Reciprocating injection unit

A reciprocating blow molding unit comprising:

• an extruder screw foundation including a screw housing formed to include an interior cavity configured to receive polymeric material, a first fixed support coupled to a rear end of the screw housing, and a second fixed support spaced apart from the first fixed support and from the rear end of the screw housing,
• an extrusion unit including an extruder screw arranged to lie at least partially within the interior cavity and including a screw shaft having a first end and an opposite, second end and a plurality of threads coupled to the screw shaft and arranged to extend away from the first end and toward the second end, a first gear unit coupled to the first end of the screw shaft, and a first motor coupled the first gear unit and configured to drive movement of the first gear unit to cause rotation of the extruder screw about a longitudinal rotation axis so that the plurality of threads advance the polymeric material through the interior cavity toward the second end of the screw shaft, and
• a translation unit including a translator screw coupled to the second fixed support, a second gear unit coupled to the translator screw, and a second motor configured to drive movement of the second gear unit to cause rotation of the translator screw about the longitudinal rotation axis so that the extrusion unit translates relative to the extruder screw foundation along the longitudinal rotation axis,
• wherein the first gear unit and the second gear unit are each included in a common gearbox that is formed to include a first interior subspace housing the first gear unit and a second interior subspace housing the second gear unit, and
• wherein the translator screw is configured to rotate in a first direction to cause the extrusion unit, the translation unit, and the common gearbox to move away from the first fixed mount and toward the second fixed mount and the translator screw is configured to rotate in an opposite, second direction to cause the extrusion unit, the translation unit, and the common gearbox to move away from the second fixed mount and toward the first fixed mount.