Patent ID: 6306238
Filing Date: 2001-10-23
Classification: B29C,B29K

Abstract:
A method for treating plastic molded food container pieces subject to shrinkage over time, comprising the steps of:A. forming molten plastic having a glass transition temperature (""T.sub.g "") and a temperature of crystallization (""T.sub.c "") into molded plastic pieces for food containers and rapidly cooling to below the remelting point of the plastic in a mold to torm shaped cooled plastic pieces;B. thereafter, heating the shaped cooled plastic pieces to a temperature (""T"") within a temperature range of above the T.sub.g and below the T.sub.c (T.sub.g <T<T.sub.c) to form heated shaped plastic pieces;C. thereafter, cooling the heated shaped plastic pieces to below T.sub.g to form thermally annealed plastic pieces; andD. inline labeling the thermally annealed pieces.