METHOD AND INSTALLATION FOR PRODUCING ROTOMOLDED PRODUCTS

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing rotomolded products, and to an installation for carrying out such a method. The method is characterized by the simultaneous use of a plurality of spherical receptacle members, each without a dedicated rotary drive, each of which containing at least one molding die that is suppliable with raw material, and by the simultaneous use of a plurality of processing devices which are operated in a mutually independent manner, each for carrying out at least one of a plurality of production steps, using in each case one of the spherical receptacle members, wherein a plurality of processing devices which are configured as rotating stations are used in a temporally parallel or temporally overlapping manner, and/or wherein a plurality of processing devices which are configured as cooling stations are used in a temporally parallel or temporally overlapping manner, and/or wherein a plurality of processing devices which are configured as supply stations are used in a temporally parallel or temporally overlapping manner, and/or wherein a plurality of processing devices which are configured as retrieval stations are used in a temporally parallel or temporally overlapping manner, and wherein the spherical receptacle member conjointly with the content thereof and without the rotary drive is in each case retrieved from the processing device which has just terminated a processing step, said spherical receptacle member thereafter being fed to a processing device that is immediately vacant for the respective next processing step.

Claims

1. A method for producing rotomolded products, characterized by the simultaneous use of a plurality of spherical receptacle members, each without a dedicated rotary drive, each of which containing at least one molding die that is suppliable with raw material, and by the simultaneous use of a plurality of processing devices which are operated in a mutually independent manner, each for carrying out at least one of a plurality of production steps, using in each case one of the spherical receptacle members, wherein a plurality of processing devices which are configured as rotating stations are used in a temporally parallel or temporally overlapping manner, and/or wherein a plurality of processing devices which are configured as cooling stations are used in a temporally parallel or temporally overlapping manner, and/or wherein a plurality of processing devices which are configured as supply stations are used in a temporally parallel or temporally overlapping manner, and/or wherein a plurality of processing devices which are configured as retrieval stations are used in a temporally parallel or temporally overlapping manner, and wherein the spherical receptacle member conjointly with the content thereof and without the rotary drive is in each case retrieved from the processing device which has just terminated a processing step, said spherical receptacle member thereafter being fed to a processing device that is immediately vacant for the respective next processing step.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the receptacle members, in particular each of the receptacle members, has at least one receptacle for at least one molding die.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the following production steps is carried out in each case by each of the processing devices: a. supplying at least one molding die of a receptacle member with a raw material in a processing device which is configured as a supply station; b. heating the receptacle member and/or at least the molding die of the receptacle member while the receptacle member is rotated, in a processing device which is configured as a rotating station; c. cooling the receptacle member while the receptacle member is rotated, and/or at least the molding die, in a processing device which is configured as a cooling station; d. retrieving the rotomolded product from the molding die, in particular in a processing device which is configured as a retrieval station; and e. rotating the receptacle member in a processing device which is configured as a rotating station.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a plurality of the processing devices have in each case one dedicated rotary drive for rotating in each case one receptacle member, and/or in that all of the processing devices have in each case one dedicated rotary drive for rotating in each case one receptacle member.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a. steps 3a to 3d are carried out in a temporally overlapping manner and/or so as to be cyclically repeated, using a multiplicity of receptacle members, and/or in that b. steps 3a, 3e, and 3d are carried out in a temporally overlapping manner and/or so as to be cyclically repeated, using a multiplicity of receptacle members, and/or in that c. while one receptacle member is just being processed in one processing device, other receptacle members are supplied to other processing devices and/or retrieved therefrom, and/or other receptacle members are processed in other processing devices.

6. The method as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the rotating station is used exclusively as a rotating station, and/or in that the cooling station is used exclusively as a cooling station.

