Patent ID: 7780898

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a plastic container comprising: forming the plastic container from a preform in a blow-molder, the blow-molder comprising a plurality of molds and spindles; transporting the plastic container with a transfer arm along a transport path through an inspection station after formation of the plastic container by the blow-molder; and inspecting the plastic container as it passes through the inspection station, wherein inspecting the plastic container comprises: directing light energy from an exterior of the plastic container toward the plastic container from two or more light energy sources on a first side of the transport path; sensing with two or more light energy sensors a portion of the light energy that passes through two sidewalls of the plastic container, wherein each of the light energy sensors are operatively associated with one of the light energy sources, wherein the light energy sources and the light energy sensors are located in the blow-molder; determining, by a microprocessor in communication with the light energy sources, a container attribute of the plastic container based on the sensed portion of the light energy that passes through the two sidewalls of the plastic container that is related to the light energy absorbed by the two sidewalls of the plastic container; and correlating, by the microprocessor, the container attribute to a mold of the blow molder involved in forming the plastic container.