A filling cylinder assembly for a container forming and filling system that simultaneously forms and fills a container from a preform with fluid. The filling cylinder assembly includes a cylinder having an inner wall defining a cavity. A piston head is at a distal end of a piston rod. An insert is configured to be seated in the cavity to provide the cavity with a reduced volume such that with the insert seated within the cavity the cavity has a first volume, and without the insert seated in the cavity the cavity has a second volume that is greater than the first volume.

A preform configured to form a container when the preform is seated in a cavity of a mold and the preform is expanded within the cavity of the mold by introducing an incompressible fluid under a blow pressure into the preform to stretch the preform to assume a shape of the surrounding cavity. The preform includes a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) resin having: a melt flow index of between 0.3 and 10.0 grams per 10 minutes at a temperature of 190° C. under 2.16 kilograms of load through a test fixture of ASTM D1238; a polydispersity index of 4-24; and a density of between 0.943 and 0.965 grams per cubic centimeter.

A high-density polyethylene (HDPE) resin configured to be molded into a preform that can be biaxially expanded within a cavity of a container mold by introducing an incompressible fluid under pressure into the preform to stretch the preform to assume a shape of a surrounding mold cavity of the container mold. The HDPE resin has: a melt flow index of between 0.3 and 10.0 grams per 10 minutes at a temperature of 190° C. under 2.16 kilograms of load; a polydispersity index of 4-24; and a density of 0.943-0.965 grams per cubic centimeter.

The invention relates to a method for controlling a production facility of a series of containers from a series of preforms made of plastic materials. The method includes a first step of producing a preliminary series of individual containers from a preliminary series of preforms made of plastic materials. For each individual container produced during a tracking period, the method records (i) a marking that distinguishes said container other containers produced during said tracking period, and (ii) data relative to the production facility, its operation, and/or the preform or container. The method also includes a second step during which one or more physical values of each of the individually identified containers are measured during the first step, and a third step of compiling a database that matches, for each individually identified container, the measurement(s) of the second step, and the series of data acquired during the first step.

By coating an inner surface of a preform, in which at least an inner surface is made of polyester and which has transparency, with a coating layer, which has elongation capacity and water insolubility, the inner surface of the preform is protected against a pressurized liquid by the coating layer when the pressurized liquid is supplied to the preform, and occurrence of cloudiness on an inner surface of a container after molding is prevented even in a case where a liquid having properties of eroding polyester and causing cloudiness on a polyester surface is used as the pressurized liquid during liquid blow molding.

A plastic container is provided that includes a hollow body portion including a lower supporting base portion; a sidewall portion extending upwardly from the base portion; and a neck portion extending upwardly from the sidewall portion. The neck portion includes a support flange having an upper and lower surface, at least one thread, and a dispensing opening at the top of the neck portion. In embodiments, a closure may be provided to form an assembly. In embodiments, the container may be comprised of PET, the weight of the neck portion from the lower surface of the support flange to a top of the dispensing opening may be 3.0 grams or less, and/or the vertical distance from the top of the dispensing opening to the lower surface of the support flange may be 0.580 inches or less. A preform and method for making a container are also disclosed.

Mold filling machine for molding a plastic container from a preform in a hollow mold and for filling the plastic container with product in the hollow mold, and with a valve head comprising a filling member for filling a product into the plastic container in the hollow mold, characterized in that a reaction chamber is provided for an ignitable gas mixture in order to inject a molding fluid, in particular the product, via the valve head into the plastic container by igniting the gas mixture.

An apparatus and method for simultaneously forming and filling a plastic container without the use of a mold forming a mold cavity (116, 16) is provided. A pressure source (120, 20) includes an inlet (146, 150, 46, 50) and a piston-like device (140, 40). The piston-like device (140, 40) is moveable in a first direction wherein liquid is drawn into the pressure source (120, 20) through the inlet (146, 150, 46, 50) and in a second direction wherein the liquid is urged toward the preform (112, 12). A blow nozzle (122, 22) may be adapted to receive the liquid from the pressure source (120, 20) and transfer the liquid at high pressure (P2) into the preform (112, 12) thereby urging the preform (112, 12) to freely expand until an unopened end thereof contacts a platen (118). The platen (118) forms a bottom in a resultant container. The liquid remains within the container as an end product.

A device for the integrated production and filling of containers and a method for cleaning and/or disinfecting at least the mold of at least one molding and filling station of the device. During a cleaning and/or disinfecting operation of the device, at least the inside of the mold is cleaned and/or disinfected with at least one cleaning and/or disinfecting agent by at least one cleaning element. During the cleaning and/or disinfecting operation, the at least one mold is opened and closed at least once, preferably many times and/or the plunger is moved at least once, preferably many times, between its initial position and end position.

The present disclosure includes a forming and filling head for simultaneously forming and filling a polymeric container with liquid. The forming and filling head includes a nozzle shaft assembly having a first portion removably engaged with a second portion. The nozzle shaft assembly defines a through-bore extending through each one of the first portion and the second portion. An annular seal is within the through-bore and is seated at one of the first portion and the second portion to permit access to the annular seal when the first portion and the second portion are disengaged. Flow ports are defined by a wall of the nozzle shaft assembly. The flow ports extend from an exterior of the nozzle shaft assembly to the through-bore to direct the liquid for forming and filling the polymeric container into the through-bore.