7. The method as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that a. the rotating station is additionally also configured so as to function as a cooling station and is utilized as a cooling station when a vacant cooling station is immediately required, and/or in that b. the cooling station is additionally also configured so as to function as a rotating station and is utilized as a rotating station when a vacant rotating station is immediately required, and/or in that c. the supply station is additionally also configured so as to function as a retrieval station and is utilized as a retrieval station when a vacant retrieval station is required after a cooling step, and/or in that d. the retrieval station is additionally also configured so as to function as a supply station and is utilized as a supply station, and/or in that e. a single processing device is used as a supply station as well as a retrieval station, and moreover no further supply station and no further retrieval station are used.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a. each molding die, or each molding die type, is in each case specifically assigned a raw material type and/or a raw material quantity per filling, and/or in that b. each molding die, or each molding die type, is in each case specifically assigned a raw material type and/or a raw material quantity per filling, and in that each molding die at the beginning of each process run is, in particular automatically, filled with raw material of the specifically assigned raw material type in the specifically assigned raw material quantity.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a. each receptacle member is individually assigned a set of processing parameters, and the receptacle members in the processing devices to which the former are supplied are processed while adhering to the respective processing parameters specifically assigned, and/or in that b. each receptacle member is individually assigned a set of processing parameters, the latter being stored in a database, and/or in that c. each receptacle member is individually assigned a set of processing parameters, the latter being stored in a machine-readable form on or in the receptacle member.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that a processing parameter relates to a rotation duration, and/or in that a processing parameter relates to a furnace temperature, and/or in that a processing parameter relates to an upper operating temperature of the molding die, and/or in that a processing parameter relates to a lower operating temperature of the molding die, and/or in that a processing parameter relates to a flow velocity of a hot air flow for heating a molding die, and/or in that a processing parameter relates to a flow velocity of a hot airflow for heating a molding die, and/or in that a processing parameter relates to a flow velocity of a cold airflow for cooling a molding die, and/or in that a processing parameter relates to a hot air temperature, and/or in that a processing parameter relates to a cold air temperature, and/or in that a processing parameter relates to a rotational movement pattern, and/or in that a processing parameter relates to a heating time, and/or in that a processing parameter relates to a cooling time, and/or in that a processing parameter relates to a nominal alignment for a retrieval of the rotomolded product, and/or a processing parameter relates to a nominal alignment for supplying the molding die, and/or in that a processing parameter relates to a raw material property, in particular a raw material quantity, or a raw material color, or a raw material type.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a. the receptacle members are transported intermittently and/or asynchronously between the processing devices, and/or in that b. the receptacle members are not transported in a continuous conveying stream between the processing devices, and/or in that c. the receptacle members are transported between the processing devices by means of an in particular automatic conveyor.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a. the receptacle members prior to the retrieval of the rotomolded product are in particular automatically oriented in a specific alignment, and/or in that b. the receptacle members are configured as spherical receptacle members and prior to the retrieval of the rotomolded product are in each case in particular automatically aligned such that the separation plane between two sphere-halves of the respective spherical receptacle member is horizontally disposed.

13. An installation, in particular an automatic installation, for carrying out a method as claimed in claim 1.

14. An installation for producing rotomolded products, which contains a plurality of spherical receptacle members, each without a dedicated rotary drive, each of which having at least one molding die that is suppliable with raw material, characterized by a. a plurality of processing devices that are operable in a mutually independent manner and operate in a mutually independent manner, where each processing device carries out at least one production step, wherein a plurality of processing devices which are configured as rotating stations operate in a temporally parallel or temporally overlapping manner, and/or wherein a plurality of processing devices which are configured as cooling stations operate in a temporally parallel or temporally overlapping manner, and/or wherein a plurality of processing devices which are configured as supply stations operate in a temporally parallel or temporally overlapping manner, and/or wherein a plurality of processing devices which are configured as retrieval stations operate in a temporally parallel or temporally overlapping manner, and by b. a conveyor which supplies the spherical receptacle members, in each case conjointly with the content and in each case without the rotary drive, in a mutually independent manner directly to the processing devices and in each case after a processing procedure receives said spherical receptacle members from the processing devices, wherein the spherical receptacle member, conjointly with the content thereof and without the rotary drive, is in each case retrieved by the conveyor from the processing device which has just terminated a processing step, and thereafter is supplied to a processing device that is immediately vacant for the respective next production step.

15. The installation as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that at least one of the receptacle members, in particular each of the receptacle members, has at least one receptacle for at least one molding die.

