PLANT AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING PLASTIC PREFORMS WITH PNEUMATIC CONVEYOR OR TRANSPORT SHUTTLE

Abstract

Plant for processing plastic preforms, includes an injection-moulding machine for producing the plastic preforms, a sterile blow-moulding machine for forming the plastic preforms into plastic containers, and a transport system for transporting, at least partially and/or in portions, the produced plastic preforms from the injection-moulding machine to the blow-moulding machine, wherein during transport, the plastic preforms can be guided in particular at a mouth region of the plastic preforms. The transport system includes a sterile pneumatic conveyor or a plurality of transport shuttles, in particular magnetic shuttles, and the plastic preforms are transported from the injection-moulding machine to the blow-moulding machine by the sterile pneumatic conveyor or magnetic shuttle.

Claims

1. A plant for processing plastic preforms, comprising an injection-moulding machine for producing the plastic preforms, a sterile blow-moulding machine for forming the plastic preforms into plastic containers, and a transport system for transporting, at least partially and/or in portions, the produced plastic preforms from the injection-moulding machine to the blow-moulding machine, wherein during transport, the plastic preforms can be guided in particular at a mouth region of the plastic preforms, wherein the transport system comprises a sterile pneumatic conveyor or a plurality of transport shuttles, and the plastic preforms are transported from the injection-moulding machine to the blow-moulding machine by the sterile pneumatic conveyor or magnetic shuttle.

2. The plant according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of plastic preforms is arranged in an injection-moulding tool at an extraction station of the injection-moulding machine, wherein the plastic preforms are handed over individually by a handling device to a single strand of a transport line of the transport system so that the plastic preforms can be transported individually to the blow-moulding machine.

3. The plant according to claim 2, wherein the handling device comprises a switchable gripper and/or a switchable switch.

4. The plant according to claim 1, wherein a separating unit for separating out defective plastic preforms, and/or a buffer unit for temporary storage of the plastic preforms, and/or a monitoring unit for inspection of the plastic preforms, is arranged between the injection-moulding machine and the blow-moulding machine.

5. The plant according to claim 4, wherein the buffer unit serves for at least partial storage of the first plastic preforms identified as good by the monitoring unit so as to allow flexible filling of gaps in a stream of plastic preforms.

6. The plant according to claim 4, wherein the first as good identified plastic preforms are extracted from the transport line by a magnetic shuttle and supplied to the buffer unit.

7. The plant according to claim 1, wherein the plant comprises a control unit which, on a fault in the blow-moulding machine, controls the plant depending on a duration of this fault.

8. A method for processing plastic preforms, using an injection-moulding machine in which the plastic preforms is are produced, a sterile blow-moulding machine in which the plastic preforms are formed into plastic containers, and a transport system which transports the produced plastic preforms from the injection-moulding machine to the blow-moulding machine, wherein during transport, the plastic preforms are guided in particular at a mouth region of the plastic preforms, wherein the transport system is a sterile pneumatic conveyor through which a sterile gaseous medium flows, or a plurality of transport shuttles, wherein each shuttle receives at least one plastic preform in order to transport the plastic preform from the injection-moulding machine to the blow-moulding machine, and wherein during transport, the plastic preforms are transported inside a clean room of the transport system.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein a plurality of plastic preforms is arranged in an injection-moulding tool at an extraction station from the injection-moulding machine, and are handed over individually to an single strand of a transport line of the transport system before the entry into the blow-moulding machine.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein a switchable gripper and/or a switchable switch guides the plastic preforms onto the single strand of the transport line of the transport system before the entry into the blow-moulding machine.

11. A pneumatic conveyor for transporting plastic preforms from an injection-moulding machine to a blow-moulding machine, wherein a gas stream is formed inside the pneumatic conveyor, and the pneumatic conveyor comprises at least two guide rails which guide the plastic preforms at least during transport to the blow-moulding machine, and a clean room, wherein the gas stream inside the pneumatic conveyor is mixed with a sterile gaseous medium at least in a region in which the plastic preforms are transported.

