Method for Processing and/or Filling Packagings

Abstract

Described and depicted is a method for processing and/or filling packagings, in particular cardboard composite packagings, in a processing and/or filling machine. In order to reduce the mechanistic effort required for high throughput and/or to enable more flexible operation, it is provided that packaging blanks are transferred in a take-over station in a cyclical sequence to the mandrels of a cyclically rotating mandrel wheel passing the take-over station, that regularly after a certain number of packaging blanks have been taken over in the take-over station by the mandrels passing the take-over station to a further certain number of mandrels subsequently passing the take-over station, no packaging blank is transferred in the take-over station, in at least one moulding station, the packaging blanks transferred to the mandrel wheel in the take-over station are cyclically processed on a mandrel of the mandrel wheel, in that after passing the at least one moulding station in a transfer station to all cells of a transport device passing the transfer station, packagings which are open on one side are transferred cyclically one after another from the mandrel wheel, and that the packagings which are transferred to the cells and are open on one side are fed in the cells of the transport device to at least one processing station for processing and/or to at least one filling station for filling.

Claims

1. A method for processing and/or filling packagings, in particular cardboard composite packagings, in a processing and/or filling machine in which packaging blanks are transferred in a take-over station cyclically one after another to the mandrels, passing the take-over station, of a cyclically rotating mandrel wheel; in which regularly after a certain number of packaging blanks have been taken over in the take-over station by the mandrels passing the take-over station, no packaging blank is transferred in the take-over station to a further certain number of mandrels subsequently passing the take-over station, in which in at least one moulding station the packaging blanks transferred to the mandrel wheel in the take-over station are processed cyclically on a mandrel of the mandrel wheel, in which, after passing the at least one moulding station in a transfer station, packagings which are open on one side are cyclically transferred in succession from the mandrel wheel to all cells of a transport device passing the transfer station, and in which the packagings transferred to the cells and open on one side are fed in the cells of the transport device to at least one processing station for processing and/or at least one filling station for filling.

2. The method according to claim 1, in which the packagings transferred to the cells and open on one side are stopped cyclically in the cells of the transport device in at least one processing station for processing and/or in at least one filling station for filling.

3. The method according to claim 1, in which the processing and/or filling duration, in particular the duration of a cycle during processing and/or filling, in the at least one processing station and/or the at least one filling station is longer than the duration of a cycle of the mandrel wheel.

4. The method according to claim 2, in which a distance is provided between two successive processing stations between two successive filling stations, a processing station and a subsequent filling station and/or between a filling station and a subsequent processing station, which distance is longer than the distance covered by the cells in one cycle and in which, preferably, the distance at least substantially corresponds to the gap between the last packaging transferred in the transfer station of a specific number of packagings transferred to the cells and the first packaging transferred in the transfer station of a subsequent specific number of packagings transferred to the cells after a specific number of mandrels of the mandrel wheel not provided with packaging blanks have passed the transfer station.

5. The method according to claim 1, in which in at least one moulding station the packaging blanks transferred to the mandrel wheel in the take-over station are cyclically folded, heated, scaled and/or closed on one side on a mandrel of the mandrel wheel.

6. The method according to claim 1, in which the packagings, which are transferred to the cells and are open on one side, are stopped in the cells of the transport device cyclically in at least one processing station for heating, sterilising, drying and/or closing.

7. The method according to claim 1, in which regularly after the take-over of one, two, three, four or five packaging blanks in the take-over station to the mandrels passing the take-over station, no packaging blank is transferred in the take-over station to one, two, three, four or five mandrels subsequently passing the take-over station.

8. The method according to claim 1, in which the duration of at least one cycle during processing and/or filling in the at least one processing station and/or the at least one filling station exceeds the duration of the cycle of the mandrel wheel at least substantially by twice, three times, four times or five times.

9. The method according to claim 1, in which the packaging blanks are transferred to a mandrel wheel with four, five or six mandrels.

10. The method according to claim 1, in which the successive cells of the transport device are transported by the transport device individually or at least in groups at least in sections and/or temporally independently of other successive cells or at least groups of successive cells.

11. The method according to claim 1, in which the successive cells are connected to one another exclusively via at least one transport device, in particular via at least one guide of the transport device.

12. The method according to claim 1, in which the packagings open on one side are transported in successive cells of different, successive and separate cell carriers, in particular not directly connected to one another.

13. The method according to claim 1, in which the successive cells and/or the successive cell carriers are transported at least in sections by at least one linear drive and/or at least one belt drive of the transport device.

Description

[0038] The invention is explained in greater detail below by means of a drawing merely depicting an exemplary embodiment. The following are shown in the drawing:

[0039] FIG. 1 a filling machine executing a method according to the invention in a schematic side view,

[0040] FIG. 2 a packaging for executing a method according to the invention in a perspective view and

[0041] FIG. 3A-C method steps of a further method according to the invention in a schematic representation.

