DE102010021733A1 - Handling device for handling containers, has conveyor line, by which containers are conveyed from production system to handling system for handling container - Google Patents

Abstract

The handling device has a conveyor line (F1), by which the containers are conveyed from a production system (A1) to a handling system for handling the container. A transfer line (T1) is provided for temporarily transferring the container from the production system for manufacturing and handling of containers to another handling system. An independent claim is also included for a method for handling containers.

Description

Technical area:

The invention relates to a method and a device for treating containers and in particular for filling containers with a product and a treatment device with at least a first conveyor line through the container from a first production line for producing and / or treating containers to a downstream in the production direction synchronized with the first production plant ongoing first treatment plant for treating containers and in particular a filling system for filling the container with a material to be produced are eligible.

State of the art:

Both in production technology and production as well as in the field of process engineering, in particular the food process technology, it is common that individual steps of production, assembly, filling and packaging in a process flow, in which the product between the production or production Treatment plants must be transported by means of suitable conveying techniques. In this case, it is fundamentally irrelevant whether the individual manufacturing or treatment steps take place in parallel or in series with one another. Accordingly, individual conveyor lines, via which the product to be produced is transported from a production or treatment unit to a further processing, can be arranged one behind the other, in parallel or in a suitable branched manner. In any case, it should be noted that the production process connected with the production logistics, in particular the transport of a production good through a production facility, has a decisive influence on the price or profitability of a product.

In the field of the food processing industry, it is also customary that both procedural production processes and food-processing processes take place within a production process. Thus, on the one hand, the foodstuffs are prepared in the desired form and, on the other hand, the containers in which the foodstuffs are to be filled or packaged are conditioned, conditioned and / or provided within an overall production process.

In this context is from the DE 10 2006 013 800 B3 a transport system for the promotion of bottles or containers between a machine for producing containers made of plastic and a second machine for filling them known. The transport system has a plurality of transport elements with container receptacles. In this case, the container receivers with the transport element are moved past a plurality of transfer positions succeeding one another in the transport direction. At least one of the transfer positions is used to supply the container from the first machine to the transport system, whereas a further transfer position for forwarding the container is provided to the second machine. In the transport system, a transfer position for the forwarding of the container is further provided to a buffer line, and set up another transfer position, which serves to discharge the container from the buffer section into the transport element.

A problem with the prior art systems is that a disturbance in one part of the production chain can adversely affect the whole production process and cause high economic damage.

Based on the known prior art, the invention is therefore an object of the invention to provide a method and apparatus for treating containers and in particular for filling a production in containers that in the case of malfunction of a system in the production process, a continuation of production at least in Restricted way with relatively simple means. In addition, the device to be specified to ensure a high degree of flexibility in the production process, so that with a small number of individual production equipment, especially handling, treatment and / or manufacturing machines, a variety of products or product configurations, especially products of different sizes and / or properties , are producible within a production facility. In this context, a reduction of changeover times within a production plant is to be achieved with the invention and thus the plant availability and the plant efficiency can be increased (by compensation of disruption times). The technical solution to be specified should be feasible with the aid of known container transport systems and with relatively low investment outlay.

The above object is achieved with a device according to claim 1. A method according to the invention is specified in claim 16. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims and are explained in more detail in the following description with partial reference to the figures.

According to the invention, a treatment device and in particular a filling device with at least one first conveyor line through which the containers from a first production line to Production and / or treatment of containers to a downstream in the production direction, in particular synchronized with the first production facility running first treatment plant for handling the container with a product are conveyed, further developed such that at least a first transfer line is provided on the container at least temporarily from the first production plant for the production and / or treatment of containers are conveyed to a second treatment plant.

The invention thus advantageously offers the possibility of producing in a first production plant and of having it optionally treated in a first or a second treatment plant. In this way, it is above all ensured that, in the event of a malfunction of one of the two filling plants, further production material can be filled without the production plant having to be stopped for the production of containers.

The treatment installation is preferably a filling installation for filling the containers with a liquid medium, for example a beverage. Particularly preferably, the second treatment plant is also a filling plant for filling the containers. In the following, therefore, instead of the term treatment plant and the term filling plant is used. It should be noted, however, that the treatment systems may also be, for example, sterilization systems for containers, heating units for containers, rinsing units for containers (in particular bottles or preforms), cleaning units, inspection units and the like.

