EP3688771B1 - Method and device for the environmentally sealed connection of a protective cover to a safety cover - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method for the environmentally-tight connection of a first at least partially flexible protective cover, which forms a barrier between a contaminated and an uncontaminated area, with a second at least partially flexible safety cover according to the features of the preamble of claim 1. Furthermore, the invention relates to a Device for the environmentally-tight connection of a protective cover to a safety cover for carrying out such a method according to the features of the preamble of claim 8.

Such a method can be used to transfer a content located in a protective cover, which is protected against contamination by the protective cover, from a contaminated area to an area protected against contamination, such as a clean room or a manipulator room, the transfer being environmentally-tight, ie should take place without any risk of contamination of the protective cover contents, in particular without the entry of germs and pathogens such as viruses. The protective cover can be a protective suit for the transfer of a person or a protective packaging for sterile objects which are secured against contamination by the packaging and which are environmentally sealed, ie protected, for example, to be transferred to a manipulator room.

1. a) einander gegenüberliegendes Anordnen eines aufnehmenden Endes der Sicherheitshülle und eines in dieses Ende eindringenden Endes der Schutzhülle in einem Andockbereich;
2. b) Zusammenführen der Enden der beiden Hüllen in dem Andockbereich;
3. c) Abtrennen der Enden und Verschweißen benachbarter Folienteile der beiden Hüllen entlang einer gemeinsamen Schweißverbindung, die nach Öffnen einer Durchgangsöffnung diese begrenzt.

Ferner zeigt DE 30 13 629 A1 eine gattungsgemäße Vorrichtung zum Durchführen des Verfahrens mit den Merkmalen des Oberbegriffes des Patentanspruches 8.By DE 30 13 629 A1 a generic method is known for the environmentally-tight connection of a first at least partially flexible protective cover, which forms a barrier between a contaminated and an uncontaminated area, with a second at least partially flexible safety cover, the two covers, at least partially, consist of a film material that can be welded to produce at least one film connection, at least comprising the following process steps:

1. a) opposing arrangement of a receiving end of the security sheath and an end of the protective sheath penetrating into this end in a docking area;
2. b) bringing the ends of the two shells together in the docking area;
3. c) Separation of the ends and welding of adjacent film parts of the two shells along a common welded connection which, after opening a passage opening, delimits it.

Also shows DE 30 13 629 A1 a generic device for performing the method with the features of the preamble of claim 8.

The document EP 0 097 514 B1 discloses a method of the type mentioned at the beginning. At the docking or transfer area, this method provides a zipper to form an opening enabling the transfer, both on the protective cover, such as a protective suit or protective packaging, and on the safety cover, for example the cover of a protective space. The zip fasteners are each covered by a film web which is held in the covering position by means of interacting adhesive fastener elements from which they can be folded over by releasing the adhesive fastener connection in such a way that they are connected to the Corresponding adhesive fastener parts can come into adhesive engagement on the respective other cover and thereby establish a sealed connection between protective cover and security cover, after which the transfer opening can be produced by opening both zippers.

The connection established according to the known method does not offer sufficient security against contamination. To carry out the docking process, the covering film webs of both zip fasteners must be lifted out of the closed position so that the respective zip fastener is exposed until the adhesive fastener connection is re-established on both covers. Since the respective zipper does not form an environmentally tight barrier, the connection in this process section is unprotected. Even after the adhesive fastener connection has been produced between the two covers, the protection is inadequate because a connection between the adhesive fastener elements is not completely environmentally tight.

On the basis of this prior art, the invention has the object of specifying a method of the type mentioned at the beginning which enables the production of a particularly safe connection between the casings in question, which also offers protection against microbiological contamination.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by the method specified in claim 1.

• d1) Ausschleusen der Schutzhülle aus dem kontaminierten Bereich durch Umstülpen der Schutzhülle über die Öffnung hinweg, so dass deren Inneres nach außen gekehrt ist, und anschließendes Abtrennen von der Sicherheitshülle nebst Schließen der Öffnung; oder
• d2) Ausschleusen der Schutzhülle aus dem kontaminierten Bereich durch Ummanteln der Schutzhülle beim Durchziehen derselben durch den Durchgang mit der Sicherheitshülle und anschließendes Abtrennen beider Hüllen von der Sicherheitshülle nebst Schließen der Ummantelung; oder
• d3) Zurückziehen der Schutzhülle in den kontaminierten Bereich und anschließendes Verschweißen der Enden zum Abtrennen der Sicherheitshülle durch Ausbildung einer weiteren Schweißverbindung zwischen benachbarten Folienteilen.

