WO2021121747A1

WO2021121747A1 - Device for producing and processing plastic containers

Info

Publication number: WO2021121747A1
Application number: PCT/EP2020/080269
Authority: WO
Inventors: Andreas PENSE; Thomas Kitzinger; Andreas Vornehm; Cora Hanesch; Wolfgang Roidl; Michael Beyer; Christian Betz; Beate Dorrmann; Dieter Finger; Dominik Meier
Original assignee: Krones Ag
Priority date: 2019-12-18
Filing date: 2020-10-28
Publication date: 2021-06-24
Also published as: DE102019134836A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device and to a method for producing and processing plastic containers, the device comprising: a molding and filling machine for forming and simultaneously filling the plastic container; a closing machine for closing the formed and filled plastic containers; and a labeling machine for labeling the formed and filled plastic containers, the molding and filling machine being connected to the closing machine and/or to the labeling machine without an intermediate conveyor belt and without a buffer.

Description

Device for the production and treatment of

Plastic containers

Field of invention

The present invention relates to the manufacture and treatment of Kunststoffbehäl tern, in particular plastic bottles, in a filling machine with a Formfüllma. The invention also relates to a method for producing Vorformlin conditions and then plastic containers, in particular plastic bottles.

State of the art

Filling systems for beverages or the like comprise several production units connected one behind the other, such as form filling machines, labeling machines and packaging machines. As described in DE 10 2009 040 977 A1, for example, these can be at least partially designed as rotary machines that are coupled to one another by means of rotating transfer devices.

Alternatively, the production units can also be designed as straight-line units and / or be connected to one another via linear transport devices, distribution devices and product buffers. Corresponding system concepts are described, for example, in DE 4442 586 W4, DE 202004 012 848 U1 and EP 2 218664 A2.

Regardless of specific training, the prior art usually provides relatively long transfer routes between the various production units, sometimes with the interposition of buffers, so that the systems are designed in a complex manner and require a relatively large amount of space.

In view of the prior art, the present invention is based on the object of providing a device and a method for the production and treatment of plastic containers that takes up comparatively little installation space and yet can be flexibly adapted to different manufacturing conditions, such as container sizes and container shapes . Description of the invention

The above-mentioned object is achieved by an apparatus for producing and treating plastic containers, the apparatus comprising: a form filling machine for forming and simultaneously filling the plastic containers; a sealing machine for sealing the formed and filled plastic containers; and a labeling machine for labeling the formed and filled plastic containers; and wherein the form filling machine is connected to the closing machine and / or the labeling machine without intermediate conveyor belts and without buffers.

In particular, the form filling machine, the sealing machine and the labeling machine can be connected to one another without intermediate conveyor belts and without buffers (intermediate storage).

The form filling machine, the closing machine and the labeling machine are therefore connected to one another in such a way that the containers are not temporarily stored and are also not transported on intermediate belts, so that a very compact, space-saving design is made possible. The transport path from filling the mold to closing can advantageously be kept relatively short, so that the loss of liquid from the filled containers can be kept low during transport and there is no loss of liquid. In principle, the labeling machine can be provided upstream or downstream of the sealing machine, although it is generally preferred to let the labeling follow the sealing in order to be able to label sufficiently dry and suitably tempered containers and to keep the transport loss low before sealing. Labeling can also be omitted and instead be supplemented by a direct printing process.

In particular, the machines mentioned can be connected directly to one another via star-shaped transfer wheels (Trans fernerne) and thus be interlocked with one another. Distances between the containers (divisions) can be via the transfer stars, for example with the help of their telescopic or pivoting arms. According to an alternative development, the form filling machine and sealing machine are designed in a single module and can be interlocked with the labeling machine via appropriate transfer paths, in particular star-shaped transfer wheels. The sealing machine is not an independent machine, but is integrated into the form filling machine. Thus, in the form filling machine, the container can be formed from the previously heated preform with the product and then immediately closed. A label can be attached to the work step in a subsequent labeling machine or the label and / or the container can be printed using a direct printing machine. A changing robot in the blocked system can also replace the mold halves from the form filling machine in order to process a different container format in the system. In addition, AGVs (automated guided vehicles) can supply or equip the system with preforms, labels or mold filling sets.

