WO2018059753A1

WO2018059753A1 - Container handling system

Info

Publication number: WO2018059753A1
Application number: PCT/EP2017/065988
Authority: WO
Inventors: Volker Damerow; Hilmar FICKERT; Ingo Bergmiller; Martin Fetzer
Original assignee: Khs Gmbh
Priority date: 2016-09-27
Filing date: 2017-06-28
Publication date: 2018-04-05
Also published as: EP3519346B1; DE102016118230A1; ES2908439T3; EP3519346A1; PT3519346T

Abstract

The invention relates to a container handling system (10) comprising a plurality of handling stations (11, 16, 18, 20) for containers (28). According to the invention, the handling stations (11, 16, 18, 20) are arranged next to one another and above one another. The container handling system (10) comprises at least one conveyor (22) for the containers (28), which has a horizontal and a vertical transport direction and is designed to supply the handling stations (11, 16, 18, 20) with containers (28) and/or to discharge the containers (28) from the handling stations (11, 16, 18, 20).

Description

Container treatment plant

The invention provides a modular complete system for treating containers by means of different treatment steps, such as e.g. Cleaning, sterilization, inspection and filling. The containers can be barrels,

System kegs, large doses of any kind as well as disposable or reusable containers.

Various systems are known in the relevant industry, which cleans and fills the mentioned containers in different ways. The cleaning periodically includes, according to the degree of container contamination, several stages, e.g. Emptying, flushing with water, treatment with one or more alkalis, blank pressing and tempering with

CO2 or inert gas, acid treatment, hot water and steam sterilization. Filling comprises filling processes of the known beverage technology for drinks of all kinds, mainly carbonated drinks with and without

Alcohol.

Systems of this type are known as semi-automatic machines that are operated manually and as fully automatic machines, which are usually modular to very large ones

Services are put together. All systems have in common that they take account of the so-called working cycles in terms of piping and process flow. Such a cycle is defined by the residence time in

Work stations assigned to the individual work steps, such as pre-rinsing, rinsing with water, rinsing with rinse, acid rinsing, hot water rinsing, holding superheated steam. It is "state of the art" that these cycles are optimally combined on individual treatment stations. For example, it is possible to combine up to 8 work steps in just 3 stations, as individual treatment stations can perform several functions. At the same time, the treatment stations are connected to supply lines for media, electricity and control signals. Usually, only such connections are provided, which are required for the corresponding treatment station, which saves costs. On the other hand, this later changes the entire treatment system consuming.

Container treatment plants which were designed as fully automatic machines are further subdivided into container treatment plants which, in addition to internal container treatment, also perform external cleaning, and those which carry out only the internal cleaning and the filling of the containers.

Container treatment plants, which in addition to the internal container treatment and the external cleaning take over, are referred to as compact systems.

Tank treatment systems, which only carry out the internal cleaning and filling of the containers, are further differentiated in linear systems and rotary units (systems).

Rotary units (systems) are generally designed in such a way that separate, circular, rotating treatment gyros are provided both for the internal treatment or internal cleaning of the containers and for the filling of the containers. This procedure is complex and expensive, an increase in performance of such a system is usually not possible. In linear systems, two principles are known: the longitudinal passage through the treatment plant and the cross-pass through the treatment plant, which is also referred to as transversal passage. During the longitudinal pass, the containers inevitably pass through a fixed sequence of treatment stations, a container always being moved from one station to the station behind it as soon as the current one

Treatment of the container is complete, and the subsequent station is free.

In the transversal run, identical treatment stations are present multiple times, with transport devices being arranged between the identical and different treatment stations. This constructive design allows a container to be pushed onto any "free" of several similar treatment stations after completion of the current treatment, whereby the quantity output of such a system is significantly higher than the volume output of a system with longitudinal throughput On the one hand and through the filling profiles of the product to be filled, on the other hand, the process times for the different working steps are defined.The combination of required treatment steps and their respective process times has a considerable effect on the structural design, the size, the complexity and also the costs of such a container treatment plant.

As the complexity increases, so too do the demands on designers, software developers and even fitters and commissioning engineers, which increases the costs of such a system even further.

