Method and installation for the production of containers

An installation for producing containers from parisons, comprising:

• a heating unit for heating the parisons;
• and
• a feed unit that supplies the parisons to the heating unit into which the parisons are transported for heating, wherein each of the parisons has a neck and the heating unit is configured to heat the parisons while the parisons are oriented neck up in the heating unit;
• the heating unit comprising one or more sources of coherent electromagnetic radiation directed toward a target region situated on a path of the parisons through the heating unit;
• wherein each of the sources is operative to emit the radiation in a wavelength band between 700 nm and 1600 nm.

A method of thermally treating thermoplastic parisons for use in blow molding operations, the method comprising the steps of:

• transporting a series of parisons through a heating unit of a blow molding machine, wherein each of the parisons has a neck and the heating unit is configured to heat the parisons while the parisons are oriented neck up in the heating unit;
• irradiating the parisons using one or more sources of coherent electromagnetic radiation at one or more wavelengths in a wavelength band between 700 nm and 1600 nm;
• and
• heating the parisons to at least one desired temperature.