Method of managing preforms immobilized in a heating station

A heating station (10) comprising:

• a device (14) for conveying preforms (12) including individual supports (16) circulating in a closed circuit, each individual support (16) being intended to support a preform (12) in continuous movement along a predetermined transport path (18) forming a section of the production stream (P) from an entry point (A) to an exit point (B);
• a heating cavity (30) bordered by at least one row of emitters (32) of monochromatic electromagnetic radiation commanded between an extinguished state and a lit state, the heating cavity (30) being crossed by the transport path (18);
• a first ejector device (34) arranged along the transport path (18) downstream of the heating cavity (30) allowing selective ejection of a preform (12) from its individual support (16) upstream of the exit point (B), the preform (12) ejected being directed toward the reject stream (38);
• and
• a second ejector device (41) arranged along the transport path (18) allowing selective ejection of a preform (12) from its individual support (16) upstream of the entry point (A), the preform (12) ejected in this way being directed toward a recycling stream (42) in the direction of the entry point (A) of the heating station (10).

A container production installation (11) comprising a heating station (10) having:

• a device (14) for conveying preforms (12) including individual supports (16) circulating in a closed circuit, each individual support (16) being intended to support a preform (12) in continuous movement along a predetermined transport path (18) forming a section of the production stream (P) from an entry point (A) to an exit point (B);
• a heating cavity (30) bordered by at least one row of emitters (32) of monochromatic electromagnetic radiation commanded between an extinguished state and a lit state, the heating cavity (30) being crossed by the transport path (18);
• and
• the installation (11) further comprising a common device (34) for ejecting captive preforms (12), the production installation (11) including a device (50) for selectively sorting the preforms (12) ejected by said common ejector device (34) toward a recycling stream (42) or toward a reject stream (38).