Cavity mold alignment system for blow mold tooling

An injection blow molding machine station comprising:

• a lower die plate and an upper die plate, wherein said lower and upper die plates are shiftable relative to one another between an open position and a closed position;
• a plurality of lower mold halves rigidly secured to said lower die plate;
• and
• a plurality of upper mold halves floatingly secured to said upper die plate such that positions of said plurality of upper mold halves are configured to be adjusted with respect to said upper die plate,
• wherein each lower mold half of said plurality of lower mold halves corresponds with one upper mold half of said plurality of upper mold halves to present one or more mold cavities when said lower and upper die plates are in the closed position, wherein each mold cavity includes a neck portion configured to receive a neck of a parison and a body portion configured to receive a body of a parison,
• wherein each lower mold half of said plurality of lower mold halves includes at least one projection element extending upward from said lower mold half adjacent a neck portion of one of the mold cavities presented by said lower mold half, wherein each upper mold half of said plurality of upper mold halves includes at least one alignment groove, wherein said projection elements are configured to be received within said alignment grooves when said plurality of upper and lower mold halves are in proper alignment,
• wherein the projection elements are cylindrically shaped, with each projection element including a longitudinal length, and wherein the longitudinal length of each projection element extends in a direction towards an adjacent neck portion of one of the mold cavities presented by said plurality of lower mold halves,
• wherein the projection elements are removably secured to said lower mold halves via fasteners that extend radially through the projection elements and into engagement with the lower mold halves.