According to developments, at least two star-shaped transfer wheels are arranged between the form filling machine and the labeling machine, of which at least one is ausgebil det to adapt the division of the formed and filled plastic containers, and / or at least two star-shaped transfer wheels are arranged between the form filling machine and the sealing machine, from which at least one is ausgebil det to adjust the division of the formed and filled plastic container, and / or there are at least two star-shaped transfer wheels arranged between the sealing machine and the labeling machine, of which at least one is ausgebil det to adjust the division of the formed and filled plastic container. In this way, the desired container divisions can be set in a suitable manner.

In the star-shaped transfer wheels formed to adjust the pitch (for example below the same) container bottom cooling devices for cooling the bottoms of the formed and filled plastic containers and / or neck cooling devices for cooling the necks of the formed and filled plastic containers can be arranged.

Alternatively or additionally, the transport of the formed and filled plastic containers can take place with the help of magnetic shuttle elements. In particular, the plastic containers formed and filled can be transported to the labeling machine and / or the closing machine using the magnetic shuttle elements, the Movement of the magnetic shuttle elements can be caused and controlled by one or more linear motors. In this case, the container divisions can be adjusted in a highly flexible and preferably individual manner via a corresponding control of the magnetic shuttle elements. All transport routes disclosed here within and / or between machines can be carried out with star wheels or with magnetic shuttles. The magnetic shuttles on rails are influenced by coils. There are coils on the rails that generate an electric field. This field in turn influences the magnets on the shuttles. The magnetic shuttle can be operated with a wandering electric field generated by the coils.

The device according to the invention can have further machines. According to a further development, the device comprises a neck sterilization device downstream of the closing device for sterilizing the necks of the formed and filled and closed plastic containers, a recooling device downstream of the neck sterilization device for cooling the formed, filled, closed and sterilized plastic containers and a packaging machine downstream of the recooling device for packaging the formed, filled, closed, sterilized and refrigerated plastic containers. Here, the labeling machine can be connected to the, in particular multi-lane, packaging machine without intermediate conveyor belts and without buffers via a distributor star. Furthermore, the device can include a heating section, which is designed for the thermal preconditioning of preforms, and a transport device which is designed to feed the thermally preconditioned preforms to the form filling machine.

Furthermore, the device according to the invention can have a coating machine. The coating machine can coat the outside of a container. To do this, the container in the coating machine is pressurized and a coating gas is introduced. This gas is ignited by means of a plasma. This creates a coating on the outside of the container.

In all of the developments described above, the device can have a protective housing in which the form filling machine, the sealing machine and the labeling machine and the star-shaped transfer wheels are arranged, and inner one or more partitions can be arranged half of the protective housing, by means of which an air separation is effected between the form filling machine and the sealing machine and / or between the sealing machine and the labeling machine. In this way, contamination of the individual machines by other machines can be avoided.

Alternatively or in combination with what has been described so far, it is conceivable to also supply the devices according to the invention with preforms which are produced directly in the system. For this purpose, they are produced directly or indirectly beforehand and passed on to the preform feed device. The preforms can be produced using compression molding, in which a certain amount of plastic (for example a plastic tablet) is heated and pressed into a preform in a mold using a stamping tool. Such methods are known in principle. The preforms can also be produced by injection molding and then either sorted or passed on unsorted. In the case of unsorted forwarding, sorting must take place before the preforms reach the system. The preforms are preferably passed on already sorted so that they are not damaged during transport from one machine to another, for example.

Such a constellation has the advantage, on the one hand, that the preforms do not need to be thermally conditioned, since they already have the correct temperature for further processing or the thermal conditioning is only there to apply a heat profile in the longitudinal and / or transverse direction to the preform . In this case, the heat conditioning device can optionally be a cooling device which at least partially supplies the preforms with a desired temperature profile. On the other hand, such a constellation has the advantage that the preforms do not have to be sterilized before their final treatment in the form-filling machine. From a microbiological point of view, the preforms are sterile due to the high temperatures in the manufacturing process. Following the demolding in the preform production device, care is preferably taken to ensure that (re) contamination does not take place or at least remains to an acceptable extent. For this purpose, it is possible, for example, to partially or completely enclose the transfer path between the preform production device and the form filling machine or to produce defined ambient conditions. The expert will select the acceptable degree of contamination of the preforms up to the form filling machine and determine how the frame requirements, for example the product to be filled and / or the desired minimum shelf life of the end product.