Other major disadvantages of known systems are: many transporters, many intersections of transporters, complex pipe guides of up to 10 lines per treatment station, a high space requirement, thus high operating, maintenance and repair costs. It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a container treatment plant with multiple treatment stations, which allows a very individual adaptation to different, even diverse treatment tasks in a confined space. This object is achieved by a container treatment plant having the features of claim 1. Advantageous developments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims. Advantageous developments of the invention are also described in the description and in the drawings.

According to the treatment stations in the container treatment plant not only next to each other but also arranged one above the other. Furthermore, the system has at least one conveyor for the containers, which has both a horizontal and a vertical transport direction and is designed to equip all treatment stations with containers and / or remove the containers from the treatment stations.

The task of the transporter can preferably be taken over by a single transporter, which both supplies and discharges the containers. Alternatively, however, several transporters may be provided, with transporters being able to be provided specifically only for the supply and only for the container removal.

Now, if the container stations not only next to each other, but also arranged one above the other, so the at least one conveyor with a certain route can reach more container stations, or a certain number of container stations at a shorter route. With the route shortened the same time the travel time, which is very desirable in the practical application of such container treatment plants.

Particularly advantageous, but not mandatory, provision is made for container stations to be provided on both sides of the at least one transporter, wherein the treatment stations arranged on the same side of the transporter can again be arranged both side by side and one above the other. Ultimately, the entire system is more compact, the transport routes are shorter and the three-dimensional extent of the system allows many different treatment tasks to be carried out in a compact space, such as pre-rinsing, exterior cleaning, filling and sterilization.

In addition, some of the treatment stations can only serve as a buffer to temporarily receive containers should there be delays at a container station or to provide a sufficient number of containers for a break or the like.

The novel constellation of the functional units eliminates the known disadvantages, such as rigid cycle times, high space requirements, many transporters and at the same time allows all known linear and rotary systems to be replaced modularly.

Preferably, the container treatment stations are arranged on floors one above the other, wherein preferably all the treatment stations located on one floor are arranged at the same height level,

ie in the same horizontal plane. As a result, compared to a system in which the treatment stations are not arranged on defined floors, the conveying paths can be reduced more easily and the entire logistics of the supply and removal of the containers can be accelerated and also automated more easily. In addition, the treatment stations are preferably arranged in at least two mutually parallel vertical planes, wherein these parallel vertical planes are located on both sides of the at least one transportor. Within a parallel vertical plane, in turn, the treatment stations are arranged side by side and one above the other. In this way, all arranged on both sides of the conveyor treatment stations have the same distance from the feed dog. As a result, the transport paths can be represented as a combination of straight lines, which considerably simplifies the corresponding programming. Furthermore, the transporter reaches all side by side and stacked container treatment stations with only very short travels.

In this way, the conveyor can move containers horizontally horizontally from one processing station in the one parallel vertical plane directly horizontally to one container processing station in the other parallel vertical plane without having to move up or down. The container treatment stations arranged in the same "floors" are therefore preferably not vertically offset from one another.

Preferably, the feed dog is designed in the manner of a movable lift truck, which moves between the two parallel vertical planes of container treatment stations, whereby the horizontal transport of the carriage covers the horizontal transport path and the lifting functionality covers the vertical transport path. Preferably, the horizontal and vertical transport function is realized simultaneously, which additionally shortens the transport routes. The carriage is preferably rail-guided.

The transporter can also include a handling robot or other known handling devices.

Preferably, treatment stations, preferably all treatment stations are designed as treatment modules and held interchangeably in at least one horizontally and vertically extending support frame of the treatment facility. The side by side and one above the other arranged treatment modules are thus arranged in a support frame, in which the

Treatment modules preferably have a standardized size and standardized media connections or interfaces such as fluid supplies and the like, as well as electrical connections. In this way, an existing treatment module can be replaced by another at any point of the support frame at any time, for example in case of failure of a module. Preferably, the treatment modules are held and / or secured by means of a plug connection in or on the support frame. Such a connection can be produced quickly and allows a reproducible fixed mounting position of the treatment module. Such a technology is described, for example, in EP 2 059 446 B1.

Preferably, the operating position of each treatment module is secured in the support frame by means of a latching device. As a result, a defined operating position of the treatment module is achieved, which is important because the locations where the containers, such as KEGs, are treated in the treatment modules, are typically well defined and allow an inaccurate operating position of a treatment module Could cause disruptions in the operation.