12. The pneumatic conveyor according to claim 11, wherein at least the region in which the plastic preforms are transported has a higher pressure level than a non-sterile environment.

13. A transport shuttle device for transporting plastic preforms from an injection-moulding machine to a blow-moulding machine, with a transport line on which the transport shuttles are mounted so as to slide, and at least one receiver for the plastic preforms, wherein each transport shuttle receives at least one plastic preform, wherein the transport shuttle is formed as a magnetic shuttle.

14. The transport shuttle according to claim 13, wherein a plurality of magnetic shuttles is arranged in the plant, wherein these can be driven or moved through the plant independently of each other.

15. The transport shuttle according to claim 13, wherein the plastic preform is already arranged on the transport shuttle during production in the injection moulding machine.

16. The plant according to claim 1, wherein the transport shuttles comprise magnetic shuttles.

17. The method according to claim 8, wherein the transport shuttle comprise magnetic shuttles.

18. The shuttle according to claim 14, wherein the plastic perform is already arranged on the transport shuttle during the production in the injection moulding machine.

Description

[0059] Further advantages and embodiments arise from the attached drawings.

[0060] The drawings show:

[0061] FIG. 1 a diagrammatic depiction of a plant according to the invention for processing plastic preforms;

[0062] FIG. 2 a diagrammatic depiction of a first embodiment according to the invention of a plant for processing plastic preforms;

[0063] FIG. 3 a diagrammatic depiction of a second embodiment according to the invention of a plant for processing plastic preforms;

[0064] FIG. 4 a diagrammatic depiction of a further embodiment according to the invention of a plant for processing plastic preforms;

[0065] FIG. 5 a depiction of a further plant according to the invention; and

[0066] FIG. 6 an injection mould for production of plastic preforms.

[0067] FIG. 1 shows a diagrammatic depiction of an embodiment according to the invention of a plant 1 for processing plastic preforms 5. The figure shows an extraction station 12 of an injection-moulding machine 10 for producing the plastic preforms 5. A plurality of plastic preforms 5 is arranged in the extraction station 12, in particular in a matrix pattern, in an injection-moulding tool 11. A handling device 40 takes the finished plastic preforms 5 from this matrix-like arrangement 15 and supplies them to a single strand 31 of a transport line 34 of a pneumatic conveyor 30, which then transports the plastic preforms individually to a blow-moulding machine 20 in which the plastic preforms are formed into plastic containers (not shown). Advantageously, the plant 1 also has a separating unit 50 and/or a buffer unit 60 between the injection-moulding machine 10 and the blow-moulding machine 20. Preferably, a sterilisation device (not shown) for sterilising the plastic preforms is also provided between the injection-moulding machine and the blow-moulding machine. In particular, in addition parts or components of the handling device could also be sterilised with this sterilisation device.

[0068] Reference sign 2 designates a clean room or sterile room which surrounds the transport system or transport line so that the preforms can be transported under sterile conditions. Preferably, the clean room surrounds the pneumatic conveyor or transport shuttle. Advantageously, it is also conceivable that the clean room is also mixed with the gaseous medium of the pneumatic conveyor, whereby sterile conditions are created inside the clean room.

[0069] The separating unit 50 serves in particular to separate out defective plastic preforms. To this end, the separating unit 50 may also have a preform shredder which destroys the extracted, defective preforms. Furthermore, a monitoring unit (not shown) for inspecting the preforms may be provided between the injection-moulding machine 10 and the separating unit 50. Advantageously, the material of these destroyed plastic preforms is then supplied to a plastic recycling plant (not shown). The plastic preforms already present in the handling device 40 may be temporarily stored in the buffer unit 60 if a fault occurs in the downstream blow-moulding machine. It is also conceivable that a specific number of plastic preforms is always stored in the buffer unit 60, so that on a fault in the injection-moulding machine 10, the forming of the plastic preforms 5 into plastic containers can continue in the blow-moulding machine 20. Preferably, the plastic preforms are supplied to the corresponding unit by means of the handling device 40. Reference sign R designates the transport direction of the plastic preforms from the injection-moulding machine to the blow-moulding machine. The transferring of the plastic preforms from the injection-moulding machine to the conveyor line 34, and hence their entry into the blow-moulding machine follows the FIFO principle.