[0042] FIG. 1 shows a filling machine 1 for processing and filling packagings 2 in the form of cardboard composite packagings, in particular with free-flowing foodstuffs, comprising a moulding device 3 for the forming of packages 2. The depicted and to that extent preferred device 1 has a number of parallel working lines, in particular four or six working lines, of which only one working line is shown in FIG. 1. Each processing line is assigned a bundle 4 of packaging blanks 5 in the form of package material blanks, the longitudinal edges of which are sealed together to form packaging sleeves, which are kept folded. Packaging blanks 5 are unfolded by a feeding device 6, wherein, if necessary, an application device can also be provided for applying pouring elements not depicted to the packaging blanks 5.

[0043] Moulding device 3 for the forming of package 2 has a mandrel wheel 7 which, in the depicted and to that extent preferred case comprises six mandrels 8 and rotates cyclically, i.e. gradually, anticlockwise. In the first mandrel wheel position I, the associated mandrel is in the take-over station 9 and a packaging blank 5 is pushed onto the mandrel 8. Then, in the next mandrel wheel position II, the mandrel wheel 7 is turned further into a first moulding station 10, in which the end area of the packaging blank 5 projecting from the mandrel 8 is heated with hot air via a heating unit 11. In the next mandrel wheel position III, the heated end area of the packaging blank 5 is pre-folded in the second moulding station 12 by a press 13, and in the following mandrel wheel position IV or the following moulding station 14 in the folded position is sealed tightly, especially to a bottom, by a sealing device, not described in greater detail. In this way a packaging 2 closed on one side is obtained, which is removed from the mandrel 8 in the subsequent mandrel wheel position V in a transfer station 15 and transferred to a cell 16 of an endless transport device 14 guided in a circle in the depicted and to that extent preferred device 1. No moulding station is assigned to mandrel 9 in the next mandrel wheel position VI. The number of mandrel wheel positions or mandrels and the processing steps provided there can, if required, deviate from the depiction according to FIG. 1 and the associated description.

[0044] Packagings 2 are transported with the open end pointing upwards in the respective cells 13 through an aseptic chamber 18 which is closed laterally and downwards in the depicted and to that extent preferred filling machine 1 and which comprises a sterilisation zone 19 and a filling and sealing zone 20, through which packagings 2 are transported from left to right in the transport direction symbolized by the arrows. Packagings 2 do not have to be transported in a straight line, but can also be transported in at least one are or even in a circle.

[0045] Sterile air is supplied to the aseptic chamber 18 via appropriate sterile air connections 21. Packagings 2 are successively preheated in a first processing station 22 by a preheating device by being blown with hot sterile air. Packagings 2 are then sterilised in a further processing station 23 by means of a sterilising agent, preferably hydrogen peroxide, whereupon packagings 2 are dried by exposure to sterile air via a drying device in a third processing station 24 and, after the passage from the sterilisation zone 19 to the filling and sealing zone 20, are transferred to a filling station 26 in a filling position below a filling outlet 25. Packagings 2 are successively filled with foodstuff there. The filled packagings 2 are then closed with a closing device 27 in a final processing station 28 by folding the upper part of the packaging 2 and sealing it to form a package. The closed packagings 2 are then removed from the cells 16 of the transport device 17. The now empty cells 16 are moved further in the direction of the mandrel wheel 7 by the transport device 17 in order to pick up further packagings 2 there.

[0046] In the take-over station 9, four packaging blanks 5 are always taken over one after another from the mandrels 8 of the mandrel wheel 7, which continues to rotate in a constant cycle. After the four packaging blanks 5 have been taken over, a mandrel 8 of the mandrel wheel 7 passes the take-over station 9 without taking over a packaging blank 5. Consequently, in the transfer station 15, four packagings 2 open on one side are also taken over one after another at cells 16 of the transport device 17. If the mandrel 8 passes the transfer station 15 without packaging 2, accordingly no packaging 2 is transferred to a cell 16. In addition, however, no cell 16 is transported further into the aseptic chamber 18 with the transport device 17. This only occurs when the next packaging 2 is transferred to a cell 16 in the transfer station 15.

[0047] Consequently, groups of four packagings 2 are always transported one after another from transfer station 15 into the aseptic chamber 18. There is a gap between these groups of packagings 2, which is larger than the gap between cells 16 or packagings 2 of the group of packagings 2 among each other by approximately the increment of one cell 16 in one cycle. In other words, after four packagings 2 there is a vacancy around a cycle in which no packaging 2 is transported. In this connection, it is detected or specified where the corresponding vacancies are located in filling machine 1 and how these vacancies move through filling machine 1. If necessary, a processing station 22,23,24,28 and/or filling station 26 can interrupt processing and/or filling if there is no packaging 2 in the processing station 22,23,24,28 and/or filling station 26. The corresponding method can be used, for example, to generate less throughput without having to shut down the filling machine 1 in the interim and restart it later. The extent to which the throughput is reduced can be adjusted, if necessary, by varying the number of packaging blanks 5 transferred in succession in a row to the mandrels 8 passing the take-over station 9 and/or the number of mandrels 8 subsequently passing the take-over station 9, which do not take over any packaging blank.