In an advantageous development of the invention, in each operating position of a treatment module, a fluid interface connected to central fluid lines of the container treatment system is arranged with at least one coupling flange, which cooperates with a complementary coupling flange of the treatment module connected to the fluid lines of the treatment module. In this way, a standardized interface is created, which allows a problem-free coupling of each treatment module at each point of the support frame, without

to think about which fluid line is required for which treatment module. The fluid interface provided on the support frame offers all necessary media for each treatment module, such as, for example, hydraulic water, hydraulic oil, compressed air, lubricating oil. Likewise, the fluid interface can also provide the product to be filled.

Preferably, a support frame is provided per treatment module. However, two or more treatment modules may also be arranged in a support frame or a treatment module in at least two support frames. Here, preferably, the coupling flange and the complementary

Coupling flange arranged such that they automatically fluid-tight coupling with each other when moving the treatment module in the operating position. In this way, the installation of the treatment module is substantially simplified because the mechanical coupling of the treatment module is coupled to the operating position on the support frame with the simultaneous coupling of the coupling flanges. An exchange of a treatment module is therefore very fast and without much installation effort. In an advantageous development of the invention, at each operating position of a treatment module in or on the support frame, there is an electrical interface connected to electrical lines of the container treatment installation. At the treatment module, a complementary interface for electrical lines of the treatment module is arranged, which is connectable to the interface of the container treatment plant. This electrical interface is preferably designed such that it automatically couples when the treatment module is pushed into the operating position. Thus, not only the fluid interface is coupled during the movement of the treatment module into the operating position in the support frame, but also the electrical interface, with which a wide variety of treatment modules are immediately ready for operation after insertion into the operating position.

Preferably, each treatment module is connected to a controller of the container treatment plant via an electric bus system and a first connection element is arranged on the support frame in a locally fixed position to the operating position of each treatment module, which cooperates with a complementary second connection element arranged on the treatment module such that upon insertion coupling the treatment module in the support frame, the first and second connection element contact each other, at the latest when the treatment module has reached its operating position in the support frame. In this way, an electrical control system of the treatment module is automatically coupled when moving the treatment module in the operating position on the support frame to an electrical control of the treatment plant. In an advantageous development of the invention, the frames of the treatment stations in the operating position of the treatment stations can be assembled with support structures formed on the support frame. In this way, a stable mounting of the components is ensured on the support frame of the container treatment plant.

In an advantageous development of the invention, at least a part of the treatment stations acts as an intermediate storage, so that different processing times in upstream and / or downstream container treatment plants or else disturbances in the production process can be compensated for by the intermediate storage, which acts as a buffer.

Preferably, at least a part of the treatment stations has its own control electronics, which optionally allows the activity of the treatment stations to be carried out largely independently of the other treatment stations.

Preferably, at least one of the treatment stations are designed as a cleaning station and at least one as a filling station, which represents the usual treatment stations in the context of a container filling.

The core of the invention is a tiered arrangement of the functional processing stations (also called cleaning and filling heads) on top of each other, with a centrally located multi-directional conveyor system for equipping the treatment stations NEN.

Compared to a conventional inlet and outlet conveyor of a conventional treatment plant, the treatment plant according to the invention with a multi-directional conveyor system saves up to 200 m of feed dog. The document area is correspondingly reduced by approx. 80%, the number of drives, for example, is reduced by approx. 60%. The number of degrees of freedom in the arrangement of the treatment stations, in order to ensure the smoothest possible sequence of successive working cycles, is considerably increased by the invention. In addition, the system can be built on top of each other, eg two to five floors, whereby a higher number of floors additionally optimizes the savings.

The system is suitable for low throughputs from 30 containers / hour up to 1, 300 containers / hour. On the treatment plant according to the invention, multiple-use containers and / or disposable containers can even be driven simultaneously.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, a core of the system is the intelligent control of the conveyor. Therefore, the treatment plant preferably has an intelligent multi-way transport system, which takes over the complete container transport within the system between a container supply and discharge and the treatment modules. Such intelligent container supply to the treatment modules on the principle of high-bay warehouses allows all the necessary degrees of freedom in the container supply and removal at the highest performance. The novel container cleaning and filling system concept of the treatment plant according to the invention utilizes, in addition to the modular structure of the treatment stations, the basic principles of an automatic loading and unloading system of a high-bay warehouse. By the invention, the realization of a flexible, i. any time changeable treatment sequence of treatment stations in the shortest possible time possible. The modularity of the treatment plant preferably ranges from treatment functions to the container types.