[0070] FIG. 2 shows a depiction of a first embodiment according to the invention of a plant 1 for processing plastic preforms 5. Here again, the injection-moulding machine 10 for producing the plastic preforms 5, the blow-moulding machine 20 for forming the plastic preforms 5 into plastic containers, and the transport system 30 arranged between the injection-moulding machine 10 and the blow-moulding machine 20, can be seen. Reference sign 41 designates a switchable gripper, in particular a handling device, which takes the plastic preforms from the matrix-like arrangement 15 of the injection-moulding tool 10 and arranges the preforms in a line. The plastic preforms 5 are then transported to the single strand 31 of the transport line 34 of the transport system 30 and guided individually into the blow-moulding machine 20.

[0071] FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment according to the invention of a plant 1 for processing plastic preforms 5. In this embodiment, the transport line 34 of the transport system 30 comprises at least three strands 32 which run together into a single strand 31 before the inlet into the blow-moulding machine. The plastic preforms are taken from the matrix-like arrangement 15 of the extraction station 12 and delivered in a matrix pattern on at least three strands 32 of the transport line 34, wherein the at least three strands 32 run together into a single strand 31 so that the plastic preforms 5 are again supplied individually to the blow-moulding machine. The plastic preforms 5 may again be taken from the matrix-like arrangement 15 by means of the switchable gripper.

[0072] FIG. 4 shows a further depiction of an embodiment according to the invention of the plant 1 for processing plastic preforms 5. Here, the transport line 34 of the transport system 30 again has at least three strands 32 which run together into a single strand 31 before the inlet into the blow-moulding machine 20. The plastic preforms are accordingly again delivered in a matrix pattern to the at least three strands 32 of the transport line 34. A switchable switch 42, which in particular is connected alternately to each respective strand 32 of the transport line 34, guides the plastic preforms individually to the single strand 31 and hence individually to the blow-moulding machine 20. Here again, it is also conceivable that advantageously, for extracting the plastic preforms 5 from the matrix-like arrangement 15, again the switchable gripper is arranged between the injection-moulding machine 10 and the strands 32 of the transport line.

[0073] It is furthermore evident from FIGS. 1 to 4 that the matrix-like arrangement 15 at the extraction station 12 of the injection-moulding machine 10 is configured such that at least nine plastic preforms can be received. It is also conceivable that the matrix-like arrangement can be adapted to various circumstances so that, if necessary or desired, more or fewer plastic preforms than shown may be received.

[0074] FIG. 5 shows a depiction of a further embodiment according to the invention. According to this embodiment, the transport line is formed by several transport stars or transport wheels. The dotted line L here designates a region which forms a tempered region, so that after the injection-moulding process, the plastic preforms are held at the temperature necessary for the blow-moulding process. Reference sign 2 again designates the clean room or sterile room which allows sterile transport of the preforms.

[0075] The plastic preforms are produced in the injection-moulding machine 10 and after production, taken from the injection-moulding machine 10 with a gripper device 44 which is arranged on an extraction wheel 13. Advantageously, a plurality of such gripper devices 44 is arranged at the extraction wheel 30. Advantageously, a monitoring unit 45 in which an inspection of the mouth and base of the plastic preform is carried out while the preform is still arranged in the gripper device 44 may already be arranged on the extraction wheel 13. Preferably, the plastic preforms identified as defective may already be ejected here.