The preform production device is preferably connected to a subsequent treatment unit without an intermediate buffer, this treatment unit being able to be, for example, a conditioning section and / or a form filling unit. Without an intermediate buffer means in this context that the transfer line only has technically necessary means of transport, e.g. to set the divisions between the preforms so that they can be handled in the following machine without any problems. Transfer stars can therefore definitely be provided between the treatment machines.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the individual machines are interlocked with one another, that is to say synchronously with one another and connected with one another.

The invention also relates to a method for producing plastic preforms and containers. According to the invention, plastic preforms are produced and passed on to the subsequent machines after the production process. This means that the preforms are not produced as usual and temporarily stored as unsorted bagged goods and then sold and then sorted, warmed up and processed again by the producer of the container, but that the preforms are produced and further processed directly in advance of the production of the container. The further processing is preferably carried out in terms of time and location in such a way that the preforms contain heat or residual heat which can be used in the further processing steps. This saves enormous amounts of energy.

According to a preferred development of the method, the preforms are moved from the preform production device to the form filling machine through a conditioning section. In this, the temperature profile of the preforms is adjusted in such a way that further processing in the form filling machine can take place with high quality demands on the finished container. In order to be able to produce certain container shapes at all, a temperature profile that is pronounced in the longitudinal and / or transverse direction of the preform is required. For the conditioning section, this can mean that certain areas are heated up again, that certain areas are cooled down, or a mixture of these. In order to be able to undertake a corresponding optimization of the temperature profile, an inspection unit is preferably arranged upstream of the conditioning section, which records the actual temperature profile of each individual preform and supplies the conditioning section with signals in such a way that a control tion of the tempering process of each individual preform in the conditioning stretch can be made. However, it is also possible that temperature control is carried out in the conditioning section, but not for each individual preform but for groups of preforms. The conditioning section can be, for example, an oven with infrared radiators or a microwave oven. If necessary, cooling can be carried out by air, sterile air, inert gas or also solids, such as dry ice, for example. Passive cooling by creating an equalizing section is also conceivable.

The transfer from the preform production device to the form filling machine and / or to the conditioning section is preferably designed in such a way that the preforms are transported without touching one another. For this purpose, the preforms are placed on a conveyor belt at a distance such that contact with the next preform is not possible. Furthermore, the preforms are preferably transported in such a way that they always have a defined division to the next preform. This can advantageously be achieved by transporting them by means of holding clips, for example in the area of their mouth. This means that the preforms do not touch each other or any other transport medium over a large area, such as the conveyor belt exemplified above. A retaining clip can, however, also be designed as an internal gripper which engages in the mouth of the preform. This has the advantage that the mouth itself, which usually has a thread and a retaining or locking ring on the outside, does not touch and is therefore influenced as little as possible. Particularly when transferring the preforms produced in a sterile manner from the preform manufacturing device, it can be necessary or helpful to sterilize the holding clips so as not to cause any contamination of the preforms when they come into contact.

The preform production process is preferably a compression molding process or an injection molding process; both are well known. The advantage of the injection molding process is, among other things, that preforms can be produced with very small tolerances and in large numbers. The advantage of the compression molding process is, among other things, that this process can be designed as a continuous process and thus a link with the downstream machines, which are preferably also continuously running machines, is facilitated.

The preforms are therefore preferably transported from the preform manufacturing device to the downstream machines without intermediate storage. This It is to be understood that the processes of the production of the preforms and the production of the containers are coupled in such a way that the preforms during the production process of the containers have a residual heat that is above the respective average room temperature in the processing plant. However, coupling preferably takes place closely such that the preforms have a temperature in the range from approx. 80 ° C to 300 ° C, preferably from 100 ° C to 200 ° C, particularly preferably from 110 ° C to 150 ° C arrive at the form filling machine.

