A corrugator and mold management apparatus and methods for continuously forming
transverse corrugations and other shapes in a tubular polymer melt parison formed
by an extrusion die employs a plurality of molds that interlock when mated. Each
mold has common outside dimensions and a pair of open linear bearings that provide
the mold axis and maintain alignment of the molds parallel to and in the same horizontal
plane as the axis of the extrusion die. The molds are moved axially along supported
rails by bi-directional linear actuating modules and between the pairs of supported
rails by lateral transport units. Inner supported rails define the mold tunnel
and outer supported rails provide an outer path to move molds upstream back toward
the extrusion die. The lateral transport units include extensible rails that facilitate
the transfer of molds to and from the mold tunnel and the outer return paths. Delivery
units remove from and introduce molds from a plurality of parking stations. The
apparatus also has the capability of identifying, locating and tracking molds by
continually scanning molds as they are transported or on demand. Automated "on
the fly" mold changes automatically introduce molds to and remove molds from the
corrugator from and to parking stations simultaneously without interrupting the
normal operation of the apparatus and the molds may be rapidly purged and loaded.