Accordingly, the invention provides for at least the following further method steps when using covers which consist at least partially of a film material that can be welded to produce at least one film connection:

• d1) ejecting the protective cover from the contaminated area by turning the protective cover over the opening so that the inside thereof is turned outwards, and then separating it from the safety cover and closing the opening; or
• d2) ejecting the protective cover from the contaminated area by sheathing the protective cover when pulling it through the passage with the safety cover and then separating both covers from the safety cover and closing the cover; or
• d3) Withdrawal of the protective cover into the contaminated area and subsequent welding of the ends to separate the safety cover by forming a further welded connection between adjacent film parts.

In the docking area, the docking process between the security envelope and the protective envelope takes place in accordance with steps a) and b). The docking area, which is preferably located on the outer wall of a protective room or on a lock chamber of a manipulator room, has a passage for the transfer of the contents of the protective cover to the protective room or to the lock chamber. During all process steps a) to d3), the security envelope forms the hermetic seal of this passage. The safety sheath is attached to the edge of the passage in the form of a closed, extendable hose which, with its closed end, spans the passage over the area before the docking steps a) and b) are carried out. The docking process can be carried out in such a way that the area of the safety sheath forming the receiving end is displaced out of the surface, so that a connection area is formed for the end of the protective sheath, into which this end of the protective sheath can penetrate, around the ends of the bring both shells together in step b). According to step c), the mutually adjacent ends of the two shells are welded, the Welding process is carried out as parting welding in such a way that the end parts lying on the other side of the welding line are separated off as waste, and that the welded connection is made peelable, so that an opening can be formed between the two interconnected foil pairs of protective cover and safety cover to discharge the contents of the protective cover .

This process can be carried out according to step d1) by turning the protective cover over the opening so that the inside of the protective cover with the contents is turned outwards, after which both the connection area of the safety cover and the unit with the everted one are hermetically closed again by separating welding Protective cover is separated for disposal. Alternatively, the discharge according to step d2) can be carried out in such a way that the protective cover is covered with the security cover when it is pulled through the passage and then both covers are separated from the security cover and the cover is closed. Again, a unit is available for disposal in which a contaminated area is completely closed to the outside by the surrounding safety envelope. Compared to variant d1), in which the everted protective cover with the uncontaminated inside itself forms the inclusion of the contaminated area, in the variant according to d2) the need for film surface for the safety cover is greater. However, this is counteracted by the advantage of a simplified process sequence due to the elimination of the turning process.

In variant d3), the protective cover is withdrawn into the contaminated area and the ends are then welded to separate the safety cover by forming a further welded connection between adjacent film parts. This has the advantage that the contaminated covers, safety cover and protective cover, from the uncontaminated Area can be brought back into the contaminated area and remain there.

When carrying out the method according to variant d1), a contaminated area is enclosed inside the everted protective cover while closing the passage opening, while when proceeding according to variant d2) when wrapping the protective cover by means of the safety cover and closing the cover, a closed intermediate area as a contaminated area is formed. If the technical terms welding or sealing are mentioned, this includes the creation of peelable closure parts.

The invention also relates to a device for the environmentally-tight connection of a protective cover with a safety cover for carrying out the method according to the invention, with the features of claim 8 in its entirety. Advantageous refinements of the invention are the subject of the claims dependent on claim 1 or 8.

A device for the environmentally-tight connection of a protective cover with a safety cover comprises a dispensing device for a weldable film material which, dispensed as a film tube, comprises a passage for transfer from a contaminated area to an uncontaminated area using a protective cover and, as an at least partially flexible safety cover, the contaminated from the hermetically seals off the uncontaminated area, and at least one welding device for producing at least one foil connection between superimposed foil web parts of the security envelope and the respective protective envelope, which penetrates with one end into a receiving end of the security envelope when transferring from the contaminated area to the uncontaminated area in a docking area, according to the invention it is provided that the dispensing device is designed as a cassette in which the film tube, in particular stacked or rolled up, is stored, which, with its closed end as the receiving end for the penetrating end of the protective cover, enables continuous tube removal for several discharge processes of protective covers.

