Bottling line and method

A continuous cycle bottling line for containers of thermoplastic material, comprising:

• a parison moulding unit for making parisons of thermoplastic material from the thermoplastic material in its raw form;
• a parison thermal conditioning unit configured to receive the parisons from the parison moulding unit and to heat and cool the parisons, wherein the conditioning unit includes a heating sub-unit and a cooling sub-unit;
• a blow-moulding unit configured to receive the heated parisons from the conditioning unit and to blow-mould them in such a way as to make containers designed to be filled;
• a filling unit configured to receive the containers from the blow-moulding unit and to fill them with liquid or semi-liquid food products;
• a capping unit configured to receive caps made of thermoplastic material and to apply the caps securely to respective full containers;
• a storage system configured to contain the parisons and connected to the thermal conditioning unit by a first conveyor, designed to transfer the parisons from the cooling sub-unit of the conditioning unit to the storage system, so that the storage system receives parisons to be stored, and by a second conveyor, designed to transfer the parisons from the storage system to the heating sub-unit of the conditioning unit, to feed the selfsame heating sub-unit of the thermal conditioning unit with parisons stored previously,
• wherein the cooling sub-unit is connected directly to the parison moulding unit, the first conveyor thus connecting the parison moulding unit to the storage system, wherein the first conveyor has a first end, proximal to the parison moulding unit and distal to the storage system, and a second end, distal to the parison moulding unit and proximal to the storage system, the cooling sub-unit is positioned at the first end of the first conveyor,
• wherein the storage system includes outlet vents and inlet vents cooperating with fans to provide a pressurization system for generating overpressure inside the storage system, and wherein the bottling line defines an integrated system where the connections between the parison moulding unit, the thermal conditioning unit, the blow-moulding unit, the filling unit, the capping unit and the storage system define inside them a controlled-atmosphere environment, and wherein said connections are enclosed within respective ducts, wherein the ducts delimit closed spaces and include outlet vents, so that an internal overpressure is provided inside the ducts, wherein the overpressure maintained inside the ducts is lower than the overpressure pressure provided in the storage system or in the units connected by the connections.