The invention proposes a method for positioning protective screening ramps of a station for heating preforms, on the occasion of a change of format, the heating station comprising: —members for transporting preforms; —at least one pair of parallel longitudinal screening ramps for protecting necks against heat, which ramps are parted in order to leave a slot through which the preforms progress; —a motorized device for moving the ramps transversely. The method includes a preliminary calibration step which consists in arranging at least two calibration elements between the two protective screening ramps occupying an initial position, and manually causing the protective screening ramps to move into a calibrated position in which they are each in simultaneous contact with the two calibration elements.

A temperature adjustment part is configured to stretch a preform by moving a temperature adjustment rod toward a bottom surface portion (lower body portion) side of a body portion by a predetermined distance, after inserting the temperature adjustment rod into the preform to bring the temperature adjustment rod into contact with an inner surface of the body portion of the preform other than a boundary portion between the body portion and a neck portion.

The invention proposes a method for positioning protective screening ramps of a station for heating preforms, on the occasion of a change of format, the heating station comprising:—members for transporting preforms;—at least one pair of parallel longitudinal screening ramps for protecting necks against heat, which ramps are parted in order to leave a slot through which the preforms progress;—a motorized device for moving the ramps transversely. The method includes a preliminary calibration step which consists in arranging at least two calibration elements between the two protective screening ramps occupying an initial position, and manually causing the protective screening ramps to move into a calibrated position in which they are each in simultaneous contact with the two calibration elements.

An apparatus for heating plastic preforms with a transport device which includes holding devices for holding the plastic preforms and wherein the transport path has at least one heating portion inside which the plastic preforms are heated, and with a heating device arranged stationary at least in portions along the transport path and which heats the plastic preforms transported by the transport device during their transport through the heating portion, wherein the heating device has at least one in particular stationary applicator device which is configured for bombarding the plastic preforms with microwaves to heat them. In the heating portion, the transport device is arranged relative to the applicator device such that at least parts of the holding devices are arranged outside the applicator device, wherein the applicator device is configured to receive several plastic preforms simultaneously for at least some of the time.

Provided is an apparatus for heating plastic preforms, with a transport device which transports the plastic preforms along a predefined transport path, wherein this transport device has a plurality of holding elements for holding the plastic preform, and with at least one first heating section which is arranged along the transport path, and at least one second heating section which is arranged along the transport path downstream of the first heating section, wherein the heating sections each include a plurality of independently controllable heating elements which allow heating of the plastic preforms in several heating zones, lying above each other in the longitudinal direction of the plastic preforms, with a temperature profile which changes in the longitudinal direction of the plastic preforms, wherein the apparatus includes a control device for controlling these heating sections.

According to the present invention there is provided a preform suitable for subsequent blow molding, and a mold stock for producing the preform. The preform comprises a base having an elliptical inner face with a first flat circular bottom portion, and an elliptical outer face with a second flat circular bottom portion. The first and second flat circular bottom portions each have a center on a vertical center axis of the preform and a radius of equal size. The mold stack comprises a core insert comprising a first cavity defining portion with a gate defining portion, and a gate insert comprising a second cavity defining portion. The gate defining portion has a first elliptical curvature with a first flat circular bottom portion, and the second cavity defining portion has a second elliptical curvature with a second flat circular bottom portion. The first and second flat circular bottom portions each have a center on a vertical axis of the mold stack and a radius of equal size.

A method and device for producing an optimized neck contour on preforms below the neck which is optimal for subsequent stretch blow molding. The geometry has a significantly thinner wall thickness than the neck itself. The preform can only be produced in the injection molding tool, when axial channels are used on the point or the vanes produce the thin points on the preform during injection molding. The thin-walled geometry on the preform can be produced outside of the mold during post-cooling by embossing. The preform is then removed in a cooled receiving sleeve and is cooled in the body by intensive contact cooling while no cooling contact is made with the preform neck due to the initial position of the embossing element. Due to the reheating of the neck they can be mechanically deformed into a new geometry advantageous for blow molding and thus wall thickness can be influenced.

Provided is a method for heating plastic preforms, wherein the plastic parison are transported along a predetermined transport path and are heated during this transport, wherein at least one first heating section with at least one first heating element as well as at least one second heating section with at least one second heating element is arranged along the transport path, by a first temperature measuring device an actual temperature of the plastic preforms is measured in or before a start region of the transport path, and as a function of this actual temperature of the plastic preforms the at least one first heating element is controlled in such a way that the plastic preforms reach a predetermined target temperature after heating by this at least one first heating element.

A temperature adjustment part is configured to stretch a preform by moving a temperature adjustment rod toward a bottom surface portion (lower body portion) side of a body portion by a predetermined distance, after inserting the temperature adjustment rod into the preform to bring the temperature adjustment rod into contact with an inner surface of the body portion of the preform other than a boundary portion between the body portion and a neck portion.

A method for producing a multipack of containers includes heating a preform, cooling at least part of the preform, the at least part of the preform defining a cooled region, and producing a first container from the preform. The container has a reinforced wall portion formed from the cooled region. The method continues with applying adhesive to the reinforced wall portion, thereby forming an adhesive point and fixing a second container to the adhesive point.