The preforms can be transferred between the respective machines using conventional transport units, such as star wheels, but also with individually driven magnetic shuttles on linear motors or long-stator linear motor tracks, as described elsewhere in this application. A mixture of the transport systems is of course also conceivable.

According to a further development of the present method, the container is formed with a basic substance which then remains in the container. In order to produce the end product, it is conceivable to add other substances such as syrup or flavorings after the molding process. It is conceivable here that these additives are introduced when the container is not yet closed. Either the additive can simply be introduced in addition to the product that has been in the container up to that point, or part of the basic substance can be removed from the container again, e.g. sucked in, in order to then introduce the additive. Alternatively, however, it is also conceivable that an additive (with or without prior removal of the basic substance) is introduced through the already closed container, preferably through the container closure. For this purpose, the container closure is perforated, preferably with a needle, and the additive is introduced through the hole. This introduction is preferably carried out with the perforation needle. The container closure is then closed, preferably welded. The method presented here can of course be combined with all disclosed devices and processes. There is no restriction to the inter-combination with individual exemplary embodiments.

In the following, embodiments of a method according to the invention are described with reference to the drawing. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive, and various combinations of the features listed are included in the invention. FIG. 1 shows an apparatus for producing and treating plastic containers according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows an apparatus for the production and treatment of plastic containers according to a further embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows an apparatus for the production and treatment of plastic containers according to a further embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows an apparatus for the production and treatment of plastic containers according to a further embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention provides a particularly space-saving device for the produc- tion and treatment of plastic containers, for example a filling system for drinks, in which no buffers or intermediate conveyor belts are required in front of a closing machine or a labeling machine. Production takes place with the help of a form filling machine, which is fed with thermally preconditioned preforms for forming and shaping containers. An exemplary system is shown in FIG.

The device 100 shown in FIG. 1 comprises a preform feed 10 and a heating device 20. The preforms are separated in the preform feed 10 and fed to the heating device 20 via a feed path 11. There they pass through a heating section for thermal preconditioning.

The thermal preconditioning enables a temperature profile to be set on the bodies of the preforms. The body of the preforms can, for example, be heated to about 100 ° C to 140 ° C, in particular and advantageously to about 130-135 ° C, wherein in the case of the production of plastic bottles, the neck area is less heated when the preform during the following shape and filling (see below) is held in the mouth area. The preforms consist of a thermoplastic such as PET, PE, PP or the like.

The preforms are fed from the heating module 20 to a form filling machine 30 via a feed path 21. As an alternative to the feed path 21, the heating device 20 can be blocked directly to the form filling machine 30, and the preconditioned preforms can be fed to the mold via an infeed star (not shown in FIG. 1) Form filling machine 30 are passed. According to one embodiment, the preforms can be sterilized, for example e-beam (electron radiation) or also liquid and / or vapor and / or gaseous sterilizing agent, such as H 2 O 2, can be used before entering the mold filling machine 30. The preforms can, however, also be cleaned, with cleaning being able to take place both before the heating and afterwards, in particular before the form filling machine 30. However, the invention also includes the variant in which the preforms are only cleaned in the form filling machine 30.

The form filling machine 30 comprises at least one treatment station for expanding the reshaping of plastic preforms into plastic containers, for example plastic bottles, in a hollow mold and for the simultaneous filling of an essentially liquid product or at least one liquid or solid component of the product into the plastic container. Liquids, including those with dissolved carbon dioxide or the like, are by definition incompressible fluids with regard to their function when forming and filling the container.

During the molding and filling of plastic containers in the mold filling machine 30, preforms in hollow molds are reshaped into containers, for example bottles, by at least partial introduction of an incompressible molding fluid under excess pressure, and the containers in the hollow molds are filled with a product (for example a beverage that may contain carbon dioxide) by replacing the molding fluid with the product or by partially replacing it with at least one component of the product. The incompressible mold fluid is therefore not identical to the liquid product filled and / or mixed into the hollow mold

The containers which are formed and filled with the product can be transferred to two transfer stars 31 and 32, for example via an outlet star (not shown in FIG. 1) and fed to a sealing machine 40 via these. At least one of the transfer stars 31 and 32 can be provided with a cooling device for cooling, for example with the aid of air and / or water, the base and / or neck of each container that is formed and filled with the product. For example, nozzles are provided there that act on the container from below with cold water or air.