[0048] FIG. 2 shows a packaging blank 5 as it is heated, for example, in the filling machine 1 described above and then closed on one side. Packagings 2 are in particular cardboard composite packagings made of a corresponding package material 30 in the form of a laminate or package material laminate, with at least one cardboard layer, if necessary at least one barrier layer, for example consisting of aluminium, polyamide and/or an ethylene-vinyl alcohol, and outer layers of a thermoplastic, in particular polyethylene (PE). The longitudinal edges 31 of the package material blank formed from the package material 30 have already been sealed together. This means that the longitudinal edges of the package material blank have been overlapped on top of each other and sealed together in this position. At the two open ends 32,33 of the packaging sleeve 6, a bottom moulding area 34 is provided to form the bottom and a gable moulding area 35 to form the gable of the package. For this purpose, the corresponding areas are folded together at the folding lines 36 provided for this purpose.

[0049] FIG. 3A-C shows a method sequence that can be carried out in principle with the filling machine 1 shown schematically in FIG. 1. This method sequence can be used to reduce the throughput in order to fill stronger foaming products or to fill larger volumes per packaging 2. Regarding stronger foaming products, over-foaming can be prevented by slower filling or longer downtimes between the end of filling and the re-acceleration of packaging 2 for transport out of filling station 26. If a larger volume is to be filled, for example because larger packagings 2 are transported to filling station 26 after a changeover, this requires a longer filling time, especially with foaming products. Regardless of the above-mentioned reason, the desired effect is achieved if the duration of the cycle in filling station 26 is extended. However, if the cycles of mandrel wheel 7 and/or the cycles in the preceding processing stations 22,23,24,28 are not also to be slowed down, no packaging blank 5 must be transferred to a mandrel 8 of mandrel wheel 7 at regular intervals to compensate for the longer cycle time in filling station 26.

[0050] In the depicted method, three packaging blanks 5 are always taken over from the mandrels 8 of the mandrel wheel 7 in sequence. Then no packaging blank 5 is taken over on two subsequent mandrels 8 in take-over station 9, before again three packaging blanks 5 are taken over one after another from mandrels 8 in take-over station 9. This results in the forming of a gap 40 between the groups of three packagings 2 or cells 16 after the transfer of the packagings 2 open on one side to the cells 16 of the transport device 17, which corresponds to about two cycles or the increments of two cycles. Given that the cycle before the filling station 16 is shorter, in particular equal to the cycle of the mandrel wheel 7, and in the filling station 26 and thereafter slower, a distance 41 is provided between the processing station 24 for drying the packagings 2 and the filling station 26, which corresponds at least approximately to the gap 40 between the groups of packagings 2 after the transfer to the transport device 17 in the transfer station 15.

[0051] Packagings 2 and cells 16 waiting in line before filling station 26 are transported further at a slower rate than the packages 2 of the next group of packagings 2 because of the slower cycle during filling, as the cycle times of these packagings 2 are shorter. The original gap 40 between the groups of packagings 2 and the distance 41 between processing station 24 immediately before filling station 26 is now configured in such a way that when the last packaging 2 of a group of packagings 2 is filled or has been filled, the following group of packagings 2 has gradually closed the gap with the preceding group of packagings 2, of which the last packaging 2 is still in filling station 26.

[0052] In the described method, the cycles following filling, in particular the cycle of the processing station 28 for closing packaging 2 to form a package, are also slowed down in the same way as the cycle in filling station 26, as this is permissible and does not affect the closing of packaging 2. However, it would also be conceivable to carry out these cycles faster, especially with the same cycle times as the mandrel wheel 7. Nor is it necessary to provide that the groups of packagings 2 before the slower processing station 22,23,24,28 and/or filling station 26 completely close the gap with the previous group of packagings 2. It is also possible that at least in one of the processing stations 22,24,26,28 a cycle is provided which is slower than the cycle of mandrel wheel 7. It is also possible if this applies to at least one of the processing stations 22,23,24,28 and at least one filling station 26. According to the method principle described above, the filling machine 1 can be operated as basically very flexible and expediently adapted to different requirement profiles. This is particularly the case if a sufficient distance 41 is provided in filling machine 1 between certain stations, i.e. at least one processing station 22,23,24,28 and/or a filling station 26, in order to be able to close a correspondingly large gap 40 between successive groups of packagings 2 if necessary.