transportation wheel (12), wherein the selection unit comprises a pivotable ejecting star (14) with a plurality of ejecting arms (31), which ejecting star, when in the idle position, reaches into the peripheral region of the transportation wheel (12) by means of a first ejecting arm (31) immediately adjacent to the guide collar (16) in the transportation direction of the preforms (20), in such a way that the preforms (20) in the accommodating recesses (18) that are transported past the first ejecting arm (31) are secured against unintentionally falling out, wherein the ejecting star (14), in the event of a rotational motion, pushes an individual preform (20), which is marked for removal, out of one of the accommodating recesses (18) of the transportation wheel (12) by means of a second ejecting arm (32) following after the first ejecting arm (31), and wherein, in a recurring manner after the preform (20) marked for removal has been pushed out, the second ejecting arm (31) takes on the securing of the preforms (20) transported past the second ejecting arm against falling out of the accommodating recesses (18).