In the transfer stars 31 and 32, the containers can, if necessary, be moved to a new division and, if necessary, already inspected in order to detect faulty containers. ter to recognize and / or sort out. The division can be changed by means of pivoting or pivoting slide systems, as is known in the prior art.

In the circumference of one of the transfer stars 31 and 32, inspection modules can be provided, with the aid of which the quality (geometric data, freedom from errors or damage) of the upstream work steps can be checked and defects in the containers that lead to malfunctions in the downstream machines can be detected could lead. The transfer stars 31, 32 have their own drives, not shown in detail, and can interrupt the flow of containers between the form filling machine 30 and the closing machine 40. In the closing machine 40, the conveyed, trained containers filled with the product are closed. According to an alternative embodiment, the sealing machine 40 can be designed together with the form filling machine 30 in one module.

The filled and closed containers are transferred from the closing machine 40 to a labeling machine 50. The transfer takes place via transfer stars 41 and 42. In the area of the transfer stars 41, 42, active cooling in particular of the bottoms and necks of the containers can be carried out. In the transfer stars 41, 42, containers can optionally be placed on a different pitch in the labeling machine and also optionally inspected and / or circumferentially aligned according to a specific feature for labeling. In this way, faulty containers can be identified and sorted out. The transfer stars 41, 42 can also have their own drives.

As shown in FIG. 1, the form filling machine 30, the closing machine 40 and the labeling machine 50 are tightly interlocked at short intervals and only separated from one another by interposed transfer stars (transfer wheels) 31, 32, 41, 42. This results in a very compact structure of the entire system with nevertheless he increased flexibility, because at the functional separation points formed by the transfer stars 31, 32 and 41, 42 a decoupling between the respective machines 30, 40, 50 both in the manufacturing process and to Can take place for maintenance purposes.

Furthermore, transfer points for diverting and / or introducing containers can be provided in the area of the transfer stars, for example in order to divert unusable or unneeded containers or to fill in gaps. This can be achieved, for example, in that the transfer stars have selectively controllable gripping members are equipped. Stabilizing supports or slaves can be provided for the safe transport of the containers at the transfer stars 31, 32, 41, 42.

Furthermore, the transfer stars 31, 32, 41, 42 can be designed as individual modules, each with its own drive and its own standard interface. The transfer stars 31, 32, 41, 42 thus form interfaces to the upstream and downstream machines and can decouple the machines from one another due to their individual drives (e.g. servomotors, mechanical coupling with a decoupling function or the like). The transfer stars 31, 32, 41, 42 not only form the mechanical interface to the machines (modules), but also, in a figurative sense, the interfaces to the automation or control technology. 31, 32, 41, 42 can also be supplemented by additional transfer stars that work with them.

By selecting the number and arrangement of the transfer stars 31, 32, 41, 42, the position or the angular position of the individual machines and the distance from one another can also be further determined. The direction of travel can also be influenced as a function of the number of transfer stars 31, 32, 41, 42.

The labeling machine 50 can for its part have an inlet star (not shown in FIG. 1) for taking over the filled and closed containers via the transfer stars 41, 42. Furthermore, the labeling machine 50 comprises a labeling carousel, also not shown in FIG. 1, as well as removal means, for example in the form of an outlet wheel. The labels can be pre-cut from a container or produced from a label tape by severing them. However, self-adhesive labels or tubular labels (sleeves) can also be processed, with the tubular labels being able to be stretch or shrink labels. It would also be possible to use a direct printing machine instead of a labeling machine 50 in order to print the containers and / or the labels directly.

In the labeling carousel of the labeling machine 50, the floor can be supported by a contour-matched floor piece in order to prevent the container floor, which is still soft and stressed by internal pressure during labeling, from protruding, whereby the floor can be cooled and solidified at the same time.

