Abstract: An installation (26) for thermally conditioning thermoplastic preforms (14) that are intended to be formed, the installation (26) including:—a thermal-conditioning zone (40) divided vertically into a heating first part (42) which is intended to house a body (16) of the preform (14) and a cooling second part (44) which is intended to house a neck (20) of the preform (14);—a device (62) for cooling a portion of the preform (14) by producing a stream of gas passing through the thermal-conditioning zone (40); characterized in that the cooling device (62) produces a blade (63) of gas blown with laminar flow through an axial outlet slit (72).

Abstract: An installation (26) for thermally conditioning thermoplastic preforms (14) that are intended to be formed, the installation (26) including:—a thermal-conditioning zone (40) divided vertically into a heating first part (42) which is intended to house a body (16) of the preform (14) and a cooling second part (44) which is intended to house a neck (20) of the preform (14);—a device (62) for cooling a portion of the preform (14) by producing a stream of gas passing through the thermal-conditioning zone (40); characterized in that the cooling device (62) produces a blade (63) of gas blown with laminar flow through an axial outlet slit (72).

Abstract: The method includes at least the following steps: spraying a flow of sterilizing vapour, including a vaporized sterilizing product, towards the preforms to be sterilized, so as to cover at least an inner wall (15) of the preforms to be sterilized with the product, and heating, by radiation, the preforms covered with sterilizing product in order to bring them to a temperature (T2) at or above an activation temperature (Ta) for the product. The spraying of the flow of sterilizing vapour is carried out in a protective chamber (40), heating is carried out outside the protective chamber (40), and the flow of sterilizing vapour is in the form of a jet of vapour (F) vaporized onto the preforms (12), in such a way as to bring about the deposition, by condensation, of a substantially uniform film of condensate (48) of sterilizing product on at least the inner wall (15) of the preforms to be sterilized.