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Container-producing arrangement which includes a blow-molding machine and at least one radiation emitter disposed at, on, or adjacent the blow-molding machine in order to sterilize a portion of the blow-molding machine and/or a portion of a housing which surrounds the container-producing arrangement

Container-producing arrangement which includes a blow-molding machine and at least one radiation emitter disposed at, on, or adjacent the blow-molding machine in order to sterilize a portion of the blow-molding machine and/or a portion of a housing which surrounds the container-producing arrangement.

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1. A container-producing arrangement comprising: a blow-molding machine being configured to form containers from plastic preforms;a conveying arrangement being configured to move plastic preforms and containers;at least one radiation emitter being disposed at, on, or adjacent said blow-molding machi

1. A container-producing arrangement comprising: a blow-molding machine being configured to form containers from plastic preforms;a conveying arrangement being configured to move plastic preforms and containers;at least one radiation emitter being disposed at, on, or adjacent said blow-molding machine; andat least one of (A) and (B): (A) said at least one radiation emitter being disposed to direct radiation onto a substantial portion of said blow-molding machine to permit sterilization thereof; and(B) said at least one radiation emitter being disposed to direct radiation onto at least one portion of at least one inside surface of a housing disposed to surround the container producing arrangement to permit sterilization thereof. 2. The container-producing arrangement according to claim 1, wherein: said at least one radiation emitter comprises a plurality of radiation emitters comprising at least one of: ultraviolet light emitters, pulsed ultraviolet light emitters, and electron emitters, wherein either some or all of said plurality of radiation emitters are identical or different;said blow-molding machine comprises a rotary blow-molding machine comprising rotatable components; andat least one of said radiation emitters is mounted at or on a corresponding one of said rotatable components and is configured to be moved along a rotational path of movement with its rotatable component. 3. The container-producing arrangement according to claim 2, wherein: said conveying arrangement comprises a rotatable carousel and at least one rotatable star wheel configured to move at least one of preforms and containers along a path of rotation; andat least one of said radiation emitters is mounted on at least one of: said carousel and said star wheel. 4. The container-producing arrangement according to claim 3, wherein: the container-producing arrangement is configured to produce containers comprising bottles, small receptacles, and small kegs, which containers comprise PET plastic; andone of (C) and (D): (C) at least one part of the surfaces of the container-producing apparatus or of the blow-molding machine is configured to be positively electrostatically charged to guide electron beams thereto; and(D) at least one part of the surfaces of the container-producing apparatus or of the blow-molding machine is configured to be positively electrostatically charged to attract electrons and/or electron beams. 5. The container-producing arrangement according to claim 4, in combination with a sterilizing unit comprising additional radiation emitters configured to sterilize preforms prior to movement into said blow-molding machine, which said additional radiation emitters of said sterilizing unit are configured to be moved into the interiors of preforms through openings therein. 6. The combination according to claim 5, in further combination with a container filler unit positioned downstream of and connected to said container-producing arrangement, wherein said container filler unit, said sterilizing unit, and said container-producing arrangement are disposed in a common area. 7. The combination according to claim 6, in further combination with a preform heating unit disposed between said sterilizing unit and said container-producing arrangement, wherein said container filler unit, said sterilizing unit, said preform heating unit, and said container-producing arrangement are disposed in said common area. 8. The container-producing arrangement according to claim 2, wherein: said rotary carousel comprises a plurality of container handling devices disposed about the periphery thereof; andat least one of said radiation emitters is disposed adjacent the periphery of said rotary carousel and to emit radiation toward said container handling devices, and is configured to move with a container handling device over a portion of the rotational path of movement of the container handling device to direct an increased amount of radiation toward the container handling device to increase the sterilization thereof. 9. The container-producing arrangement according to claim 1, wherein: said conveying arrangement comprises a rotatable carousel and at least one rotatable star wheel configured to move at least one of preforms and containers along a path of rotation; andsaid at least one radiation emitter comprises a plurality of radiation emitters, wherein at least one of said radiation emitters is mounted on at least one of: said carousel and said star wheel. 10. The container-producing arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said at least one radiation emitter comprises a plurality of radiation emitters disposed to emit radiation toward and to sterilize a substantial portion of at least one of: said blow-molding machine, and the inside surfaces of a housing disposed to surround the container-producing arrangement. 11. The container-producing arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said at least one radiation emitter comprises a plurality of radiation emitters disposed to emit radiation toward and to sterilize a substantial portion of said blow-molding machine and a substantial portion of the inside surfaces of a housing disposed to surround the container-producing arrangement. 12. A method of producing containers with a container-producing arrangement, said method comprising the steps of: forming containers from plastic preforms with a blow-molding machine;moving plastic preforms and containers with a conveying arrangement; andemitting radiation from at least one radiation emitter disposed at, on, or adjacent said blow-molding machine, wherein said step of emitting radiation comprises at least one of (A) and (B): (A) directing radiation onto a substantial portion of said blow-molding machine and sterilizing the substantial portion; and(B) directing radiation onto at least one portion of at least one inside surface of a housing disposed to surround the container-producing arrangement and sterilizing the at least one portion. 13. The method according to claim 12, wherein: said method further comprises sterilizing the preforms in a sterilizing unit prior to blow-molding;said step of moving preforms and containers comprises moving preforms and containers with one of a rotatable carousel and a rotatable star wheel;said method further comprises filling the containers in a container filler unit; andoperating said container filler unit, said sterilizing unit, and said container-producing arrangement are disposed in a common area under sterile conditions. 14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said step of operating under sterile conditions comprises using at least one lock or other sterilizing device at transition regions between said sterilizing unit and said container-producing arrangement, and between said container-producing arrangement and said container filler unit. 15. The method according to claim 14, wherein said step of using at least one lock or other sterilizing device at transition regions comprises wet sterilizing solely those portions of said common area, said container filler unit, said sterilizing unit, or said container-producing arrangement which are disposed below openings in said preforms or containers in order to wet sterilize those portions without introducing wet sterilizing media into said preforms or containers. 16. The method according to claim 12, wherein: said step of emitting radiation comprises emitting radiation from a plurality of radiation emitters comprising at least one of: ultraviolet light emitters, pulsed ultraviolet light emitters, and electron emitters, wherein either some or all of said plurality of radiation emitters are identical or different;said step of forming containers from plastic preforms with a blow-molding machine comprises forming containers with a rotary blow-molding machine; andsaid step of moving preforms and containers comprises moving preforms and containers with one of a rotatable carousel and a rotatable star wheel of said rotary blow-molding machine. 17. The method according to claim 16, wherein: said step of forming containers from plastic preforms comprises forming bottles, small receptacles, and/or small kegs, from PET plastic preforms; andsaid method further comprises: emitting radiation from a movable one of said radiation emitters disposed adjacent the periphery of said rotary carousel toward one of a plurality of container handling devices disposed about the periphery of said rotary carousel; andmoving said movable radiation emitter with the container handling device over a portion of the rotational path of movement of the container handling device to direct an increased amount of radiation toward the container handling device to increase the sterilization thereof. 18. The method according to claim 12, wherein said method comprises emitting radiation from a plurality of emitters toward and sterilizing a substantial portion of at least one of: said blow-molding machine, and the inside surfaces of a housing disposed to surround the container-producing arrangement. 19. The method according to claim 12, wherein said method comprises emitting radiation toward and sterilizing a substantial portion of said blow-molding machine and a substantial portion of the inside surfaces of a housing disposed to surround the container-producing arrangement.