Apparatus (1) for manufacturing sterile containers (2), comprising: a shaping unit (3) for shaping the containers (2); a chemical sterilising unit (4) for sterilising the shaped containers (2) by means of a sterilising agent; a first box-like case (5) configured to delimit a first volume (6) inside which the containers (2) move forward during their transferral from the shaping unit (3) to the sterilising unit (4), a first air pressurising device (7) for pressurising the air, which is located externally of the first volume (6) and configured to introduce therein air having pressure comprised between 1 Pa and 10 Pa, the pressurising device (7) comprising at least one first fan (8) and at least one first heating element (9) configured to maintain the temperature of the pressurised air over the dew point of the sterilising agent.

A storage system for storing objects of plastic material processed in a bottling line (45) comprises: a plurality of drawers (4) configured to contain groups of objects (5); a frame (2) which defines a plurality of compartments (3) configured to house the drawers (4); a conveyor (8) movable in the storage system (1) itself and configured to access the compartments (3) in such a way as to withdraw and place drawers (4) from and into the compartments (4); a loading bay (11) having one or more loading compartments for receiving corresponding drawers (4) and having a loading manipulator (28) configured to place in the drawers (4) the loose objects (5) received from an infeed conveyor (29); an unloading bay (12) having at least one unloading compartment for receiving a corresponding drawer (4) and having an unloading manipulator (41) configured to place onto an outfeed conveyor (43, 44) the loose objects (5) stored in the drawer (4).

A blow-molded container including a finish and a base. The finish defines an opening at a first end of the container that provides access to an internal volume. The base includes a diaphragm and a standing surface. The diaphragm extends radially outward from a central push-up portion. The standing surface of the container is at a second end of the container. In response to an internal vacuum caused by hot-filling and closing the container, the diaphragm is configured to move passively from an as-blown first configuration to a second configuration in which the diaphragm is closer to the first end of the container as compared to the as-blown first configuration. The diaphragm is configured to move from the second configuration to an activated third configuration in which the diaphragm is closer to the first end of the container in response to the diaphragm being externally actuated by a tool.

A method of forming a plastic container from a preform that includes cooling and optionally providing counter pressure to a finish of a preform during forming of a container. During the method, an injection nozzle directs a cooling medium is directed into a receiving space into which the finish is received.

A system for simultaneously forming and filling a container having a mold cavity defining an internal surface and adapted to accept a preform. The system includes a servo pressure system having an inlet and an outlet operable to output fluid, such as a liquid commodity, and a blow nozzle receiving the fluid from the servo pressure source and transferring the fluid at a pressure into the preform thereby urging the preform to expand toward the internal surface of the mold cavity and creating a resultant container, wherein the fluid remains within the container as an end product and wherein the servo pressure system and the blow nozzle output the fluid at a rate sufficient to fully form and fill the container in less than about 0.5 seconds.

Provided is a method for producing hollow articles in a blow molding process with reduced cycle time and using a nucleation agent to foam a thermoplastic plastic with gas bubbles prior to blow forming. A nucleation agent is provided, which has substances that emit gas bubbles when a decomposition temperature is exceeded. When a mixture of thermoplastic plastic and the nucleation agent are heated, the decomposition temperature is exceeded. A supercritical fluid state of the gas bubbles emitted from the substances is maintained by having supercritical pressure values elevated relative to ambient pressure while continuously heating the mixture. Blow molding of a hollow article is carried out in a blow molding apparatus at the supercritical pressure values of the thermoplastic plastic pre-foamed with homogeneously distributed gas bubbles, at a softening or melting temperature of the thermoplastic plastic below a plastic-specific softening or melting temperature of the thermoplastic plastic.

The invention concerns a method of blowing and filling a container from a thermoplastic polymer preform, comprising: stretching a thermoplastic polymer preform (16) placed within a mould (12) during a stretching phase, starting an injection phase for injecting a liquid into the preform, the injection phase starting after the stretching phase has started, characterized in that prior to starting the injection phase the liquid is at a predetermined pressure above the atmospheric pressure.

A facility (10) for producing containers (12), especially bottles, includes a device (100) for disinfecting a transfer wheel (30), which is controlled from outside the enclosures (14, 15) of the facility (10), for the disinfection of at least the upper container (12)transfer part (30A) of the wheel (30), which occupies a retracted position, by spraying at least one disinfecting agent.