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.

A container including a finish defining an opening at a first end of the container that provides access to an internal volume defined by the container. A base portion of the container includes a diaphragm that is concave relative to an exterior of the container. The diaphragm extends from a standing surface of the container to a center push-up portion of the base portion. The standing surface is at a second end of the container opposite to the first end. The diaphragm is configured to move from an as-blown first configuration to a second configuration in which the diaphragm is closer to the first end as compared to the first configuration in order to reduce residual vacuum within the container. The diaphragm is generally hemispherical in cross-section when in the second configuration.

A mold for injection molding includes: three or more cavity rows, each cavity row having a plurality of cavities; and a cooling flow path configured to allow a cooling medium to flow through the cooling flow path, the cooling medium cooling the cavities, the cooling flow path including: at least one supply port; a distribution conduit communicated with the supply port; a supply conduit communicated with the distribution conduit; a cavity cooling portion communicated with the supply conduit and provided to an outer periphery of the cavities; a discharge conduit communicated with the cavity cooling portion; a collecting conduit communicated with the discharge conduit; and at least one discharge port communicated with the collecting conduit, and the supply conduit and the discharge conduit are parallel to the cavity rows, and at least one supply conduit and at least one discharge conduit are provided for each cavity row.

Methods of fabricating a hydrogel tube, and related systems, employ extrusion of a cross-linkable hydrogel solution from an annular outer nozzle of a nozzle assembly to form a cross-linkable hydrogel tube. The cross-linkable hydrogel tube is cured to form a cross-linked hydrogel tube. A second hydrogel solution can be coextruded via the axial inner nozzle to form an inner hydrogel filament coaxially positioned within the cross-linkable hydrogel tube. The cross-linked hydrogel tube can be functionalized with collagen to enable cell adhesion, and cells can be cultured on the luminal surfaces of these tubes to yield tubular endothelial layers. A 3D printed coaxial nozzle can be used to fabricate biofunctional tubular conduits that can be utilized for engineering in vitro models of tubular biological structures.

A method for manufacturing a container includes injecting a first material into a first mold to form a top portion of a preform. The first material and a second material are injected into the first mold to form a bottom portion of the preform. The preform is disposed in a second mold. The preform is blow molded into a finished container.

First, a composite preform 70 including a preform 10a and a plastic member 40a in close contact with the outer surface of the preform 10a is made by preparing the preform 10a made of plastic material and arranging the plastic member 40a to surround the outer surface of the preform 10a. Subsequently, the composite preform 70 is heated and inserted in a blow molding die 50 and undergoes blow molding in the blow molding die 50, by which the preform 10a and the plastic member 40a of the composite preform 70 are inflated integrally and a composite container 10A is obtained.

First, a composite preform 70 including a preform 10a and a plastic member 40a in close contact with the outer surface of the preform 10a is made by preparing the preform 10a made of plastic material and arranging the plastic member 40a to surround the outer surface of the preform 10a. Subsequently, the composite preform 70 is heated and inserted in a blow molding die 50 and undergoes blow molding in the blow molding die 50, by which the preform 10a and the plastic member 40a of the composite preform 70 are inflated integrally and a composite container 10A is obtained.

A method for producing a marked container (12), includes the following steps: a first step (E1) of heating, beyond a glass transition temperature, at least one shape-changing portion of the thermoplastic material wall (17) of a preform (14); and a second step (E2) of forming the container by injecting a pressurized fluid into the body (16) of the preform (14) such as to change the shape of the heated portion of the wall (17) by stretching it; and a step (E0) for marking the preform (14), during which a mark (39) is provided on the shape-changing portion of the wall (17) such that the mark (39) is stretched at the same time as the wall (17), during step (E2) after forming.

An expanding tool comprising: an actuator comprising a cylindrical housing that defines an actuator housing cavity; a primary ram disposed within the actuator housing cavity, the primary ram defining an internal primary ram cavity; a secondary ram disposed within the internal primary ram cavity; a cam roller carrier coupled to a distal end of the secondary ram; a drive collar positioned within a distal end of the actuator housing cavity; a roller clutch disposed within an internal cavity defined by an inner surface of the drive collar; a shuttle cam positioned between the roller clutch and a distal end of the primary ram; an expander cone coupled to the primary ram; and an expander head operably coupled to the drive collar. When triggered, the actuator first rotates the expander head and then the actuator expands the expander head.

A polymeric blend includes a blend of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) polymers. The polymeric material includes a blend of at least two PVP polymers wherein at least one of the PVP polymers has an average molecular weight of about 40,000 daltons or greater. The support material can be thermally stable at temperatures above 80 C. The support material is disintegrable in aqueous solutions such as tap water.