Apparatus (1) for transforming plastic preforms (10) to form plastic containers (20) with a plurality of blow moulding stations (8), wherein these blow moulding stations (8) each have a blow moulding device (14) which consists of two blow mould halves and a base mould, and wherein the blow moulding device in each case forms a cavity inside which the plastic preforms (10) can be transformed to form the plastic containers (20), and which is releasably arranged indirectly or directly on blow mould supports (16), wherein each blow moulding device has at least one temperature control device (30) with at least one electrical heating element (32) for temperature control of at least some regions of the blow moulding device (14). According to the invention the apparatus (1) has at least one electrical connection (34) which can be automatically released and/or automatically made between at least one electrical heating element (32) and the blow moulding station (8).

A mold assembly for use in manufacturing parts includes a first and second mold halves and a mold temperature control system. The first mold half comprises at least a first mold cavity and a first coolant passage. The second mold half comprising at least a second mold cavity and a second coolant passage. The mold temperature control system is in fluid communication with the first and second coolant passages of the first and second mold half. The mold temperature control system comprises a fluid, a means to control the temperature of the fluid, and a pump to circulate the fluid through the mold temperature control system and the first and second coolant passages.

A method for transferring a negative structure of a surface of an inner wall (51) of a blow molding tool (1) onto a surface of a plastic container. The method comprises the steps of heating at least one region (511) of a mold cavity (6) of a molding body (4) of the blow molding tool (1), on which the negative structure is formed, inserting a preform into the mold cavity (6), closing the blow molding tool (1), molding the plastic container by inflating the preform and bringing the preform to lie against the inner wall (51) of the mold cavity (6), cooling the region (511) by supplying a coolant through temperature control channels (54), and removing the plastic container from the mold.

A mold assembly for use in manufacturing parts includes a first and second mold halves and a mold temperature control system. The first mold half comprises at least a first mold cavity and a first coolant passage. The second mold half comprising at least a second mold cavity and a second coolant passage. The mold temperature control system is in fluid communication with the first and second coolant passages of the first and second mold half. The mold temperature control system comprises a fluid, a means to control the temperature of the fluid, and a pump to circulate the fluid through the mold temperature control system and the first and second coolant passages.

A plastic container manufactured from a preform with a mass share of at least 80% polyester and possibly an additive from the group consisting of dyes, fillers, catalysers, additives and lubricative additives. The plastic container comprises a container neck and a container shoulder which connects with the container neck and merges into a container body closed by a container base. The container shoulder, the container base and the container body are exclusively reshaped by a 2-stage stretch blow moulding method. The polyester is a copolyester and comprises groups which originate from the monomers cyclohexanedimethanol (CHDM) and/or monoethylene glycol (MEG), terephthalic acid (TPA) or its derivatives and isophthalic acid (IPA) or its derivatives. At least a part-region of the container body and/or of the container shoulder comprises a sharp edge with a radius of less than 0.5 mm. A method of manufacturing the plastic container is also described.

A system for forming a container includes an injection station configured to inject a liquid material into a mold to form a preform. The system also includes a forming station including an apparatus for forming a container. The apparatus includes a blow mold configured to receive the preform and inject air into the preform to form the container. The blow mold includes an inner mold surface. The apparatus also includes at least one stretching rod configured to contact the preform in the blow mold and stretch the preform. The apparatus further includes electric heating elements coupled to the blow mold and positioned adjacent the inner mold surface to heat the inner mold surface. The system further includes a removal station configured to release the container from the system.

An inductively heated mold system enables rapid heating of the mold and rapid cooling to reduce thermal cycling times by employing an inductive coil in a heater module that inductively heats a ferromagnetic layer configured on the mold body, such as around the outside perimeter of the mold body. A cooling channel may be configured between the inductive coil and the ferromagnetic layer on the mold body to allow a fluid to be passed between the mold body and the heater module to rapidly cool the mold body for removal of the molded part. A plurality of heater modules may be employed that can be coupled together such that the cooling fluid passes through the coupled cooling channels from one module to a second module. In this way heater modules can be combined to provide an inductively heated mold system for a variety of mold body sizes, or lengths.

A blow molding tool (1) for a blow molding machine (1). The blow molding tool (1) comprises at least one first blow mold half (2) and one second blow mold half (3). The first blow mold half (2) has a baseplate (4) and a molding body (5). At least one mold cavity (6) with an inner wall (51) is arranged in the molding body (5). At least one region (511) of the inner wall (51) of the mold cavity (6) comprises, in the associated section of the molding body (5), separate temperature control channels (54) for controlling the temperature of the region (54).

The invention relates to a blow molding tool for a blow molding machine for producing plastic containers in an extrusion or stretch blow-molding process. The blow molding tool comprises two blow mold halves, each of which comprises at least one molding body in which at least one mold cavity is disposed, and a baseplate that receives said molding body. An insulation block consisting of a thermally insulating material is arranged between the molding body and the baseplate and, optionally, further components of the blow mold halves.

In a method of forming a container from a thermoplastic material, a thermoplastic preform may be introduced into a blow cavity at a temperature greater than or equal to a glass transition temperature of a thermoplastic material and less than a melting temperature of the thermoplastic material. A fluid pressure may be introduced into a preform that may expand the preform radially outwardly to form a semi-finished container. An external surface of the semi-finished container may be engaged with a wall of the blow cavity. The wall of the blow cavity may be rapidly heated. Heat may be transferred to the external surface of the semi-finished container. A surface finish may be imparted from the wall of the blow cavity onto the external surface of the semi-finished container.