An injection head for the fabrication of a container from a preform. An injection head interfaces with a mouth of the preform to establish fluid communication between a liquid supply and the mouth. The injection head includes an injection valve disposed within an outer shell of the injection head and configured to selectively permit fluid communication through the injection head upon displacement between an opened and a closed position. The injection head also includes an injection head cavity disposed between the injection valve and the outer shell and connected to the liquid supply. A liquid supply control mechanism and a control mechanism of the injection valve's opening allow fluid communication through the injection head. The control mechanism of the injection valve's opening is activated by the liquid under pressure in the injection head cavity when liquid supply is opened.

A liquid blow molding apparatus for liquid blow molding a resin preform into a container having a prescribed shape. The apparatus includes a blow molding mold in which the preform is disposed; a blow nozzle that engages in an opening of the preform; a pressurized liquid supply that supplies a pressurized liquid to a supply path that is connected to the blow nozzle; and a seal member that is provided inside the supply path and opens and closes the supply path with respect to the blow nozzle. The pressurized liquid supply is configured to start supplying the pressurized liquid to the supply path after the seal member has begun to open.

Method for controlling a method for the manufacture of a container by stretch-blow-molding of a plastic preform (2) in a machine (1) including a mold (26), the preform (2) having a body (3), a neck (4) opening at one end of the body (3) and a bottom (5) closing the body (3) at another end thereof, the manufacturing method including the operations involving:heating the preform to a predetermined temperature in a thermal conditioning oven (10);introducing the preform (2) into the mold (26);moving a stretching pin (28) so as to stretch the preform (2); this control method involving a step that consists in determining the position of impact (P0r) of the stretch pin (28), namely the position it occupies at the moment at which it reaches the bottom (5) of the preform (2) during its movement.

Methods to expand polymer tubing with desirable or optimum morphology and mechanical properties for stent manufacture and fabrication of a stent therefrom are disclosed.

A stretch blow molding system (200) is provided. The stretch blow molding system comprises a cylinder (201) including a movable stretch rod (202) and a blow-mold valve (204). The blow-mold valve (204) comprises a first fluid port (204a) in fluid communication with a first pressurized fluid source (364a). The blow-mold valve (204) also includes a second fluid port (204b) in fluid communication with a second pressurized fluid source (364b). A third fluid port (204c) of the blow-mold valve is in fluid communication with the cylinder (201) and selectively in fluid communication with the first fluid port (204a) and the second fluid port (204b).

A method for forming and filling a container with liquid. The container being formed from a preform located within a mold and the method utilizing a hydraulic blow molding device that is coupled to a source of the liquid, which is used as the blow molding medium. The hydraulic blow molding device has a blow nozzle and a member that is extended from a retracted position to a position within the preform. A blow nozzle engages in fluid tight communication with an open end of the preform so as to provide a sealing engagement of the blow nozzle with the preform. The liquid blow medium is injected into the preform so as to form the container after sealing engagement of the blow nozzle with the preform. The member initiates its advancement into the preform prior to the time of sealing engagement of the blow nozzle with the preform.

The method and the device are used for blow-molding containers. A preform made of a thermoplastic material is first subject to a thermal conditioning operation along a transport path in the region of a heating section. Thereafter, the preform is formed into the container inside a blowing mold by applying blowing pressure. While the preform is shaped into the container, at least one parameter (49, 50) characterizing the shaping is measured and evaluated by a control unit. Depending on said evaluation, at least one controlled variable (48, 46) influencing the shaping operation inside a closed loop is varied in order to match the measured parameter to an associated target value. In this way, it becomes possible to subject the container parison developing during the blow-molding operation to a predetermined defined development.

A method and apparatus for shaping plastic preforms into plastic containers, wherein at least three different pressure stages are applied to the plastic preforms in order to expand them, wherein the pressure stages are provided by at least three different compressed-air reservoirs, and wherein, additionally, the plastic preforms are stretched in their longitudinal direction by stretching rods, wherein compressed air is returned at least at times from the plastic containers to at least one compressed-air reservoir, and at least one value characteristic of the consumption of compressed air is detected.