[0076] The gripper devices 44 then deliver the plastic preforms to a transport mandrel (not shown), so called mandrel handling, which is arranged on a monitoring wheel 14. This monitoring wheel 14 also contains a monitoring unit 45, wherein here the side wall and colour of the plastic preforms are inspected. Advantageously, the monitoring unit 45 is therefore formed by the extraction wheel 13 and the monitoring wheel 14.

[0077] A separating wheel 16 which separates out the preforms which have been detected as faulty by the monitoring unit 45 into a separating unit 50, is connected downstream of the monitoring wheel 14. In contrast, the first as good identified plastic preforms are handed over to the handover wheel 17. In this handover wheel 17, the plastic preforms are transported by transport shuttles 30, and in particular magnetic shuttles, to a buffer unit 60 in which the preforms are stored or temporarily stored. The fault-free preforms are transported to the buffer unit 60 until the buffer is completely filled.

[0078] The plastic preforms deposited in the buffer unit 60 serve in particular to refill gaps occurring in the on-going process which are caused in particular by the extraction of defective preforms in the separating unit 50. For this, the transport shuttle 30 takes a preform from the buffer unit 60 and delivers it to the corresponding gap in the preform stream from the separating wheel 16.

[0079] It is also conceivable that, instead of a transport shuttle, a sterile pneumatic conveyor is present in the handover wheel 17. Preferably, in this embodiment, the plastic preforms are transported by a transport shuttle 30 or a sterile pneumatic conveyor only from the separating wheel 16 to the buffer unit 60, or from the buffer unit 60 to the gap in the preform stream of the separating wheel 16, while further transport takes place with gripper devices and transport mandrels.

[0080] It is however also conceivable here that the entire transport line is configured as a pneumatic conveyor, or that, during production in the injection-moulding machine 10, the plastic preform is already arranged on a transport shuttle and is conveyed on this as far as the moulding machine 20.

[0081] From the separating wheel 16, the fault-free preforms reach a handover wheel 21 which delivers the plastic preforms to the blow-moulding machine 20. The finished plastic containers produced in the blow-moulding machine are discharged via a discharge device 22 and advantageously delivered to a further treatment station (not shown), for example a filler, a closer and/or a packing station.

[0082] FIG. 6 shows an injection mould 100 for production of plastic preforms 5. This shows a bottom region with gating 101 to which the injection nozzle 110 has already been guided for delivering fluid plastic granulate into the injection mould 100. Furthermore, in each case two clamps 102, 105 for the mouths and for the side walls are shown. These clamps 102, 105 close the injection mould 100 firmly and open it again after production of the plastic preforms 5.

[0083] The applicant reserves the right to claim as essential to the invention all features disclosed in the application documents insofar as they are novel in relation to the prior art, either individually or in combination. It is furthermore pointed out that the individual figures also describe features which may be advantageous taken in themselves. The person skilled in the art will immediately gather that a specific feature described in one figure may also be advantageous without the use of further features from this figure. Furthermore, the person skilled in the art will recognise that advantages may result from a combination of several features shown in individual or in different figures.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0084] 1 plant [0085] 2 clean room, sterile room [0086] 5 plastic preforms [0087] 10 injection-moulding machine [0088] 11 injection-moulding tool [0089] 12 extraction station [0090] 13 extraction wheel [0091] 14 monitoring wheel [0092] 15 matrix-like arrangement [0093] 16 separating wheel [0094] 17 handover wheel [0095] 20 blow-moulding machine [0096] 21 handover wheel [0097] 22 discharge device [0098] 30 transport system, pneumatic conveyor, transport shuttle [0099] 31 single strand [0100] 32 strands [0101] 34 transport line [0102] 40 handling device [0103] 41 switchable gripper [0104] 42 switchable switch [0105] 44 gripper device [0106] 45 monitoring unit [0107] 50 separating unit [0108] 60 buffer unit [0109] 100 injection mould [0110] 101 bottom region with gating [0111] 102 clamp for mouth [0112] 105 clamp for side wall [0113] 110 injection nozzle [0114] L tempered region [0115] R transport direction