16. The installation as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that a. at least one of the processing devices is configured as an in particular automatic supply station for supplying at least one molding die of a receptacle member with a raw material, and/or in that b. at least one of the processing devices is configured as a rotating station for rotating a receptacle member, and/or in that c. at least one of the processing devices is configured as a rotating station which simultaneously heats and rotates a receptacle member, and/or in that d. at least one of the processing devices is configured as a cooling station for cooling a receptacle member, in particular for cooling and simultaneously rotating a receptacle member and/or at least the molding die of a receptacle member, and/or in that e. at least one of the processing devices is configured as a retrieval station for retrieving a rotomolded product from a molding die.

17. The installation as claimed in claim 16, characterized in that a. the rotating station is additionally also configured for receiving in each case one of the receptacle members, and for cooling the latter or at least the molding die of the latter, or in that b. the rotating station is configured exclusively for receiving in each case one of the receptacle members, for impinging the molding die with energy for a heating procedure, and for rotating the receptacle member.

18. The installation as claimed in claim 16, characterized in that a. the cooling station is additionally also configured for receiving in each case one of the receptacle members, for impinging the molding die with energy for a heating procedure, and for rotating the receptacle member, or in that b. the cooling station is configured exclusively for receiving in each case one of the receptacle members, and for cooling the latter or at least the molding die of the latter.

19. The installation as claimed in claim 16, characterized in that a. at least one of the processing devices, in particular one of the processing devices that is different from the rotating station and/or the cooling station, is configured additionally as a supply station, or in that b. at least one of the processing devices, in particular one of the processing devices that is different from the rotating station and/or the cooling station, is configured additionally as an automatic supply station.

20. The installation as claimed in claim 16, characterized in that a. the supply station is configured and disposed for receiving in each case one of the receptacle members from the conveyor and for filling the molding die of the receptacle member received with a raw material, and/or in that b. each molding die, or each molding die type, is in each case specifically assigned a raw material type and/or a raw material quantity per filling, and in that the supply station is configured and disposed for receiving in each case one of the receptacle members from the conveyor, and for filling the molding die of the receptacle member received with raw material of the specifically assigned raw material type in the specifically assigned raw material quantity.

21. The installation as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that a. one of the processing devices, in particular one of the processing devices that is different from the rotating station and/or the cooling station, is configured additionally as a retrieval station for retrieving a rotomolded product from the respective molding die of the receptacle member received, or in that b. one of the processing devices, in particular one of the processing devices that is different from the rotating station and/or the cooling station, is configured additionally as an automatic retrieval station for retrieving a rotomolded product from the respective molding die of the receptacle member received.

22. The installation as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that a. at least one of the processing devices, in particular one of the processing devices that is different from the rotating station and/or the cooling station, is configured as a supply station as well as a retrieval station, or in that b. at least one of the processing devices, in particular one of the processing devices that is different from the rotating station and/or the cooling station, is configured as an automatic supply station as well as an automatic retrieval station.

23. The installation as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that the installation has a lock station which is configured and disposed for receiving one of the receptacle members from the conveyor and/or for transferring another receptacle member to the conveyor, and which enables receptacle members, in particular during an ongoing operation, to be moved through the lock out of a processing procedure, and/or receptacle members, in particular during an ongoing operation, to be moved through the lock into a processing procedure.

24. The installation as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that a. the conveyor has a linear conveyor, b. the conveyor has a conveying track, and/or in that c. the conveyor has a roller ball track and/or in that d. the conveyor has at least one transport arm, and/or in that e. the conveyor has at least one rotatably mounted transport arm, f. the conveyor has at least one gripper for gripping one of the receptacle members, and/or in that g. the conveyor has a bayonet coupling for coupling to a counter coupling of a receptacle member, and/or in that h. the conveyor is configured as a robot, and/or in that i. the conveyor is configured as an industrial robot, and/or in that j. the conveyor is configured as an intermittent conveyor, and/or in that k. the conveyor transports the receptacle members asynchronously between the processing devices.