In a first embodiment of the invention it is provided that the first transfer line branches off from the first conveyor line. Preferably, a controllable gripper system is provided in the region of the branch, so that containers are optionally transported to the first filling line on the first conveying line or to the second filling line via the first transfer line. Depending on the processing speed of the first production plant, it is in principle even conceivable that containers are conveyed both to the first and to the second filling plant. In this case, the filling device described is suitable, above all, in a configuration in which the first production plant produces containers or cans, such as cans, bottles, bags and / or cartons, and the filling plants finally provide these containers with a product to be produced, in particular a flowable product Food, fill. Preferably, liquid can be filled in at least one of the filling systems in containers preferably designed as bottles.

In a specific development, plastic bottles or plastic containers are filled with a liquid, in particular a food, with the filling device according to the invention. The bottles may be made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or other, for example, thermoplastics.

Another particular embodiment of the invention provides that the first production plant manufactures containers. Alternatively or additionally, the production plant may also be suitable for washing and / or cleaning of provided containers. Preferably, the first production line is a stretch blow molding machine in which the containers are produced by stretch blow molding (by blow molding) from advantageously heated preforms. The containers thus produced, for example bottles, are finally transported via the first conveyor line and / or the first transfer line to the first and / or second filling station.

In a preferred manner, the stretch blow molding machine is used for producing containers made of thermoplastic material and essentially comprises a heating station and downstream of a blowing station. Here, preforms are controlled heated and formed on a driven rotor with high performance to finished containers, preferably bottles. In the synchronously running, downstream filling system, the containers, in particular bottles, are filled with the particular desired content.

A stall or malfunction in a downstream stretch blow molder area, such as a lack of operating fluid, lack of filler in a filling machine, a jam in a transport system, or a mechanical or electrical failure, usually requires stopping the stretch blow molder. as soon as the blow molds of the machine are completely emptied. Furthermore, it may be necessary to empty the heating station in order to blow the preforms located there at the moment of the malfunction to containers, in particular bottles. If a malfunction occurs in the downstream first filling installation, it is now possible with the filling device according to the invention to convey the produced containers via the first transfer line to the second filling installation without the stretch-blow molding machine having to be completely taken out of operation. Of course, a new conversion from the second to the first filling system is easily possible.

In a further particular embodiment of the invention, a second conveyor line is provided via which the second filling system alternatively or supplemented with containers from a second production plant for the production and / or treatment of containers can be supplied. With a filling device designed in this way containers can be produced in parallel on two conveyor lines and can be filled with a product. In this context, it is conceivable that the containers produced by the first and the second production plant have the same or different properties, in particular sizes or filling volumes.

A particular development of the invention further provides that containers can be conveyed at least temporarily from the second production plant to the first filling plant via a second transfer line. In such a technical embodiment, the first filling system can thus optionally or additionally be supplied with containers from the first and / or the second production plant, just as the second filling system can be supplied with containers optionally or additionally from the second and / or the first production plant. This system configuration offers a high level of flexibility when filling production goods into containers and reduces changeover times of the systems.

To illustrate the advantage of the special system configuration described above, it is assumed by way of example that containers of different volumes V ₁ , V ₂ are produced on the two production systems and different production items P ₁ , P ₂ are filled into these containers by the two filling units in such a way that containers first be filled with the volume V ₁ with the product P ₁ and container with the volume V ₂ with the product P ₂ . Now, if the product P _{1 is} no longer in containers with the volume V ₁ , but rather with the volume V2 and the product P _{2 are} not filled in containers with the filling volume V ₂ , but V ₁ , a corresponding conversion is possible, without that the production and / or filling plants have to be retrofitted. For this purpose, the containers produced by the first production line are conveyed via the first transfer line to the second filling line and the containers produced by the second production line are conveyed via the second transfer line to the first filling line. Preferably, in this case too, the second conveyor line has a branch for the second transfer line, advantageously a controllable gripper system being provided at this branch.

In a further specific embodiment of the invention, at least one conveyor star is provided on the first and / or second conveyor line and / or on the first and / or second transfer line, with which the containers, in particular bottles, can be conveyed. Preferably, a conveyor line and / or a transfer line to a number of transport stars, which rotate in opposite directions and bottles in the direction of flow from the preceding transport star passed on to the next. In a preferred manner, the production plant and the filling plant as well as the conveyor lines and / or transfer lines which connect the respective plants are operated synchronously in the area of the rated plant output. For this purpose, several drive axles for the production plant and the filling system and the individual transport stars are needed. At least one conveyor line advantageously has a transport star for conveying the containers.