The safety cover is advantageously designed in the form of a film tube, the free end of which remains closed in the docking area before the opening is made and after the protective cover has been released, the film tube being stored in a cassette, enclosing the passage and hermetically sealing off the contaminated area from the uncontaminated area. in particular stacked or rolled up, enables continuous hose removal for several discharge processes of protective covers.

The protective cover is preferably designed to be peelable at least at its penetrating end with its successive film web parts, so that the film webs that have been sealed off from one another to this extent release the passage opening.

A protective suit can be formed by the protective cover for the environmentally sealed transfer of a person, and after the at least one peelable film web or its web parts have been pulled apart, entry or exit into or out of the protective suit can be made possible by releasing the passage opening.

It is particularly advantageous to proceed in such a way that after getting into the protective suit and closing the associated passage opening by placing the peelable film web or its web parts against one another to form the penetrating end of the Protective cover is wound up from there from the respectively closed film web and taken up in a breast pocket of the protective suit.

For an environmentally sealed transfer process of objects located in a protective cover, the docking area can be connected upstream of a manipulator room as part of the device, in which work is carried out, gripped from the outside in gloves, the docking area being separated from the manipulator room by means of a lock.

With particular advantage, the docking area in front of the manipulator room can be designed as a lock chamber, together with the cassette for the film tube and at least one welding device.

The respective welding device can advantageously be formed from two mutually movable welding jaws, which allow a tight welding or sealing of the film material and, in addition to the formed connecting seam, simultaneously a severing or cutting of the same.

The invention is explained in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1

in stark schematisch vereinfachter und skizzenhafter Darstellung die perspektivische Schrägansicht einer Schutzhülle in Form eines Schutzanzuges und eines Teils der Außenwand eines Schutzraumes mit daran befindlichem Andockbereich für die Schutzhülle;

Fig. 2

in einer gegenüber Fig. 1 noch stärker vereinfachten Funktionsskizze den Andockbereich der Außenwand mit einem von der Sicherheitshülle verschlossenen Transfer-Durchgang sowie ein Verbindungsende der Schutzhülle vor dem Zusammenführen mit dem aufnehmenden Ende der Sicherheitshülle;

Fig. 3

eine der Fig. 2 entsprechende Darstellung, wobei der zusammengeführte Zustand der Enden der beiden Hüllen gezeigt ist;

Fig. 4 und 5

entsprechende Darstellungen, wobei der Zustand des Verbindens und Verschließens der zusammengeführten Hüllenenden durch Trennschweißen bzw. das dabei erfolgte Abtrennen überstehender Hüllenenden gezeigt ist;

Fig. 6

in entsprechender Darstellung den Vorgang des Bildens einer Öffnung zwischen den verbundenen Hüllenenden;

Fig. 7

in entsprechender Darstellung den Zustand nach erfolgtem Umstülpen der Schutzhülle und vor Verschließen der Öffnung;

Fig. 8

eine der Fig. 7 entsprechende Darstellung mit abgetrennter, geschlossener Schutzhülle;

Fig. 9

eine entsprechende Darstellung mit geöffneter, jedoch mit der Sicherheitshülle ummantelter Schutzhülle;

Fig. 10

eine der Fig. 9 entsprechende Darstellung mit durch Trennschweißen geschlossener Sicherheitshülle;

Fig. 11

eine entsprechende Darstellung mit abgetrennter, mit der Sicherheitshülle ummantelter Schutzhülle; und

Fig. 12

einen schematisch vereinfachten Längsschnitt einer einen Andockbereich bildenden und einem Manipulatorraum vorgeschalteten Schleusenkammer.