The labeled containers leave the animal machine 50, for example via a conveyor belt 51 and are taken over by a downstream, controlled distributor star 52, which feeds the containers arriving at the conveyor belt 51 in individual rows a multi-lane discharge conveyor 53 passes. Alternatively, the distributor star 52 can be arranged and designed in such a way that it transfers the containers directly from the labeling machine 50 to the discharge conveyor 53 without an intermediate discharge conveyor belt 51, so that the compactness of the entire system 100 can be increased even further. The Abför those 53 can have chains or belts with grippers for the hanging transport of the loading containers. As already described above, it is also possible here to design the discharge conveyor 53 as a transport system based on a magnetic shuttle (with the aid of linear motors or long stator linear motors)

The discharge conveyor 53 can be part of a downstream packaging machine 60 or it can feed the containers to it. The packaging machine 60 can be designed, for example, for group-wise packaging of container bundles in shrink film and / or a cardboard blank.

The device 100 shown in FIG. 1 for the production and treatment of plastic containers can have further machines. According to one example, the device 100 comprises a neck sterilization device downstream of the closure device 40 for sterilizing the necks of the formed and filled and closed plastic containers and a recooling device downstream of the neck sterilization device for cooling the formed, filled, closed and sterilized plastic containers. Cooling devices can generally be provided at suitable points of the entire system 100.

An alternative embodiment is shown in FIG. FIG. 2 shows a system 130 which has a similar structure to system 100 in FIG. 1. For the sake of simplicity, the same reference numerals are therefore used. The preform feeder 10 transports the preforms along the feed path 11 to the heating device 20 which could also be blocked directly to the form filling machine 30 without the interposition of further modules. Following the heating device 20, the preforms can be cleaned and / or cleaned in the sterilization unit 150 by means of electron beams and / or plasma and / or pulsed light and / or a gaseous medium such as H2O2 and / or a liquid medium (such as H2O2 or peracetic acid) sterilized. In the system constellation, the sealing machine 40 is directly connected to the form filling machine 30 in a module or in a machine. In the form filling machine, the product turns the preforms into containers shaped and then closed, wherein the closure can be of any nature, such as a crown cap or a screw cap (with or without a valve). The containers are then transferred to the labeling machine 50 or a direct printing machine 50 via the transfer stars 31 and 32. From there, the containers are transferred analogously as in FIG. 1 via a transport path 51 to a distribution star 52. This in turn transfers the containers to a discharge conveyor 53. From there, the containers go into a packaging machine 60. The form filling machine 30, 40 can be converted to a different container size by means of a robot 110 and a form magazine 120. To this end, the robot 110 exchanges the shapes of the form filling machine 30, 40 with the shapes in the mold magazine 120. AGVs 140 can still be used in the entire system 130 to supply the system with preforms, form filling sets or labels.

Another alternative embodiment is shown in FIG. Up to the form filling machine 30, 40, FIG. 3 has the same structure as FIG. 2. After the form filling machine 30, 40, which contains the form filling machine 30 and the sealing machine 40 in one module, the containers are transferred to a transport unit 170. The transport unit 170 is a long stator linear motor (LLM) device. This guides several magnetic shuttles 175 on a rail. These magnetic shuttles 175 are driven by an electromagnetic interaction generated by coils. The coils are located along the rail while the magnet shuttles have one or more magnets that are influenced or driven by the coils by means of an electromagnetic field. The magnetic shuttles, in turn, transport the containers via neck handling clamps. Such a transport device 170 is conceivable in the entire system, i.e. between the individual devices 10, 20, 30, 40, 160, 50, 60. It would also be possible to build a single device such as the device 170 with the system. For this purpose, several magnetic shuttles would later transport containers through a complete system constellation, as can be seen in FIGS. 1 to 3, each one preform.