Preferably, at least one conveyor line and preferably the second conveyor line has a discharge for the containers, which is followed, in particular, by the second transfer line.

A preferred development of the invention provides that at least one of the transfer sections has a storage path. Preferably, the memory link is executed in the manner of a loop. Particularly suitable in this context is the formation of the transfer path and / or the storage path as an air transport path. By providing at least one storage path, it is conceivable to use the transfer route or routes also for buffering, ie temporary storage of containers.

Within the scope of a very specific embodiment of a system according to the invention, it is conceivable that two transfer sections are provided for conveying containers which connect two conveyor lines arranged between production and filling systems with one another. At least one, preferably two controllable switches are preferably provided in the region of the transfer sections in order to connect the conveyor lines with one another. By means of such a construction, the two transfer sections can optionally be used as connection paths between the conveyor lines or as a container storage loop closed in each case with respect to a conveyor line.

In other words, the storage path has at least one switch, over which containers can be conveyed either from the discharge of a conveyor line to another conveyor line or from the discharge of the conveyor line back in the direction of the same conveyor line. Advantageously, at least one transfer line is provided, via which containers can be conveyed from a first to a second conveyor line or from a second to a first conveyor line.

Particularly preferably, a higher container throughput per time unit can be achieved with the transfer line than respectively with the first or the second conveyor line.

In order to convey containers from a conveyor line into a transfer section or from a transfer section into a conveyor line, a conveyor line preferably has an outward and downstream direction of injection from or into the transfer section. For this purpose, at least one transport star, which is assigned to the discharge and at least one transport star, which is assigned to the infiltration, are provided in the conveyor line. It is considered advantageous in this context, if the transport stars of the conveyor line, which are arranged in the direction of production before discharge, are associated control technology of the production plant, while those transport stars, which lie in the flow direction behind the discharge, control technology associated with the filling.

In the case of a trouble-free production operation, in this case, the containers, coming from the production plant, are successively introduced into the conveyor line and transported to the filling plant. For this purpose, the containers leaving the production facility are assigned to the first transport star within the conveyor line at the exit of the production facility. The conveyor line, which is also referred to as a transfer table, includes a variety of transport stars. In a preferred manner, one of the transport stars within the conveyor line is assigned to the discharge line in the transfer line, so that in the event of a system failure downstream of the branch provided as discharge or in the case of a change in the production process, the container stream can be deflected from the conveyor line into the transfer line.

Via the transfer line, containers can either be transported to an infeed of another conveyor line or buffered by a corresponding setting of the controllable switch in the transfer line. The introduction of the container back into the respective conveyor line takes place here via a transport star associated with the introduction. A development of the invention further ensures that per unit of time the same amount of containers from the conveyor line via the discharge into the transfer line ausschleusbar and the infiltration into the conveyor line is einschleusbar.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the container stream can be blocked in the transfer line. Should a fault occur in a filling installation and the transfer line be used as a container buffer, the production plant upstream of the faulty filling installation can be run empty by this measure, without having to remove and discard any containers already in the production process. In addition, it is conceivable to provide a light barrier in the conveyor line, which indicates the end of the row of bottles still in the conveyor line and thus makes it possible that after restarting the filling system buffered in the transfer line series of containers to the still in the Conveyor located container connects.

A further embodiment of the invention provides that the conveyor line has a device for ejecting containers, which is preferably followed by the first transfer line. This ensures that in the case of a fault, the last located in the conveyor line containers that were not discharged via the discharge in the transfer line, are removable from the container path and the filling can be brought to a standstill instantaneously. It is conceivable in this context, to minimize the committee on up to three bottles. The period in which the filling system can be brought to a standstill in an advantageous manner, is about two seconds.

Thus, it is possible, for example, that when a failure of the filling system, the containers produced in the production plant are directed into a transport device and in particular an air transporter. This can be done by switching a gripper system between two transport stars, which are arranged in the conveyor line. Advantageously, the air transporter has a loop which can buffer the containers produced in the production plant. After some time, the containers in the loop are then back to a container lock (the conveyor line).