25. The installation as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that a. the installation has at least one alignment device which is configured and disposed for orientating one of the receptacle members in a specific and/or specifiable alignment, and/or in that b. the installation has at least one alignment device which is configured and disposed for horizontally aligning the separation plane between two sphere-halves of in each case one spherical receptacle member, and/or in that c. the installation has at least one automatic alignment device which is configured and disposed for horizontally aligning the separation plane between two sphere-halves of in each case one spherical receptacle member.

26. The installation as claimed in claim 25, characterized in that a. the alignment device is part of the conveyor, or is disposed directly on the conveyor, or in that, b. the alignment device is part of a retrieval station, or is disposed directly on a retrieval station.

27. The installation as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that a. each receptacle member is individually assigned and/or assignable a set of processing parameters, and the processing devices in the respective processing adhere to the processing parameters which are assigned to the receptacle member transferred in each case to said processing devices, and/or in that b. each receptacle member is assigned and/or assignable a specific dedicated code and individually a set of processing parameters, wherein the respective set of processing parameters is stored in a database and is retrievable by way of the code, and/or in that c. each receptacle member is individually assigned a set of processing parameters which is stored on or in the receptacle member, in particular in a transponder or in the form of a machine-readable code.

28. The installation as claimed in claim 27, characterized in that a processing parameter relates to a rotation duration, and/or in that a processing parameter relates to a furnace temperature, and/or in that a processing parameter relates to an upper operating temperature of the molding die, and/or in that a processing parameter relates to a lower operating temperature of the molding die, and/or in that a processing parameter relates to a flow velocity of a hot airflow for heating a molding die, and/or in that a processing parameter relates to a flow velocity of a cold airflow for cooling a molding die, and/or in that a processing parameter relates to a hot air temperature, and/or in that a processing parameter relates to a cold air temperature, and/or in that a processing parameter relates to a rotational movement pattern, and/or in that a processing parameter relates to a heating time, and/or in that a processing parameter relates to a cooling time, and/or in that a processing parameter relates to a nominal alignment for a retrieval of the rotomolded product, and/or a processing parameter relates to a nominal alignment for supplying the molding die, and/or in that a processing parameter relates to a raw material property, in particular a raw material quantity, or a raw material color, or a raw material type.

29. The installation as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that the conveyor a. retrieves one of the receptacle members after a supply procedure of a supply station, and b. transfers said receptacle member to the rotating station, in particular to one of a plurality of rotating stations that is immediately vacant, said rotating station rotating the receptacle member, said conveyor retrieving the receptacle member from the rotating station after the rotating procedure, and c. transfers said receptacle member to a retrieval station.

30. The installation as claimed in claim 29, characterized in that a. the rotating station impinges the molding die with energy for a heating procedure, while said rotating station rotates the receptacle member, and in that the conveyor after the production step of rotating transfers the receptacle member to a cooling station, in particular one of a plurality of cooling stations that is immediately vacant, the latter receiving the receptacle member for a cooling procedure and cooling said receptacle member or at least the molding die of the latter, and in that b. the conveyor after the cooling procedure retrieves the receptacle member from the cooling station and transfers the latter to the retrieval station.

31. The installation as claimed in claim 29, characterized in that a. the conveyor, while the receptacle member is just being processed in one of the processing devices, supplies other receptacle members to other processing devices and/or retrieves other receptacle members from the latter, and/or other receptacle members are processed in other processing devices, and/or in that b. the conveyor, while a receptacle member is just being processed according to the specific processing parameters thereof in a processing device, supplies other receptacle members according to the specific processing parameters thereof to other processing devices and/or retrieves other receptacle members from the latter, and/or other receptacle members according to the specific processing parameters thereof are simultaneously or in a temporally overlapping manner processed in other processing devices, and/or in that c. the conveyor carries out steps 29a to 29c in a temporally overlapping manner and/or in a cyclically repeating manner, using a multiplicity of spherical receptacle members, and/or in that d. the conveyor carries out steps 29a to 29c, and 30a and 30b in a temporally overlapping manner and/or in a cyclically repeating manner, using a multiplicity of spherical receptacle members, and/or in that e. the conveyor carries out steps 29a to 29c, in a temporally overlapping manner and/or in a cyclically repeating manner, using a multiplicity of spherical receptacle members, in each case according to the processing parameters that are specific to each spherical receptacle member, and/or in that f. the conveyor carries out steps 29a to 29c, and 30a and 30b in a temporally overlapping manner and/or in a cyclically repeating manner, using a multiplicity of spherical receptacle members, in each case according to the processing parameters that are specific to each spherical receptacle member.

