Ways to produce a plurality of preform (5) temperature profiles are provided that employ systems having a first heating means, a second heating means, and a first transfer means. The a first heating means has a first preform (5) path, imparts a first temperature profile to a preform (5) passing through the first preform (5) path, and has a first dispensing means configured to selectively dispense the preform (5) passing through at least a portion of the first preform (5) path. The second heating means has a second preform (5) path, imparts a second temperature profile to a preform (5) passing through the second preform (5) path, and has a second dispensing means configured to selectively dispense the preform (5) passing through at least a portion of the second preform (5) path. The first transfer means selectively transfers a preform (5) between the first preform (5) path and the second preform (5) path.

A plastic molding method comprises moving each part of a plurality of parts along a selected one of a plurality of possible paths through dispensing and molding stations of a molding system. A controller tracks an operating state of each station, selects process stations capable of receiving a part for processing; identifies parts capable of processing at the selected process stations, and assigns individual parts to individual process stations.

The invention concerns a method for managing captive preforms immobilized in a heating station during an interruption of production, the preforms following a production stream, the heating station including a device for conveying preforms and a heating cavity bordered by at least one row of emitters of monochromatic electromagnetic radiation. The method consists in ejecting from the production stream the cold captive preforms that have been immobilized before they have been exposed to the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitters to a recycling stream and rejecting from the production stream the hot captive preforms that have been at least partly exposed to the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitters to a reject stream separate from the recycling stream.

The invention concerns a method for managing captive preforms immobilized in a heating station during an interruption of production, the preforms following a production stream, the heating station including a device for conveying preforms and a heating cavity bordered by at least one row of emitters of monochromatic electromagnetic radiation. The method consists in ejecting from the production stream the cold captive preforms that have been immobilized before they have been exposed to the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitters to a recycling stream and rejecting from the production stream the hot captive preforms that have been at least partly exposed to the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitters to a reject stream separate from the recycling stream.

Disclosed is a method for controlling a conveyor for conveying hollow bodies through a hollow-body heating station including: a heating tunnel defining a heating path, a conveyor including at least one travel track and shuttles capable of moving along the track while picking up at least one hollow body, the movement of each shuttle being controlled individually, a travel-track loading portion on which two consecutive shuttles move at a first predetermined input separation, and a travel-track unloading portion. Two consecutive shuttles moving on this unloading portion are spaced apart by a predetermined output separation that is different from the first input separation.

Disclosed is a method for controlling a conveyor for conveying hollow bodies through a hollow-body heating station including:a heating tunnel defining a heating path,a conveyor including at least one travel track and shuttles capable of moving along the track while picking up at least one hollow body, the movement of each shuttle being controlled individually,a travel-track loading portion on which two consecutive shuttles move at a first predetermined input separation, and a travel-track unloading portion. Two consecutive shuttles moving on this unloading portion are spaced apart by a predetermined output separation that is different from the first input separation.

A parison supply device that continuously supplies, to a blow molding die, parison sections of a parison discharged from an extrusion die, the parison section having a specified length. The parison supply device includes a plurality of tension chucks and a tension chuck operation unit that operates the plurality of tension chucks. The tension chuck operation unit causes the individual tension chucks to perform a repeated operation of grasping the parison at a first position near the extrusion die and moving to a second position separated from the extrusion die such that, before the preceding tension chuck is separated by a set distance from the extrusion die at the second position, the following tension chuck grasps the parison at the first position, and then the parison section is supplied to the blow molding die.

Ways to produce a plurality of preform (5) temperature profiles are provided that employ systems having a first heating means, a second heating means, and a first transfer means. The a first heating means has a first preform (5) path, imparts a first temperature profile to a preform (5) passing through the first preform (5) path, and has a first dispensing means configured to selectively dispense the preform (5) passing through at least a portion of the first preform (5) path. The second heating means has a second preform (5) path, imparts a second temperature profile to a preform (5) passing through the second preform (5) path, and has a second dispensing means configured to selectively dispense the preform (5) passing through at least a portion of the second preform (5) path. The first transfer means selectively transfers a preform (5) between the first preform (5) path and the second preform (5) path.