Abstract: A process for molding one or more bottle preforms, wherein molten plastic is injected into at least one molding cavity; and wherein air is drawn from the at least one molding cavity, through at least one channel for the air to pass from the at least one molding cavity towards the outside of the molding device, by means of suction means; and apparatus and device for performing such a process.

Abstract: A rotary cooling apparatus for cooling preforms (P) made of thermoplastic material, comprising: —a carousel (1) defining a periphery thereof and adapted to rotate about a substantially vertical rotation axis; —at least one fixed guide element (6) arranged along at least part of said periphery; —a plurality of cooling devices (3) radially arranged along the periphery of the carousel, each cooling device (3) being adapted to substantially horizontally translate along a radial direction with respect to said rotation axis, and provided with a plurality of cooling tubes (4) arranged in sequence along said radial direction and adapted to receive a respective preform to be cooled; —a plurality of picking and releasing devices (5), each picking and releasing device (5) cooperating with a respective cooling device (3) and being adapted to pick a preform from a transfer wheel, release said preform alternately into one of said cooling tubes (4) and pick said preform again to release it downstream of said rotary apparatu

Abstract: A preform (3) of a plastic container, comprising an outer preform (1) and an inner preform (2) inserted into the outer preform (1); wherein the outer preform (1) and the inner preform (2) are made of a mutually different material, in particular of a mutually different polymer; wherein the outer preform (1) is provided with at least one vertical protrusion (14) in contact with the inner preform (2); and wherein the outer preform (1) is made of a polar polymer and the inner preform (2) is made of an apolar polymer.

Abstract: A container (1) made of thermoplastic material, defining an axis (X) and having a petaloid type bottom (2), the bottom (2) comprising: -a central area (3); -a plurality of first convex surfaces (4) towards the outside of the container, which extend from the central area (3); -a plurality of feet (5), arranged alternately with the first convex surfaces (4), and projecting outwards with respect to the first convex surfaces (4); -an annular rib (6), which is coaxial to the axis (X); wherein the first convex surfaces (4) belong to the same spherical surface having the center (C) arranged on the axis (X).

Abstract: An injection apparatus for injecting molten plastic into a mold of articles made of thermoplastic material including bottle preforms. The injection apparatus includes an injection nozzle and a shutter for controlling flow of the molten plastic through the injection nozzle. A cylinder-piston system moves the shutter from open and closed positions of the injection nozzle. The cylinder-piston system includes a first chamber with a first passage for introducing fluid into the first chamber to open the shutter, and a second passage, different from the first passage, for discharge of fluid and of possible particles from the first chamber. A fluid distribution device with a first channel is connected to the first passage, and a second channel different from the first channel is connected to the second passage. The cylinder-piston system includes a second chamber having a third passage for introducing fluid into the second chamber to close the shutter.

Abstract: An apparatus for hot or warm filling comprising a compression machine configured to apply an axial compression force to a collapsible thermoplastic container for liquids. The compression machine includes a lower body having a surface designed to be a resting surface for the base of the container; at least one upper body designed to contact a portion of the container above the peripheral groove, so that the container can be held in an upright position by the at least one lower body and the at least one upper body; actuating means for actuating the at least one lower body and/or the at least one upper body in order to apply said axial compression force, acting along a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the container, in order to make the proximal straight side to come into contact with the distal straight side, thus reducing the internal volume of the container.

Abstract: An apparatus (1) for handling and cooling plastic preforms comprising a rotatable handling station (2), provided with a plurality of retaining and cooling pins (3) for preforms and adapted to cooperate with an extraction plate (4) adapted to extract the preforms from an injection mold; an aeraulic circuit (5) connected to said station and comprising an aspiration duct (6) for aspirating air from the inside of the station; a delivery duct (7) for sending air to said station; cooling means (8) arranged along the delivery duct for cooling the air sent to said station; aspiration means (9, 19, 29) connected at least to the aspiration duct and to the delivery duct, and wherein switching means are further provided, to pass from a first circuit configuration, in which there is an air passage from the delivery duct to the inside of the station, to a second circuit configuration in which there is an air passage from the inside of the station to the aspiration duct, whereby, in the first configuration, air is blown by

Abstract: A component of an injection molding apparatus for conveying a flow of molten plastic material from a supply channel to an injection channel coaxially crossed by a shutter, said component comprising a body provided with a central part crossed by a through hole defining a longitudinal axis for the passage of said shutter; a first bulkhead protruding from said central part, distal from an end edge of the through hole and adapted to be arranged at one end of the supply channel for dividing the flow of molten plastic material into two portions; a second bulkhead and a third bulkhead, protruding in a diametrically opposite manner from said central part, separated from each other by the through hole and proximal to said end edge of the through hole, and adapted to be arranged at one end of the injection channel to accompany said two flow portions in said injection channel; wherein the first bulkhead is arranged on the same side as the third bulkhead with respect to said central part, and wherein a first lateral s

Abstract: A component for a nozzle for injecting molten plastic into a molding cavity of a container, in particular of a test tube or a bottle preform, the component comprising a first body in which a shutter can slide along an axis; wherein the first body has a wall which extends about said axis; wherein said wall is provided with a first zone adapted to guide the sliding of the shutter along the axis, and a second zone which delimits a first stretch of a channel for the molten plastic; wherein said first body is provided with at least one through hole which crosses said wall, in particular transversely to the axis, which allows the molten plastic to pass through, in particular to enter, said first stretch of the channel.

Abstract: An injection-compression molding device (1), wherein the rod (3) and the core (5) are connected to each other by means of a joint (20) which allows to have a rigid connection in some steps of an injection-compression molding process, and an articulated connection during the compression step of the injection-compression molding process.