32. The installation as claimed in claim 31, characterized in that a. a plurality of rotating stations are present, of which each is configured for receiving in each case one of the receptacle members and for rotating the receptacle member, and in that the conveyor in each case automatically transfers the receptacle member of which the molding die has just been freshly supplied to one of the rotating stations which is currently not occupied by another receptacle member, and/or in that b. a plurality of rotating stations are present, of which each is configured for receiving in each case one of the receptacle members, for impinging the molding die with energy for a heating procedure, and for rotating the receptacle member, and in that the conveyor in each case automatically transfers the receptacle member of which the molding die has just been freshly supplied to one of the rotating stations which is currently not occupied by another receptacle member and/or in that c. a plurality of cooling stations are present, of which each is configured for receiving in each case one of the receptacle members and for cooling the latter or at least the molding die of the latter, and in that the conveyor in each case automatically transfers the receptacle member of which the rotating procedure has just ended to one of the cooling stations which is currently not occupied by another receptacle member.

33. The installation as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that the processing stations are distributed over at least two different horizontal planes.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING VIEWS

[0059] The subject matter of the invention is schematically illustrated in an exemplary manner in the drawing, and will be described hereunder by means of the figures, wherein the same or functionally equivalent elements are in most instances provided with the same reference sign. In the drawing:

[0060] FIG. 1 shows a first exemplary embodiment of an installation according to the invention for producing rotomolded products;

[0061] FIG. 2 shows a second exemplary embodiment of an installation according to the invention for producing rotomolded products;

[0062] FIG. 3 shows a third exemplary embodiment of an installation according to the invention for producing rotomolded products;

[0063] FIG. 4 shows a fourth exemplary embodiment of an installation according to the invention for producing rotomolded products;

[0064] FIG. 5 shows a fifth exemplary embodiment of an installation according to the invention for producing rotomolded products;

[0065] FIG. 6 shows a sixth exemplary embodiment of an installation according to the invention for producing rotomolded products; and

[0066] FIG. 7 shows a seventh exemplary embodiment of an installation according to the invention for producing rotomolded products.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0067] FIG. 1 shows a first exemplary embodiment of an installation for producing rotomolded products, which contains a plurality of spherical receptacle members 1 of the same type, each of which having at least one receptacle (not illustrated) having one molding die (not illustrated). The installation moreover has a plurality of processing devices 2 that are operable in a mutually independent manner and operate in a mutually independent manner.

[0068] The processing devices of a first group are configured as rotating stations 3. Each of the rotating stations 3 can receive a spherical receptacle member 1, and impinge the latter, or at least the molding die of the latter, with energy for a heating procedure, and rotate the spherical receptacle member 1, in particular according to a rotational movement pattern that is predefined individually and specifically for the spherical receptacle member 1 to be just rotated.

[0069] The installation moreover has a second group of processing devices 2 which are configured as cooling stations 4. Each of the cooling stations 4 can receive one of the spherical receptacle members 1, and cool the latter, or at least the molding die thereof, for example by blowing cooled air.

[0070] The installation for producing rotomolded products moreover has a processing device 2 which functions as a supply station 5 as well as retrieval station 6. The installation moreover has a lock 7 which enables one of the spherical receptacle members 1 to be in each case moved through the lock out of the ongoing production process, or for a spherical receptacle member 1 to be moved through the lock into the ongoing production process. The lock 7 functions as a lock entry station 12 as well as a lock exit station 13.

[0071] The installation moreover has a conveyor 8 which is capable of feeding the spherical receptacle members 1 to the processing devices 2 in a mutually independent manner, and in each case after a processing procedure of receiving said spherical receptacle members 1 from the processing devices 2 in a mutually independent manner. The conveyor 8 contains a linear conveyor having a guide track 9 on which a slide 10 is disposed so as to be movable in a linear manner. The slide 10 supports two transport arms (not illustrated) which conjointly can be rotated about a rotation axis 1I. A gripper (not illustrated) for gripping a spherical receptacle member 1 is disposed at the end of each of the transport arms.