Show it:

Fig. 1

in a highly schematically simplified and sketch-like representation, the perspective oblique view of a protective cover in the form of a protective suit and part of the outer wall a protective space with a docking area thereon for the protective cover;

Fig. 2

in an opposite Fig. 1 an even more simplified functional sketch of the docking area of the outer wall with a transfer passage closed by the security envelope and a connecting end of the protective envelope before it is brought together with the receiving end of the security envelope;

Fig. 3

one of the Fig. 2 Corresponding illustration, showing the merged state of the ends of the two sheaths;

Figures 4 and 5

corresponding representations, the state of the joining and closing of the joined casing ends by separation welding or the separation of protruding casing ends taking place is shown;

Fig. 6

shown the process of forming an opening between the joined shell ends;

Fig. 7

the corresponding representation shows the state after the protective cover has been turned inside out and before the opening is closed;

Fig. 8

one of the Fig. 7 corresponding illustration with separated, closed protective cover;

Fig. 9

a corresponding illustration with the protective cover open but covered with the safety cover;

Fig. 10

one of the Fig. 9 corresponding illustration with safety envelope closed by cut-off welding;

Fig. 11

a corresponding illustration with a detached protective cover encased in the safety cover; and

Fig. 12

a schematically simplified longitudinal section of a lock chamber forming a docking area and upstream of a manipulator space.

With reference to the Figures 1 to 11 the invention is illustrated by means of examples in which a protective cover 2 in the form of a protective suit is formed from weldable film webs. For the entry and exit of a person 4, the protective cover 2 forming the protective suit has a through opening which is formed from two superposed film web parts 6 and 8 which are peelably welded to one another at the free end 10 so that they can be pulled apart to achieve the To release passage opening. When the passage opening is closed, the person 4 is protected against contamination from the outside by means of a hermetic enclosure. For the safe transfer of the person 4 who is in an in Fig. 1 with 12 designated contaminated area is, such as the infection or quarantine ward of a clinic, to a protected room protected against contamination, from which in Fig. 1 only a part of its outer wall 14 is shown, a docking area 16 with a passage 18 enabling the transfer is provided on this.

The Figs. 1 to 5 illustrate the docking process and the establishment of an environmentally-tight connection between the protective cover 2 and a safety cover 20. Before the docking, the film web parts 6 and 8, which are located on the free end 10 form the peelable closed passage opening 10 of the protective suit, folded and rolled up in a closable breast pocket 22 of the protective suit, from which it is pulled out for the docking process and into the in Fig. 1 and 2 position shown can be brought. The safety sheath 20 is formed from a tube of weldable film material which, with its closed bottom 24, forms a hermetic seal of a passage 18 which is provided for the transfer in the outer wall 14. The protective cover 20 thereby separates the contaminated area 12 from an uncontaminated area. The open end of the tube forming the safety sheath 20 opposite the bottom 24 is stored in the rolled-up state in a cassette 26 which surrounds the edge of the transfer passage 18 of the outer wall 14. From the hose supply, the protective sleeve is 20 in Fig. 2 Can be pulled out to the right and is available from the supply for several discharge or transfer processes. The Fig. 2 shows that the security sheath 20 is pulled slightly to the right for the docking and connection process, so that the protective sheath 2 with its penetrating end 10 can be received in a receiving end 28 of the security sheath 20, as shown in FIG Fig. 3 it is shown where the adjacent track parts 6 and 8 of the protective cover 2 lie between track parts 30 and 32 of the safety cover 20. The Fig. 4 shows the following welding of the adjacent parts of the track. This is done by separating welding by means of movable welding jaws 34, wherein, as in FIG Fig. 4 and 5 shown, a protruding end piece 36 is separated and disposed of. Known welding bars are provided as welding jaws 34 for separating welding processes, which extend over the entire width of the hose of the sleeves 2, 20 to be welded. Such welding bars for electrical thermal pulse welding are available, for example, from JOKE Folienschweißtechnik GmbH, Asselborner Weg 14 to 16, DE 51429 Bergisch Gladbach.

The Fig. 6 illustrates the subsequent step of forming a through opening 40 by peeling, ie lifting the web parts 6 and 8 from one another. When the opening 40 is formed, the protective cover 2 can be turned over the opening 40, so that the inside of the protective cover 2 is turned outwards and thereby the Contents of the protective cover 2, ie when the protective cover 2 is designed as a protective suit, the person 4 is discharged onto the clean side behind the outer wall 14. How Figures 7 and 8 show, the everted protective cover 2 by a separation welding process, as it is also in Fig. 4 is carried out by means of the welding jaws 34, closed and separated from the safety sheath 20. While at Fig. 4 and 5 In this case, the end piece 36 arises as separated waste, the closed protective cover 2 with the contaminated interior 42 is now separated for waste disposal, see FIG. Fig. 8 . The person to be protected from contamination can basically get into a contaminated room via the associated passage opening 18 in the protective suit in the reverse order as described and accordingly detach from the docking area 16. However, there is also the possibility of putting on the protective suit in a normal lock area before entering the contaminated room via a separate lock entrance.