Abstract: A blow mold provided with a locking system for mutually locking each half-mold with the related half-mold holder, thus allowing a simpler and quicker replacement of the side half-impressions of the mold. The blow mold of the invention provides for the side half-impression of each half-mold to be fixed in a cavity of the corresponding mold holder by actuating at least one quick coupling device comprising a bar (23) inserted in one of the two longitudinal edges of the half-mold holder (3) and adapted to move only by rotation about an axis thereof; actuation means (22) adapted to actuate a rotation of said bar; and at least one locking fin (21) fixed along said bar (23) and adapted to move, by rotating the bar (23), from an unlocking position to a locking position in which said locking fin interacts with the respective half-mold (2).

Abstract: A system (1) for producing thermoplastic material bottles (5), the system (1) comprising in sequence: an extruder (10); a molding apparatus (20) for producing preforms; a thermal conditioning apparatus (30) for thermally conditioning the preforms; a blowing apparatus (40) for producing bottles (5) from the preforms; a pulsed light irradiation apparatus (50, 55, 60, 70); an aseptic filling and capping apparatus (80).

Abstract: A process for molding one or more bottle preforms, wherein molten plastic is injected into at least one molding cavity; and wherein air is drawn from the at least one molding cavity, through at least one channel for the air to pass from the at least one molding cavity towards the outside of the molding device, by means of suction means; and apparatus and device for performing such a process.

Abstract: A cooling and retaining pin (1) for cooling, by air blowing, and retaining, by air suction, a plastic preform, the pin comprising a body (2), defining a longitudinal axis and having a first opening (5) at a first end thereof, coaxial to said longitudinal axis and adapted to be connected to a handling station; a movable element (3) adapted to slide at least partially inside said body; at least one air passage gap provided at a second end of the body or at said first end; wherein the movable element (3) is adapted to move from a first position, to which a first air passage section corresponds, to a second position, to which a second air passage section corresponds, which is smaller than said first section, so as to adjust a blowing air flow during the cooling step and a suction air flow during the step of retaining the preform.

Abstract: A method for increasing the injection speed of a melted plastic injection device for injecting said melted plastic into a molding cavity (51), said injection device comprising a first cylinder (1) provided with a tubular casing (2) defining a first inner diameter d1, and a first piston (3) slidable inside said tubular casing (2), adapted to be loaded with melted plastic and to inject said melted plastic toward the molding cavity (51); a second cylinder (21) constrained to the first cylinder (1) and provided with a second piston (23) which rod (24) is connected to the first piston (3) and is adapted to actuate said first cylinder (1) during an injection operation; the method comprising the steps of: —releasing second cylinder (21) and first cylinder (1) by extracting the first piston (3) from the tubular casing (2); —coaxially inserting a tubular body (12), defining a second inner diameter d3 which is smaller than the first inner diameter d1, into the tubular casing (2); —disconnecting the first piston (3) fro

Abstract: A support apparatus (3) for supporting at least one neck mold (4) of a plastic container, the apparatus being adapted to be fastened to a lower surface of a rotating device (2) of an injection blow molding machine, said support apparatus comprising a pair of plates (5) defining a longitudinal axis (X), said plates (5) being adjacent to each other along the axis (X) and separable from each other transversely to said axis (X), and being kept adjacent in a normally closed state by elastic means (6); wherein each plate (5) is provided with at least one respective recess positioned so that, when the plates (5) of said pair of plates are in the normally closed state, at least two recesses are adjacent to each other along said longitudinal axis (X) so as to define a seat for a neck mold (4) comprising a pair of split molds (7), each split mold (7) being capable of being accommodated in a recess of a respective plate (5); a pair of side guides (8) transverse to said longitudinal axis (X), adapted to be fastened to sa

Abstract: A component of a mold for molding preforms made of thermoplastic material, comprising at least a first part (10) and at least a second part (20) adapted to mold part of the outer surface of a preform, wherein, when the first part (10) and the second part (20) are assembled to each other, at least a first surface (11) of the first part (10) and at least a second surface (21) of the second part (20) face each other and are spaced apart from each other, thus delimiting a passageway for gases or vapors to leave the mold; and wherein at least one of said first surface (11) and said second surface (21) comprises laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSSs).

Abstract: An injection apparatus for injecting molten plastic into a mold of articles made of thermoplastic material, comprising: at least one shutter (3) for opening or closing an injection nozzle (31); at least one cylinder-piston system (104, 204, 304) adapted to move said at least one shutter (3) from an opening position of the injection nozzle to a closing position of said injection nozzle and vice versa; wherein at least one cylinder-piston system (104, 204, 304) comprises a first chamber (142, 242, 342) provided with a first passage (144, 244, 344) for the introduction of fluid into the first chamber (142, 242, 342) to take the shutter (3) to the opening position; and a second passage (149, 249, 349), different from the first passage (144, 244, 344) for the exit of fluid and possible plastic particles from the first chamber (142, 242, 342).

Abstract: The invention relates to a new PET preform design that enables a more precise distribution of material in the bottle bottom and avoids the waste of material around the injection point. The thickness BWTmin of the wall at the center of the gate or tip (3) (injection point) is reduced to a minimum in order to avoid the waste of material around the injection point when the preform is blown. This is particular important for carbonated soft drink application since the reduced amount of amorphous material at the center of the gate (3) helps to reduce the risk of stress cracking on the bottle base. Furthermore a step (4) having thickness WTmax in the body wall thickness, in the region of the periphery of the base with WTmax>WT, allows enough material to be available for the proper blowing of the bottle bottom making the bottle more stable.

Abstract: An injection-compression molding device (1), wherein the rod (3) and the core (5) are connected to each other by means of a joint (20) which allows to have a rigid connection in some steps of an injection-compression molding process, and an articulated connection during the compression step of the injection-compression molding process.