Heater for a preform used in container manufacturing

Abstract

A method and system for manufacturing containers are disclosed. The system includes one or more manufacturing cells comprised of an unloading station, a queuing/sequencing station, a heating station, an unloading station, and a molding station. The queuing/sequencing station utilizes a plurality of carrier shuttles configured to traverse a platform comprised of a plurality of induction coil sections. Each of the carrier shuttles is provided with a preform mount for receiving a preform thereon. The preforms are selected and the carrier shuttles are arranged in accordance with a predetermined sequence. At least one heater of the heating station is disposed over one of the induction coil sections and adapted to heat the preform. The heated preforms are transported by the carrier shuttles from the heating station to an unloading station, which transitions them to the molding station for a fluid (e.g., gas or liquid) blow molding operation to form the containers.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.