The Figures 9 to 11 illustrate a variant in which, based on the state of Fig. 6 with the opening 40 formed, the protective cover 2 is not turned inside out, but in the in Fig. 9 is pulled through the transfer passage 18 of the outer wall 14 in the direction indicated by arrow 44. The safety sheath 20 connected to the protective sheath 2 at the weld 38 is also pulled out and thereby forms a sheath 46 of the protective sheath 2. By closing the sheath 46 by means of its welding jaws 34 performing a separating welding process, as in FIG Figures 10 and 11 shown, a contaminated intermediate space 48 is formed as a closed area between protective sleeve 2 and casing 46, so that, as in FIG Fig. 11 shown, the detached, completed Unit is disposable. The protective suit can then be exited through the opening left free on the front (not to scale).

The Fig. 12 shows an example in which the docking area 16 is formed by a lock chamber 50 which is connected upstream of a manipulator room (not shown), of which only a partition 52 is indicated. In the in Fig. 12 To the right of the partition 52, the manipulator room, which forms a clean room or sterile room, can, as is usual, be carried out in gloves and work can be carried out from the outside. The Fig. 12 shows the docking process for the contamination-free passage of the protective cover 2 from a contaminated area 12 through the lock chamber 50 to the manipulator room. The protective cover 2 here forms the hermetically sealed packaging for objects 54. In the same way as in FIG Fig. 3 As shown, the protective sheath 2 with the peelably welded penetrating end 10 is inserted into the receiving end 28 of the security sheath 20 and in a corresponding manner, as in FIG Fig. 4 shown, welded by means of the welding jaws 34 in a peelable manner. Since the welding point is located within the closed area of the lock chamber 50, which is connected to the manipulator room as the clean room of the lock chamber 50, the welding jaws 34 are arranged outside an elastically flexible partition 54 that encloses this clean room and is formed, for example, by a tubular silicone layer whose resilience enables the welding jaws 34 to be moved against one another from the outside for cut-off welding. After the welding process, in which the adjacent web parts of protective cover 2 and safety cover 20 in the same way as in Fig. 4 are peelably welded to one another, the protective cover 2 is pulled through in the direction of arrow 44 and thereby encased by the safety cover 20, whereby, as shown in FIG Fig. 9 is shown during the corresponding pulling process of the protective cover 2, this is provided with the sheathing 46. At the one in the direction of arrow 44 in the lock chamber 50 retracted end 56 can now be carried out the same separation welding process as it in Figures 10 and 11 for the jacketed unit is shown. Since the contaminated intermediate space 48 located on the outside of the protective cover 2 is hermetically enclosed by the casing 46, the objects 54 in the manipulator space can be removed after forming the through opening 40 by peeling the weld at the penetrating and receiving ends 10 and 28, respectively.

Claims (16)

1. Method for joining a first at least partially flexible protective cover (2), which forms a barrier between a contaminated (12) and an uncontaminated region, in an environmentally sealed manner to a second at least partially flexible safety cover (20), both covers (2, 20) at least partially consisting of a film material which can be welded to produce at least one film joint, comprising at least the following method steps:

   a) arranging a receiving end (28) of the safety cover (20) and an end (10) of the protective cover (2) penetrating said receiving end (10) in a docking region (16) such that they are opposite one another;

   b) bringing together the ends (10, 28) of the two covers (2, 20) in the docking region (16);

   c) severing the ends (10, 28) and welding adjacent film parts (6, 8, 30, 32) of the two covers (2, 20) along a shared weld joint (38), which, after opening a passage opening (40), delimits said opening;

   characterised by

   d1) outward transfer of the protective cover (2) from the contaminated region (12) by inverting the protective cover (2) out through the opening (40) such that it is turned inside out and then severing from the safety cover (20) as well as closing the opening (40); or