Even the smallest treatment facility can be upgraded at any time, without having to discard previously purchased treatment modules and / or without requiring new control programs. As already described above, the constellation of treatment modules allows a likewise modular piping for the media, sterile air, CO2, alkali, acid, hot water, cold water, Ste lisationsmedien preferably on a side facing away from the conveyor outside or back of the treatment modules.

In an advantageous development of the invention, the treatment modules have a frame which can be connected to the frame of other treatment modules, the connected frames of the treatment modules forming the support frame of the treatment system. In this way, no separate support frame is required and the support frame formed by the frame of the treatment modules is always exactly as large as the totality of the mounted treatment modules of the system requires this. Preferably, a treatment station is associated with a support frame. Again, however, two or more treatment stations may share a support frame or a treatment station may have a plurality of support frames.

The plant can theoretically have any power between 10 and 2000

Process containers per hour, based on a 50 liter drum, which is understandable by the modular arrangement. If a feed rail of the transport company is designed for the expected future performance when commissioning a system, a customer can retrofit individual treatment modules at any time in order to increase the system performance.

The transporter can have any desired design, for example as a forklift truck for one or more containers. The conveyor can also have separate conveyor systems for horizontal and vertical transport of the containers. The conveyor systems can have a different degree of automation, from hand conveyors to fully automatic conveyor robots. The supply terminals of the treatment stations include fluid and

Media connections, in particular standardized interfaces, electrical connections as well as electrical control connections, e.g. Bus systems, which are preferably standardized as described above and automatically coupled. These are preferably arranged on a side of the treatment stations, in particular treatment modules, facing away from the conveyor.

In the present application, the following terms are used interchangeably: treatment station - container treatment station - treatment module - container treatment module treatment head; Treatment plant -

Container Treatment Plant Plant Container Treatment Machine Treatment Machine; Carriage lift truck;

It is obvious to a person skilled in the art that the different embodiments described above can be combined with one another in any desired manner.

The invention will be described below by way of example with reference to the schematic drawing.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a container treatment station

in the form of a treatment module,

Fig. 2 is a perspective schematic view of three different treatment modules, the construction of a horizontal plane of the Behälterbehandlungsanla ge with different treatment modules, Figure 4 is the horizontal plane of Figure 3 in a perspective view. and 5 shows a container treatment plant with two horizontal levels of treatment modules arranged one above the other, which have two parallel vertical planes of treatment modules

form, between which a feed dog is movable.

Fig. 1 shows a treatment module 1 1 in a realistic structure. The treatment module 1 1 has a frame 12 and a treatment assembly 14, which serves for example for filling or for cleaning or sterilizing a container depending on the task. The frames 12 of a plurality of treatment modules 1 1 arranged side by side and one above the other can be connected to form a common support frame, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Therefore, no separate support frame of the system must be mounted. In addition, the support frame grows with the number of mounted treatment modules In such a treatment module 1 1 preferably different types of containers can be handled, such as bottles, cans, kegs and barrels. The treatment module 1 1 contains a standardized interface for different media, an electrical interface and a control interface. These interfaces are standardized. Thus, such a treatment module in a container treatment plant can be connected at any point, without additional infrastructure, such as new piping, connections, etc. The connections are preferably self-coupling fluid-tight, when mounting a treatment module in its operating position. Different types of such a treatment module are shown very schematically in FIG. The left treatment module 16 is a pre-cleaning station while the middle treatment module 18 is a main cleaning station. The right hand treatment module 20 is a filling station. A container treatment plant 10 with an arrangement of these treatment modules 16, 18, 20 is shown in FIGS. 3 to 5. In Figures 3 and 4, only a lower horizontal level of the treatment plant is shown. In reality, several of these planes may be superimposed, as shown in FIG.

The frames 12 of the treatment modules 1 1, 16, 18, 20 are connected to each other and thus form a common support frame, which grows with the number of mounted treatment modules 1 1, 16, 18, 20. Alternatively, however, the treatment modules may be inserted into a separate support frame of the system 10.

