A method for cleaning or treating a mold includes form a cleaning charge or a release-agent charge, placing the charge in a mold cavity and applying heat and pressure to the charge, thereby conforming the charge to the mold cavity and forming a mock part, and then ejecting and discarding the mock part. During processing of the cleaning charge, contaminants adhering to the walls of the mold cavity from previous molding runs are incorporated into the mock part. During processing of the release-agent charge, release agent is transferred from the charge to the surface of the mold cavity.

An apparatus (1) for producing sterile receptacles (2), comprising: a moulding unit (13) for moulding parisons (4) starting from granules of thermoplastic material; a stretch-blowing forming unit (3) which receives the parisons (4) from the moulding unit (13), the forming unit (3) having a plurality of forming stations (5) in each of which there is a mould (6) and a sterilisation device (12) so as to form and sterilise the corresponding parison (4).

An imprint device that can simply detect an abnormality such as dirt of a mold chuck is provided. The imprint device includes a holding mechanism configured to hold a mold, a mold shape correcting mechanism configured to modify a shape of the mold, a mold shape measuring unit configured to measure the shape of the mold, and a determination unit configured to determine whether there is dirt on a mold holding surface of the holding mechanism or the mold based on mold modification characteristics which are measured by the mold shape measuring unit with respect to target mold modification values in the mold shape correcting mechanism.

A method of shaping plastics material pre-forms into plastics material containers is provided, in which the plastics material pre-forms are expanded inside a blow mold with the aid of an expansion agent and a stretch rod to form the plastics material containers, and in which at least the blow mold and/or the stretch rod is or are sterilized if necessary at least in part with sterilization agent, wherein, to sterilize the outer side of the stretch rod, the stretch rod is displaced at least in part into the blow mold, and the sterilization agents are brought from a discharge element arranged outside the stretch rod to the exterior face of the stretch rod.

A three-dimensional printing method for a three-dimensional printer is provided. The three-dimensional printer includes a model printing head, a color printing head, and a platform. The model printing head prints a forming layer on an X-Y plane of the platform. The model printing head and the color printing head are arranged along an X-axis and co-constructed. The three-dimensional printing method includes: providing information of the forming layer and a coloring zone thereof; driving the model printing head by a processor to print the forming layer and at least one material barrier outside the forming layer; and after printing the forming layer and the material barrier, driving the color printing head by the processor to color the coloring zone along a Y-axis, such that the material barrier is located on a moving path of the model printing head during the coloring.

An apparatus (1) for producing sterile receptacles (2), comprising: a molding unit (13) for molding parisons (4) starting from granules of thermoplastic material; a stretch-blowing forming unit (3) which receives the parisons (4) from the molding unit (13), the forming unit (3) having a plurality of forming stations (5) in each of which there is a mold (6) and a sterilization device (12) so as to form and sterilize the corresponding parison (4).

A three-dimensional printing method for a three-dimensional printer is provided. The three-dimensional printer includes a model printing head and a color printing head arranged along an X-axis and co-constructed, wherein the model printing head prints a forming layer on an X-Y plane of a platform of the three-dimensional printer, and the color printing head colors a coloring zone of the forming layer along a Y-axis. The three-dimensional printing method includes: providing information of the coloring zone of the forming layer; determining the number of colorings of the color printing head according to the information of the coloring zone by a processor; and driving the model printing head by the processor to print the forming material outside a region of the forming layer.

A three-dimensional printing method for a three-dimensional printer is provided. The three-dimensional printer includes a model printing head, a color printing head, and a platform. The model printing head prints a forming layer on an X-Y plane of the platform. The model printing head and the color printing head are arranged along an X-axis and co-constructed. The three-dimensional printing method includes: providing information of the forming layer and a coloring zone thereof; driving the model printing head by a processor to print the forming layer and at least one material barrier outside the forming layer; and after printing the forming layer and the material barrier, driving the color printing head by the processor to color the coloring zone along a Y-axis, such that the material barrier is located on a moving path of the model printing head during the coloring.

A three-dimensional printing method for a three-dimensional printer is provided. The three-dimensional printer includes a model printing head and a color printing head arranged along an X-axis and co-constructed, wherein the model printing head prints a forming layer on an X-Y plane of a platform of the three-dimensional printer, and the color printing head colors a coloring zone of the forming layer along a Y-axis. The three-dimensional printing method includes: providing information of the coloring zone of the foaming layer; determining the number of colorings of the color printing head according to the information of the coloring zone by a processor; and driving the model printing head by the processor to print the forming material outside a region of the forming layer.

A mold cleaner for in-line cleaning of a mold cavity of a blow mold of a blow molding machine. The cleaner has a mount attaching the cleaner to the collet of the machine, enabling the feed belt of the machine to transport the collet and the cleaner to and from the blow mold to be cleaned. An air-powered motor engages the mount, has a motor shaft, and receives air from the blow seal of the machine, which activates the motor and rotates the motor shaft. A bearing carrier surrounds the motor and engages the mount. A cleaning unit is carried by the bearing carrier and rotated by the motor shaft, and contacts the mold cavity to clean the mold cavity. A related method is also provided of using the mold cleaner to perform in-line cleaning of a mold cavity of a blow mold of a blow molding machine.