After the containers are transported further from the form filling machine 30, 40 with the transport device 170 in FIG. 3, they can then be given an external coating in a coating machine 160. The outer coating takes place under pressure by means of an inflowing gas that is ignited with a plasma flash. Following an external coating, the containers are conveyed onward to the labeling machine 50 or direct printing machine 50 by means of a transport device 22. The containers are then forwarded to the discharge conveyor 53 via a transport device 180 which, as already mentioned, have magnetic shuttles 185. This transports the containers into a packaging machine 60.

According to one embodiment, the system 100, 130 or 150 shown in FIG. 1, 2 or 3 can be arranged in a protective housing 70 which closes the system components so that, if necessary, different pressure and atmosphere areas or different clean room classes, for example in the area of the form filling machine 30 and / or the sealing machine 40 and / or the labeling machine 50, for example if sterile processing / environment should be required.

The protective housing 70 can completely surround the entire device 100, 130 and 150, the individual machines and assemblies being accessible to maintenance and operating personnel via corresponding doors and openings. The protective housing 70 can have a sloping bottom with a channel around the drainage of an overflowing filler product.

In particular, in the area of the transfer stars 31 and 32 and / or 41 and 42, a kind of air separation can be achieved by arranging appropriate covers 80 within the protective housing 70 so that any ambient air containing glue from the area of the labeling machine 50 does not diffuse in the direction of the sealing machine 40 can or from the area of the form filling machine 30 no humid air can escape downstream. The mold filling area can be kept clean from external contamination by means of an appropriate air separation / air lock.

In the above-described system 100, the containers can in particular be plastic bottles and the plastic bottles can be transported via neck handling with the aid of appropriate gripping tools, as is known in principle in the prior art. The inventive principle of blocking can alternatively also be used in systems in which the container with the help of support elements, for example wise pucks to be transported. The support elements can also be designed in the form of magnetic shuttle elements, the movement of which can be brought about and controlled by one or more linear motors.

All three devices according to the invention can also be supplied with preforms which are produced directly in the plant. For this purpose, they are produced directly or indirectly beforehand by a preform production device (9). This variant of the situation is shown in FIG. The preforms can be produced by “compression molding”, in which a certain amount of plastic (for example a plastic tablet) is heated and pressed into a preform in a mold using a stamping tool. Such methods are known in principle. The preforms can also be produced by injection molding and then either sorted or passed on unsorted. In the case of unsorted forwarding, sorting must take place before the preforms reach the system according to FIGS. 1 to 3. The preforms are preferably passed on already sorted so that they are not damaged during transport from one machine to another, for example.

According to the embodiment of the invention, as shown in FIG. 4, the preforms can also be produced within the system 100 and processed there. After the preforms (9) have been produced, they are preferably passed on to a conditioning section (20 '), where they receive a temperature profile. This is set in such a way that suitable processing can take place in the form filling machine located downstream. The conditioning section can include heating in individual areas or over the entire circumference, as well as cooling, selectively or over a large area. Combinations of cooling and heating are also conceivable, depending on the requirements of the temperature profile in the form filling machine.

According to a further development of the invention, a sterilization unit 150 as already described above can be arranged after the conditioning section. According to an alternative embodiment, the sterilization unit can also be arranged between the preform manufacturing device and the conditioning section 20 '.

Such a constellation according to FIG. 4 has the advantage that the heat conditioning of the preforms can be dispensed with, since they already have the correct temperature for further processing or the heat conditioning is only there for a Apply heat profile in the longitudinal and / or transverse direction on the preform. If necessary, the heat conditioning device in this case can be a cooling device which at least partially supplies the preforms with a desired temperature profile. On the other hand, such a constellation has the advantage that the preforms do not have to be sterilized before their final treatment in the form filling machine 30. The preforms are microbiologically sterile due to the high temperatures in the manufacturing process. Following the demolding in the preform production device, care is preferably taken to ensure that (re) contamination does not occur or at least remains to an acceptable level. To this end, it is possible, for example, to enclose the transfer path between the preform manufacturing device and the form filling machine 30 in part or entirely or to produce defined ambient conditions. The person skilled in the art will select the acceptable degree of contamination of the preforms up to the form filling machine 30 and determine it as the framework conditions require, for example the product to be filled and / or the desired minimum shelf life of the end product.

