an apparatus is provided for producing plastic containers , comprising a heating device that heats plastic preforms , and including a shaping device provided downstream of this heating device in the transport direction of the plastic preforms , which shaping device shapes the plastic preforms into the plastic containers , wherein a tempering device for tempering the plastic preforms heated by the heating device is provided in the transport direction of the plastic preforms between the heating device and the shaping device , which tempering device has at least one tempering unit provided on a carrier rotatable about a predetermined rotary axis , and which tempering unit has at least two contacting devices , between which at least one section of the plastic preform can be received , which contacting devices can be moved in relation to one another along a predetermined direction .