After rectifying a fault, the production plant may be waiting and ready for production. The filling system is started up. Once the last remaining in the conveyor line container (from a plurality of containers that were present at the occurrence of the disturbance in this area) a detection unit such as a light barrier, the container lock can be opened so that the container located in the storage path gap in the Container flow can be introduced. In practice, however, it may be useful to leave several stations (meaningful, there are ten gaps) free. If the filling system returns to nominal capacity, both machines will be synchronized.

Another advantage of this design of the filling device according to the invention is the fact that the production plant can be run empty at a constant speed, whereby none of the containers still in production must be disposed of.

A particularly suitable embodiment of the invention provides that at least one transfer line has a container recognition with which, in particular, the number of containers located within the transfer line, preferably within the storage line of the transfer line, can be determined. On the basis of the determined number of containers, a complete conversion of the filling device to block operation is finally possible after cancellation of the fault. Moreover, when introducing the containers buffered in the transfer line into the conveyor line, no bottles remain in the buffer line.

Preferably, at least one of the transfer sections is designed as an air transporter.

In addition to a filling device, the invention also relates to a method for treating containers and in particular for filling containers with a product in which containers are treated and / or manufactured by a first production line and conveyed to a first treatment line via a first conveyor line, and containers of a second production plant treated and / or produced and promoted via a second conveyor line to a second treatment plant.

The method according to the invention is characterized in that at least one transfer line is provided and at least temporarily containers are conveyed from the first production plant to the second filling plant and / or from the second production plant to the first filling plant.

In the following the invention without further restriction of the general inventive idea is explained in more detail with reference to figures. Show it:

1 Filling device with two container treatment plants and two downstream filling plants in line operation;

2 Filling device with two container treatment plants and two downstream filling plants in line operation in case of malfunction in a filling plant;

3 Filling device with two container treatment plants and two downstream filling plants in transfer operation; and

4 Filling unit with two container handling units and two downstream filling units in a special installation variant.

In 1 a filling device is shown which has two production facilities A1, A2 for the production of containers and two filling systems B1, B2 for filling the container with a liquid. The production plants A1 and A2 are each connected to one another via conveyor lines F1 and F2, via which containers are transported after their production for filling. The conveyor line F1 and F2 each have a star wheel conveyor system 4 with a plurality of transport stars 3 on, with which the produced containers along the conveyor lines F1, F2 are conveyed to the filling plants B1, B2. In trouble-free operation, the containers are in this way within a very short time on the Sternradfördersystem 4 the conveyor lines F1, F2 promoted by the production facilities A1, A2 to the filling plants B1, B2. Sternradfördersysteme 4 This is mainly characterized by the fact that they have an efficiency of almost 100%. If the filling device is operated in the rated power range, the production plant A1, A2 and the filling plant B1, B2 run synchronously.

In addition to the conveyor lines F1 and F2, the transfer sections T1 and T2 are provided, which connect the conveyor lines F1, F2 to each other and via the containers from a discharge 6 a conveyor line to an infiltration 7 the other conveyor line can be transported. This takes place within a conveyor line the discharge 6 at another transport star 3 as the infiltration 6 instead, with the respective transport stars 3 control technology are each associated with a system. So that's at the discharge 6 provided transport star 3 Control technology of the production plant A1, A2 assigned, while at the infiltration 7 arranged transport star 4 the filling plant B1 is assigned. This assignment can be made by a mechanical coupling. However, direct drives for the transport star and the container part star are advantageously provided.

On the one hand, this design has the advantage that due to the unambiguous assignment of the transport stars 4 a comparatively simple control of the drive systems can be realized and, on the other hand, that containers can be simultaneously introduced into and out of the respective conveyor line F1, F2.

So that containers from the conveyor line F1, F2 can be conveyed into the transfer line T1, T2, is at the discharge 6 arranged a suitable gripper system. Containers that remain within the conveying line F1, F2 when the conveying direction changes are ejected from the conveyor line by means of an automatic ejecting device.

Again 1 can still be seen, the transfer lines T1, T2 each have a storage or buffer line S1, S2, can be cached in the container. in this connection the memory paths S1, S2 are designed such that they each consist of a part of both transfer paths T1, T2 and a section connecting the transfer sections. Controllable points W1, W2, W3, W4 are respectively provided at the interfaces between the transfer sections T1, T2 and the section of the storage paths S1, S2 connecting them, which convey the containers selectively along the transfer paths T1, T2 or into the storage paths S1, S2 and thus enable the paths between the different machines.