It should be noted that the units shown in FIG. 4 downstream of the form filling machine (30) correspond to those of FIG. 3, but that this is irrelevant for the invention. The production of the preforms within the line by the preform production device (9) can be combined with any of the variants described here.

Claims

A device (100) for the production and treatment of plastic containers, comprising: a form filling machine (30) for forming and simultaneously filling the plastic containers; a sealing machine (40) for sealing the formed and filled plastic containers; and a labeling machine (50) for labeling the formed and filled plastic containers; and wherein the form filling machine (30) is connected to the closing machine (40) and / or the labeling machine (50) without intermediate conveyor belts and without buffers.

2. Device (100) according to claim 1, which further comprises star-shaped transfer wheels (31, 32, 41, 42) via which the form filling machine (30), the closing machine (40) and the labeling machine (50) with each other without intermediate transport belts and are connected to each other without a buffer.

3. Device (100) according to claim 1 or 2, in which the labeling machine is arranged downstream or upstream of the sealing machine (40).

4. Device (100) according to claim 2 or 3, in which between a) the form filling machine (30) and the labeling machine (50) at least two star-shaped transfer wheels (31, 32, 41, 42) are arranged, of which at least one for Adaptation of the division of the trained and filled plastic container is formed; and / or b) the form filling machine (30) and the sealing machine (40) at least two star-shaped transfer wheels (31, 32, 41, 42) are arranged, of which at least one is designed to adapt the division of the formed and filled plastic container; and or c) at least two star-shaped transfer wheels (41, 42) are arranged in the sealing machine (40) and the labeling machine (50), at least one of which is designed to adapt the division of the plastic containers formed and filled.

5. The device (100) according to claim 4, further with in the formed to adjust the division star-shaped transfer wheels arranged Unterkühlungseinrichtungen for cooling the bottoms of the formed and filled plastic containers and / or neck cooling devices for cooling the necks of the formed and filled plastic containers.

6. Device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising a neck sterilization device downstream of the closure device (40), which is designed to sterilize the necks of the formed and filled and closed plastic containers; a recooling device downstream of the neck sterilization device, which is designed to cool the formed, filled, sealed and sterilized plastic containers; and a packaging machine (60) downstream of the recooling device, which is designed for packaging the formed, filled, sealed, sterilized and cooled plastic containers.

7. Device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, further with a packaging machine (60) and wherein the labeling machine (50) is connected via egg NEN distributor star (52) to the, in particular multi-lane, packaging machine (60) without intermediate conveyor belts and without buffers is.

8. Device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising a heating section (20) which is designed for the thermal preconditioning of preforms, and a transport device (21) which is designed to transport the thermally preconditioned preforms of the form filling machine (30) to feed.

9. Device (100) according to one of claims 2 to 8, further comprising a protective housing (70) in which the form filling machine (30), the closing machine (40) and the labeling machine (50) and the star-shaped transfer wheels (31, 32, 41, 42) are arranged, and with one or more partitions (80) through the air separation between the form filling machine (30) and the closing machine (40) and / or between the closing machine (40) and the labeling machine (50) is effected.

10. The device (100) according to claim 1, further with magnetic shuttle elements for transporting the formed and filled plastic container from the form filling machine (30) to the sealing machine (40) and / or the labeling machine (50).

11. Device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a preform manufacturing device (9) is arranged upstream of the form filling machine (30).

12. The device (100) according to claim 11, characterized in that a conditioning section (20 ‘) is provided downstream of the preform manufacturing device (9) and upstream of the form filling machine (30) in order to provide the preforms with a temperature profile.

13. Process for the production and treatment of plastic containers with the steps:

- Production of preforms with a preform production device (9)

- Transferring the preforms produced to a form filling machine (30) and training and simultaneous filling of the plastic containers in the form filling machine (30)

- Closing the plastic container.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the transfer of the preforms takes place in such a way that they are transferred to the downstream machines without intermediate storage using the residual heat from the preform manufacturing process.

15. The method according to any one of claims 13 or 14, in which between the preform production device and the form filling machine (30) a conditioning stretch (20, 20 ‘) is arranged to provide the preform with a temperature profile.