The treatment modules 16, 18, 20 are arranged one above the other in the example shown in FIG. 5 on two levels. Of course, the number of floors can be larger as needed. In addition, the treatment modules 16, 18, 20 arranged in the different storeys are aligned along two mutually parallel vertical planes E1, E2. Between the two vertical planes E1, E2, a conveyor 22 is arranged, which has at least one preferably guided on rails 24 carriage 26, which serves to transport the container 28 between the different treatment modules 16, 18, 20. Due to the orientation corresponding to the vertical planes, the treatment modules 16, 18, 20 arranged on both sides of the conveyor have the same distance to the feed dog, which means the transport logistics, i. simplifies the supply and removal of containers to the treatment stations.

In the event that treatment stations are arranged one above the other in at least two levels, it is provided for a particularly advantageous embodiment that the feed dog is arranged or runs in a vertical height level which corresponds approximately to the middle of the vertical extension of the treatment stations arranged one above the other. This procedure reduces the total travel distances for vertical movements of the feed dog. This arrangement of the transporter can be selected independently of whether treatment stations are arranged on one side or on both sides of the transporter. In Fig. 3, the lower floor of the container treatment plant 10 is shown. The vertical planes are perpendicular to the drawing plane. On the left edge of the plane E2, an empty container loading station 30 is arranged, which is connected to a supply conveyor 32. Opposite in the vertical plane E1, a discharge station 34 is arranged for accepting full container 28, which is connected to a discharge conveyor 36. By the carriage 26 can each two containers 28 at the same time

be absorbed, whereby a simultaneous treatment of two containers is possible. In a corresponding manner, the loading station and the delivery station and also the shuttle 26 can be made longer, so that three or four containers can be picked up by the carriage 26 at the same time.

The carriage 26 also has a lifting functionality, so that, as shown in FIG. 5, treatment modules can also be loaded and unloaded in several superimposed floors. Due to the fact that the treatment modules 16, 18, 20 are arranged side by side as well as above one another, a much more compact construction results, which also enables shorter transport paths. In addition, the treatment modules 16, 18, 20 with their frame 12 in the container treatment system 0 interchangeable, that is removable, arranged. Preferably, all supply connections of the treatment modules 1 1, 16, 18, 20 are arranged on the side facing away from the conveyor 22 of the treatment modules and thus do not interfere with the loading and unloading access of Verfahrwagens 26. They are also easily accessible from the opposite outer side of the vertical planes for maintenance.

In an alternative embodiment, the frames 12 of the treatment modules 11 are connected to a separate support frame, not shown, preferably via plug connections with a latching device for defining the operating position of each treatment module. Media connections such as product to be filled, water, hydraulic oil, compressed air and electrical or control electrical connections are preferably formed via standardized interfaces, which automatically fluid-tight coupled with each other when inserted into the treatment module in the operating position, so that each type of treatment module is automatically coupled to all necessary connections ,

The containers 28 are supplied to the various treatment modules 16, 18, 20 in the required treatment sequence. If the treatment time of a container has expired in a treatment module, the carriage 26 transports the container 28 to the treatment module following in the treatment sequence. In addition to the treatment modules described above, there are preferably also dwell, steam, sterilization and weighing modules. One processing operation is filling with product in the filling station

20. Also, the containers are closed, either automatically by uncoupling or removal from a treatment station, or by active closure on a separate capping station, for example by press fitting or by screwing on a screw cap. After sealing, the container is supplied by the carriage to the discharge station 34 and discharged via the discharge conveyor 36. Container 28, which does not pass the integrated quality control, are discharged via the carriage 26 at the end of the running rail 24. It is clear that over the two horizontal planes of FIG. 5, a third or further horizontal planes of treatment modules can be arranged, so that the vertical planes E1, E2 continue to extend upwards. Instead of a Verfahrwagens several Verfahrwagen can be arranged simultaneously between the two vertical planes E1, E2. The levels can also be operated with two transporters from their opposite outside. In this case, preferably the media connections of the treatment modules in the two vertical planes face each other. Of course, more than two vertical planes E1, E2 can be arranged next to one another, wherein then preferably at least one conveyor is arranged between each two vertical planes. The invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment, but may be varied as desired within the scope of the following claims.