If there is a malfunction in a filling plant B1, B2, it must be brought to a standstill synchronously with the upstream production plant A1, A2, in the container. If the production plant A1, A2 is a container production machine, for example a stretch blow molding machine, the production of the containers must be interrupted immediately. However, an immediate interruption of the production process has the consequence that containers that are still in the production plant A1, A2, become unusable and must be discarded. By providing the memory paths S1, S2 within the transfer paths T1, T2, such malfunctions can be compensated.

Controllable switches W1, W2, W3, W4 are respectively provided at the crossing points between the transfer T1, T2 and the storage paths S1, S2, via which the container stream is selectively fed into the storage path S1, S2 or along the transfer path T1, T2 in the direction of each opposite conveying line F1, F2 can be passed.

2 shows an operating state in which the filling system B1 has a malfunction. In order not to have to discard the still in the production plant A1, produced in the container container, the still located in the conveyor line F1 container are supported by the arranged in the discharge transport star in the transfer line T1. At the same time, the points W1 and W2 are controlled in such a way that the containers conveyed into the transfer section are guided into the storage path S1, which is designed in the manner of a loop, wherein at the infeed 7 , which in the present case is at the same time the point at which the second transfer line T2 opens into the first conveyor line F1, a conveyor lock 8th is provided, which prevents further promotion of the container during malfunction.

Further, at the discharge 6 a counting unit 9 provided with a light barrier, with which the number of conveyed by the conveyor line F1 in the storage section S1 container is determined. Thus, the number of each located in the memory sections S1, S2 container is always known.

As soon as the production plant A1 has been run empty, it is also taken out of service until the malfunction of the filling plant B1 has been rectified. The still between the production plant A1 and the discharge 7 Containers located in the conveyor line F1 are conveyed into the transfer or storage line S1.

After the disturbance has been eliminated, the production plant A1 goes back into operation and containers are produced. In order to achieve a smooth start of the filling device, in particular a complete connection of the first manufactured by the production plant A1 container at the last from the storage section S1 einfädelnden in the conveyor line F1 container, the system is controlled such that initially stored in the storage section S1 container be threaded into the conveyor line F1 and as soon as it is determined by the container detection that the number of containers still in the storage section is the same size as the number of free container spaces between a container support point 10 at the beginning of the conveyor line F1 and the injection point 7 , also the container produced by the production plant A1 via the container contact point 10 be threaded into the conveyor line F1. In this way, the first container produced by the production system A1 joins seamlessly with the last container threaded out of the storage path S1 into the conveyor line F1.

3 shows the operating state of a filling device, in each case produced by two production facilities containers of different sizes and are filled by the filling plants B1, B2 with different production goods. If now containers that have been transported so far on the conveyor line F1, are filled with the production, which is filled by the filling system B2, and containers that have been transported on the conveyor line F2, with the production, through the filling system B1 is filled, so this is possible by simply changing the container paths without retrofitting the production or filling A1, A2, B1, B2.

In this case, the points W1, W2, W3, W4, the gripper system and the transport stars are controlled in such a way that containers produced by the production plants A1, A2 are transported via the transfer sections T1, T2 to the opposite conveyor lines, introduced there and finally to the filling installations B1, B2 are filled with the other production material. The original production flows from the production plant A1 to the filling plant B1 or from A2 to B2, are on changed this way into production flows from the production plant A1 to the filling plant B2 or from A2 to B1. In this way, a high degree of flexibility is achieved in the combined production and filling of containers and significantly reduces the changeover times of the systems.

In principle, it is conceivable to connect almost any number of systems with corresponding conveyor lines and transfer sections. Four conveyor lines with the associated four production plants, four filling plants and four transfer lines are to be connected in a preferred manner from a control engineering point of view.

Initially, 500 ml PET bottles are produced on the conveyor line F1 in the stretch blow molding machine A1 and filled in the filling system B1 with still water without carbon dioxide. Furthermore, 1000 ml PET bottles are produced in the stretch blow molding machine A2 on the conveying line F2 and filled with mineral water in the filling plant B2 with carbon dioxide. Both conveyor lines are designed for a delivery rate of about 30,000 x 1 liter per hour.

The conveyor line F1 consists of a stretch blow molding machine A1 and an aseptic filling installation B1, which has a peracetic acid steam sterilizer, a container washing machine, a filler, a screw capper and a clean room housing. Such a plant configuration is necessary because still water without carbonic acid requires aseptic filling.

