A preform and methods for making the preform, as well as containers made by blow molding an additive manufactured preform.

A stackable plastic container includes a neck area; a body portion with a base; an integral handle part located around the neck area of the container, in which the handle part includes one or more handles for carrying and handling the container; and an integral first chime configured to receive and/or cooperatively engage the base of an identical container.

Apparatus for forming hollow containers (110), suitable to contain in particular one or more liquid or semi-liquid food products, starting from parisons (F) made of thermoplastic material. The apparatus comprises a matrix (11) defined by a pair of molds (12) cooperating with each other to define a cavity (13) shaped like the container (110) to be formed, and to define a support channel (14), configured to define an additional portion (112) of said container (110). The apparatus also comprises a forming punch (17), operatively mobile through said support channel (14) to enter into/exit from said cavity (13) so as to thrust and blow one of said parisons (F) against the walls of said cavity (13) to form at least said container (110).

A set of preforms to make a container for beverages, comprising an external preform and an internal preform, each intended to form respectively an external keg and an internal bag of the container. The internal preform is associated internally with the external preform in order to define with the external preform a hollow space. The external preform and the internal preform have respective coupling members suitable to clamp the external preform and the internal preform with respect to each other in a desired reciprocal position.

A blow mold system including a mold body and a base portion. The mold body includes a central bore extending from a first end of the mold body to a second end of the mold body along a longitudinal axis. The first end is configured to receive a mold preform. The base portion includes a recess, and the base portion is arranged at the second end of the mold body such that the central bore and recess define a blow mold cavity in which a container may be formed from the mold preform. In embodiments, the blow mold system has at least two interchangeable base portions that allow for containers with differently-sized or differently-shaped necks to be formed.

A preform can be made from two different materials that do not bond together by a bi-injection process, using the same mold. First an outer preform can be fashioned first, then an inner preform molded through a center hole in the outer preform, and the preforms connected. Inner/outer preform materials can be different, e.g., PET/polyolefin or polyamide, or the same, e.g., PET/PET. To prevent mutual bonding during molding of the second, a non-stick coating can be sprayed on a surface portion of the first preform prior to molding, the second. Manufacturing order can be either outer/inner, or inner/outer, and the non-stick coating sprayed on the inside/outside of the perform first molded.

A blow molding mold in which a holding mechanism is independently provided to a bottom mold and is configured to be capable of gripping a protruding portion provided to a bottom portion of a preform independently of a gate portion, and a rotation mechanism is configured to be capable of rotating the bottom mold, relative to a neck portion of the preform which is in a stationary state held by neck molds, in a state where the protruding portion is gripped by the holding mechanism.

A preform configured to form a container by stretch blow molding. A finish portion of the preform is at a first end of the preform. The finish portion is a container finish of the container A support flange is at the finish portion. A tip portion is at a second end of the preform opposite to the first end and is configured to form a container base. A neck portion is adjacent to the support flange, and is configured to form a neck portion. An external stretch radius is at an outer surface of the neck portion. An internal stretch radius is at an inner surface of the neck portion. A first distance is between the internal stretch radius and the external stretch radius and is equal to, or greater than, four times a second distance between the external stretch radius and the support flange.

A blow mold system including a mold body and a base portion. The mold body includes a central bore extending from a first end of the mold body to a second end of the mold body along a longitudinal axis. The first end is configured to receive a mold preform. The base portion includes a recess, and the base portion is arranged at the second end of the mold body such that the central bore and recess define a blow mold cavity in which a container may be formed from the mold preform. In embodiments, the blow mold system has at least two interchangeable base portions that allow for containers with differently-sized or differently-shaped necks to be formed.

A set of preforms to make a container for beverages comprises an external preform and an internal preform, each intended to form respectively an external keg and an internal bag of the container. The internal preform is associated internally with the external preform so as to define with the external preform a hollow space and also has at least one through hole, made in a neck portion thereof.