, "

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10 container treatment plant

1 1 treatment module

12 frames

14 treatment module of a treatment module 16 pre-cleaning station

10 18 main cleaning station

20 filling station

22 transporter

24 rails

26 shuttle cars

15 28 containers

30 loading station

32 feed conveyor

34 delivery station

36 discharge conveyor

Claims

claims

1 . Container treatment plant (10), comprising a plurality of treatment stations (1 1, 16, 18, 20) for containers (28), characterized in that

the treatment stations (1 1, 16, 18, 20) are arranged side by side and one above the other, and

in that it comprises at least one conveyor (22) for the containers (28), which has a horizontal as well as vertical transport direction, and is designed to accommodate the treatment stations (11, 16, 18, 20) with containers (28)

equip and / or remove the containers (28) from the treatment stations (1 1, 16, 18, 20).

Second container treatment plant (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises at least one first Zufuhrtransporteur (22) for equipping

the container treatment stations (1 1, 16, 18, 20) and at least

an evacuation conveyor (22) for discharging the containers (28) from the treatment stations (11, 16, 18, 20).

3. Container treatment plant (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the container treatment stations (1 1, 16, 18, 20) are arranged in several superimposed floors.

4. container treatment plant (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that arranged next to and above each other

Container treatment stations are arranged in two mutually parallel vertical planes (E1, E2), and that the feed dog (22) in particular

is arranged centrally between the two vertical planes (E1, E2).

5. container treatment plant (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the feed dog (22) has a transport direction parallel and perpendicular to the vertical planes (E1, E2) of the container treatment stations.

6. Container treatment plant (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the treatment stations (1 1, 16, 18,

20) are modularly constructed as treatment modules and are held interchangeably in at least one vertically extending support frame.

7. Container treatment system (10) according to claim 6, characterized in that the treatment module (1 1, 16, 18, 20) are held and / or secured by means of a plug connection in or on the support frame.

8. Container treatment system (10) according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the operating position of each treatment module in the

Supporting frame is secured by means of a locking device.

9. Container treatment system (10) according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that on the support frame at each operating position of a treatment module with a central fluid lines of the container treatment plant (10) connected to the fluid interface with at least one coupling flange is arranged, with one with the fluid lines the treatment module connected complementary coupling flange of the treatment module cooperates.

10. Container treatment plant (10) according to claim 9, characterized in that the coupling flange and the complementary coupling flange

are arranged so that they move when moving the treatment module

couple together in the operating position.

1 1. Container treatment system (10) according to any one of claims 6 to 10, characterized in that at each operating position of a treatment module in or on the support frame with an electrical lines of the

Container treatment plant (10) connected electrical interface is present, and that on the treatment module (1 1, 16, 18, 20) has a complementary interface for electrical lines of the treatment module

is arranged, which is connectable to the interface of the container treatment plant (10).

12. Container treatment system (10) according to any one of claims 6 to 1 1, characterized in that each treatment module (1 1, 16, 18, 20)

is connected via an electric bus system with a control of the container treatment plant (10), and that the support frame in a fixed position to the operating position of each treatment module, a first connection element is arranged, which with a on the treatment module (1 1, 16, 18, 20 ) arranged complementary complementary second connecting element cooperates such that upon insertion / coupling of the treatment module in the support frame, the first and second connection element contact each other, at the latest when the treatment module (1 1, 16, 18, 20) has reached its operating position in the support frame.

13. Container treatment plant (10) according to any one of claims 6 to 12, characterized in that the frame of the treatment modules (1 1, 16, 18, 20) in the operating position of the treatment modules (1 1, 16, 18, 20) with the support frame trained support structures are plugged together.

14. Container treatment system (10) according to any one of claims 6 to 12, characterized in that the frame of the treatment modules (1 1, 16, 18, 20) are connectable to each other to a support frame of the container treatment plant (10).

15. Container treatment system (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least a part of the treatment stations (1 1,

16, 18, 20) have at least one fluid return or discharge connected to a valve or valve outlet.

16. Container treatment plant (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least a part of the treatment stations (1 1, 16, 18, 20) act as a buffer.

17. Container treatment plant (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least part of the treatment stations (1 1, 16, 18, 20) comprise electrical and / or pneumatic lines

which with provided actuators for controlling the valve or

Valve outlet are connected.

18. Container treatment system (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each type of supply connections

on a the conveyor (22) facing away from the Behandlungsstatioö NEN (1 1, 16, 18, 20) are arranged.

19. Container treatment plant (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one of the treatment stations

(1 1, 16, 18, 20) as a cleaning station (16, 18) and at least one as

10 filling station (20) is formed.