The conveyor line F2 has a stretch blow molding machine A2 and a filling plant B2 with a capper.

After a given production time or filling quantity, the bottling is to be changed so that now still water without carbon dioxide in 1000 ml PET bottles and mineral water with carbon dioxide in 500 ml PET bottles is filled. In the illustrated system configuration, retrofitting the individual production A1, A2 and filling systems B1, B2 is not necessary. In particular, no product change must be made in the filling systems B1, B2.

In 4 is an installation variant of a filling device, which essentially has two stretch blow molding machines for the production of plastic bottles, in particular PET bottles, and two filling machines for filling the bottles with drinks presented.

The switches W1, W2 and the conveyor stars of the conveyor lines F1, F2 are now controlled in such a way that the 500 ml PET bottles produced by the stretch blow molding machine A1 are transported via the transfer line T1 to the filling station B2 in order to be filled with carbonated mineral water. Likewise, from the conversion 1000 ml PET bottles are transported by the stretch blow molder A2 via the transfer line T2 to the filling plant B1, where it is filled with still water without carbon dioxide.

The points W1 and W2 are each designed as reversing points. The circle segment provided for this purpose is, if necessary, so if at least one of the conveyor lines F1, F2 a storage path is required, with the aid of a carriage for connecting the as an air conveyor 5 carried out transfer lines in the intended position. If it is possible to construct a filling device and the two points W1, W2 are arranged in the immediate vicinity, it is conceivable to move both points W1, W2 on a common carriage. In the 4 illustrated, executed as a double unit filling device is set up so that this system can be operated by an operator M.

The container treatment parts here have a plurality of subunits, such as a sterilization unit 12 , no flushing unit 14 , a filling unit 16 and a closure unit 18 ,

All disclosed in the application documents features are claimed as essential to the invention, provided they are new individually or in combination over the prior art.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

F1

first funding line

F2

second funding line

T1

first transfer route

T2

second transfer route

A1

first production plant

A2

second production plant

S1

first storage line

S2

second storage section

W1

switch

W2

switch

W3

switch

W4

switch

M

operator

3

transport star

4

Sternradfördersystem

5

Air transport system

6

discharge

7

smuggling

8th

feed ban

9

counting

10

Container support point

12

sterilization unit

14

rinsing unit

16

filling unit

18

sealer

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• DE 102006013800 B3 [0004]

Claims (10)

Treatment device for treating containers with at least one first conveyor line (F1) through which containers from a first production plant (A1) for producing and / or treating containers to a first treatment plant (B1) downstream of the production plant, in particular synchronized with the first production plant for conveying the containers are conveyed, characterized in that at least a first transfer line (T1) is provided over the container at least temporarily from the first production plant (A1) for the production and / or treatment of containers to a second treatment plant (B2) are conveyed , Treatment device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first conveyor line (F1) is a discharge ( 6 ) for the container, which is followed by the first transfer line (T1). Treatment device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least the first treatment plant (B1) is a filling plant for filling the container. Treatment device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a second conveyor line (F2) is provided, via which the second treatment plant (B2) can be supplied alternatively or additionally with containers from a second production plant (A2) for the production and / or treatment of containers , Treatment device according to claim 3, characterized in that a second transfer line (T2) is provided, via which containers at least temporarily from the second production plant (A2) for the production and / or treatment of containers to the first treatment plant (A1) are conveyed. Treatment device according to claim 4, characterized in that the second conveyor line (F2) a discharge ( 6 ) for the container, to which the second transfer line (T2) connects. Treatment device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that at least one of the conveyor lines (F1, F2) a transport star ( 3 ) for conveying the container. Treatment device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that at least one of the transfer paths (T1, T2) has a storage path (S1, S2). Treatment device according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that at least a first and a second conveyor line (F1, F2) are provided by a first and a second transfer line (T1, T2) for conveying containers between the conveyor lines (F1 , F2) are connected to each other. Method for treating containers, in which containers are treated and / or produced by a first production plant (A1) and conveyed to a first treatment plant (B1) via a first conveying line (F1), and containers are treated by a second production plant (A2) and / or produced and conveyed via a second conveyor line (F2) to a second treatment plant (B2), characterized in that at least one transfer line (T1, T2) is provided and at least temporarily containers from the first production plant (A1) to the second treatment plant ( B2) and / or from the second production facility (A2) to the first treatment facility (B1).

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