   d2) outward transfer of the protective cover (2) from the contaminated region (12) by wrapping the protective cover (2) with the safety cover (20) while drawing said cover through the passage (18) and then severing both covers (2, 20) from the safety cover (20) as well as closing the wrapping (46); or

   d3) withdrawal of the protective cover (2) into the contaminated region (12) and then welding the ends to sever the safety cover (20) by forming a further weld joint between adjacent film parts.
2. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that a contaminated region (42) is enclosed inside (42) the protective cover (2), which has been turned inside out, by closing the passage opening (40).
3. Method according to either claim 1 or 2, characterised in that a sealed intermediate space (48) is formed as a contaminated region by wrapping the protective cover (2) by means of the safety cover (20) while closing the wrapping (46).
4. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the safety cover (20) is designed as a kind of film tube, the free end (28) of which remains closed in the docking region (126) before the passage opening (40) is made and after the protective cover (2) is dispensed.
5. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the protective cover (2), with its film web parts (6, 8) lying on top of one another, is designed to be peelable at least at its penetrating end such that said film web parts release the passage opening (40) when pulled away from one another in step c.
6. Method according to claim 5, characterised in that a protective suit is formed from the protective cover (2) and in that it is possible to climb into or out of the protective suit respectively after pulling apart the at least one peelable film web or its web parts (6, 8) to release the passage opening (40).
7. Method according to claim 6, characterised in that, after climbing into the protective suit and closing the associated passage opening (40) by laying the respective peelable film web or its web parts (6, 8) on top of one another to form the penetrating end (10) of the protective cover (2), the respective closed film web can be wound up from there and received in a sealable breast pocket (22) of the protective suit.
8. Device for joining a protective cover (2) to a safety cover (20) to carry out a method according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a dispensing device (26) for a weldable film material, which, dispensed as a film tube, surrounds a passage (18) for a transfer from a contaminated region (12) into an uncontaminated region using a protective cover (12) and, as an at least partially flexible safety cover (20), hermetically seals the contaminated region (12) from the uncontaminated region, and at least one welding apparatus to produce at least one peelable film joint between film web parts (6, 8, 30, 32) of the safety sleeve (20) lying on top of one another and the respective protective cover (2), which, during transfer from the contaminated region (12) into the uncontaminated region in a docking area, penetrates a receiving end (28) of the safety cover (20 with one end (10), characterised in that the dispensing apparatus is designed as a cassette (26), in which the film tube (20), particularly in stacked or rolled form, is stored, said tube making it possible to have a continuous tube extraction for a plurality of outward transfer operations with its closed end as a receiving end (28) for the penetrating end (10) of the protective cover (2).
9. Device according to claim 8, characterised in that the respective welding apparatus is formed by two welding jaws (34) that can be moved in relation to one another, which make it possible to tightly seal or weld the film material (6, 8, 30, 32) and sever or cut said film material adjacent to the joint seam thus formed.
10. Device according to either claim 8 or claim 9, characterised in that at least one welding apparatus is arranged in the uncontaminated region.
11. Device according to either claim 8 or claim 9, characterised in that at least one welding apparatus is arranged in the contaminated region (12) or in the docking region (16).
12. Device according to any one of claims 8 to 11, characterised in that at least one combined welding and separating apparatus is provided to weld or seal the respective film web (6, 8, 30, 32) of the protective cover (2) and/or the safety cover (20) along a joint seam (38) and to sever the cover adjacent to this joint seam (38).
13. Device according to claim 12, characterised in that the combined welding and separating apparatus (34), as part of the airlock chamber (52), is separated from the airlock passage by means of an elastically flexible separating wall (54) such as a silicone layer.
14. Device according to any one of claims 8 to 13, characterised in that the docking region (16) is connected upstream of a manipulator chamber as part of the device, operations being performed in said chamber from outside, accessed by means of gloves, and in that the docking region (16) is separated from the manipulator chamber by means of an airlock.
15. Device according to claim 14, characterised in that the cassette (26) is arranged on an outer wall (14) of a protective chamber or is part of an airlock chamber (50) in front of the manipulator chamber, and in that the protective chamber or the airlock chamber respectively are part of the device.
16. Device according to either claim 14 or claim 15, characterised in that the docking region (16) in front of the manipulator chamber is designed as an airlock chamber (50), together with the cassette (26) for the film tube (20) and at least one welding apparatus (34).

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