Disclosed are preforms which incorporate improvements in the region of the neck and upper segment of the body to allow the production of lightweight containers, such as bottles suitable for containing water or other beverages. In accordance with certain embodiments, the improvements include a thinner neck finish area than conventional bottles, where the thinner area is extended into the upper segment of the body portion below the support ring. Reducing the thickness in these areas of the bottle allows for less resin to be used in forming the preform and bottle.

An apparatus and method of delivering a predetermined volume of a liquid product, defined as the liquid end product, formed by addition of a first and second liquid product, into a thermoplastic container formed from a heated preform positioned in a mold and having an opening opposite an injection head. Prior to injecting the second liquid product into the preform causing expansion of the container, the preform is at least partially, filled with the first liquid product.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel production method which makes it possible to obtain a molded product containing a P3HB-based resin through an injection blow molding method and a technique for using such a method. The object is achieved by providing a method for producing a molded product containing a P3HB-based resin, the method including the steps of: (A) plasticizing a resin composition containing a P3HB-based resin; (B) subjecting the plasticized resin composition obtained in the step (A) to injection molding to obtain a preform; and (C) subjecting the preform obtained in the step (B) to blow molding to obtain a molded product.

A method of heating plastic blanks for molding comprises, for each blank in a sequence of blanks of different types, determining a heating requirement corresponding to characteristics of the blank a molding process to be applied and heating each blank according to its heating requirement. A microwave field is generated having a defined heating rate, and the blank is placed in the microwave field for a period of time equal to the heating duration, such that the heating duration and the heating rate correspond to the heating requirement.

A stretch blow molding process for producing a plastic container from a preform, having an elongated, tubular preform body, extending along a center axis. The first end of the preform body is closed by a preform bottom and the second end is adjoined by a neck part with a pouring opening. A wall, bounds an interior space of the preform. The preform body is heated and introduced into a cavity of a blow mold. A stretching mandrel enters the preform until the stretching mandrel tip reaches the preform bottom. The preform body and the preform bottom are stretched by the stretching mandrel. The preform body and the preform bottom are deformed by introducing a fluid into the preform under pressure. The stretching mandrel makes contact with the inner side of the wall in the region of the preform body.

A process is provided for making a blow-molded PET container comprising a wall having a density of between about 1.370 g/cc and 1.385 g/cc, a heat-induced crystallinity of from about 18% to about 25%, and a strain-induced crystallinity of from about 55% to about 75%, wherein the PET container, when filled with a liquid having a temperature of from about 100 C. to about 132 C. or when subjected to a pasteurization or retort process, will not experience a change in volume of greater than 3%.

A method for manufacturing a resin container includes: performing injection molding on a resin preform; adjusting a temperature of the preform manufactured in the performing injection molding; and performing blow molding on the temperature-adjusted preform to manufacture the resin container. In the performing injection molding, injection molds are opened after completion of filling and pressure holding of a resin material, and the preform is taken out without being cooled in the injection molds after the completion of filling and pressure holding. In addition, in the adjusting the temperature, a refrigerant is introduced into the preform to cool the preform.

The present application includes an injection molding step and a stretch blow molding step. The stretch blow molding step is configured to include: a first step in which preliminary blow air is introduced into a preform to stretch the preform in a state in which a stretching rod does not contact the bottom of the preform; a second step which is executed after the first step, and in which the preliminary blow air is introduced into the preform and the stretching rod is moved at a set speed and pressed against the bottom of the preform to stretch the preform; and a third step which is executed after the second step, and in which final blow air is introduced into the preform to stretch the preform.

Disclosed are preforms which incorporate improvements in the region of the neck and upper segment of the body to allow the production of lightweight containers, such as bottles suitable for containing water or other beverages. In accordance with certain embodiments, the improvements include a thinner neck finish area than conventional bottles, where the thinner area is extended into the upper segment of the body portion below the support ring. Reducing the thickness in these areas of the bottle allows for less resin to be used in forming the preform and bottle.

An apparatus for forming a thermoplastic container from a cylindrical preform and for delivering a predetermined volume of a beverage component into the container. The apparatus includes: a mold defining a shape of the container; a member configured to inject at least one beverage component into a recess in the preform so as to promote expansion of the preform inside the mold into the shape of the container, the member being further configured to inject the at least one beverage component in a first volume intentionally greater than the predetermined volume; and the member also being configured to remove a fraction of the first volume of the beverage component until a second volume of beverage component remaining in the container is equal to the predetermined volume.