[0072] The conveyor 8 can retrieve a spherical receptacle member 1 from the combined supply station and retrieval station 5, 6, the molding die of said spherical receptacle member 1 in the combined supply station and retrieval station 5, 6 just having been in particular automatically supplied with raw material. To this end, the transport arms are rotated by 90 degrees from the position illustrated in FIG. 1, and the slide 10 is displaced completely to the left. After retrieving, the conveyor 8 can feed the retrieved spherical receptacle member 1 to an immediately vacant rotating station 3. To this end, the rotation arms are again rotated by 90 degrees in such a manner that the retrieved spherical receptacle member now faces the rotary devices 3. The slide 10 for transferring the spherical receptacle member is displaced in a linear manner until said slide 10 is disposed so as to be opposite the vacant rotating station 3.

[0073] When the rotating and heating process relating to one of the spherical receptacle members in one of the rotating stations 3 is completed, the respective spherical receptacle member 1 is retrieved from the respective rotating station 3. The transport arms of the conveyor 8 are subsequently rotated by 180 degrees such that the spherical receptacle member 1 that has just been retrieved from the rotating station 3 now faces the cooling stations 4. The slide 10 of the conveyor 8 is now repositioned in a linear manner until the spherical receptacle member 1 that has been retrieved from the rotating station 3 and is now to be cooled is opposite a vacant cooling station 4. The spherical receptacle member 1 to be cooled is subsequently transferred to the vacant cooling station 4.

[0074] When the molding die of a spherical receptacle member 1 has been sufficiently cooled, the conveyor can retrieve the respective spherical receptacle member 1 from the respective cooling station 4 and transfer said spherical receptacle member 1 to the combined supply and retrieval station 5, 6, wherein the transport arms after retrieving are pivoted by 90 degrees.

[0075] The transferred spherical receptacle member 1 in the combined supply and retrieval station 5, 6 is initially aligned in a predefined orientation. This enables the spherical receptacle member 1 to be able to be in particular automatically opened in a simple and uncomplicated manner. For example, after aligning, an upper sphere-half of the spherical receptacle member 1 can be raised or folded out in order for the molding die, or the molding dies, respectively, to be rendered accessible. After opening the spherical receptacle member 1, the finished rotomolded products can be in particular automatically retrieved and, for example, deposited on a conveyor belt (not illustrated) or sorted into a transport box.

[0076] After retrieving, the molding die of the spherical receptacle member 1 which is located in the combined supply and retrieval station 5, 6 can be in particular automatically supplied with fresh raw material. In particular, it can be advantageously provided herein that the combined supply and retrieval station 5, 6 fills a quantity of raw material that is specific precisely to this molding die of a type of raw material that is specific precisely to this molding die into the molding die. The same applies in analogous manner of course to each molding die when the spherical receptacle member 1 contains a plurality of molding dies.

[0077] FIG. 2 shows a second exemplary embodiment of an installation according to the invention for producing rotomolded products. Said second exemplary embodiment differs from the installation illustrated in FIG. 1 in that instead of a combined supply and retrieval station 5, 6, separate processing devices 2, specifically a supply station 5 which functions exclusively as a supply station, and a retrieval station 6 which functions exclusively as a retrieval station 6, are present.

[0078] In the case of this embodiment, a spherical receptacle member 1 after cooling is in each case initially transferred to the retrieval station 6 and therein aligned such that the rotomolded products can be retrieved. After retrieving, the conveyor 8 transports the respective spherical receptacle member 1 to the supply station 5 where the molding die, or the molding dies, respectively, of the spherical receptacle member 1 are supplied with fresh raw material, in particular especially according to specific parameters for this molding die, or molding dies, respectively. The spherical receptacle member 1 having the freshly supplied molding die can subsequently be transferred to a rotating station 3 again. Between the steps visualized, the transport arms of the conveyor 8 for transferring, or for retrieving, respectively, the spherical receptacle member 1 are in each case rotated by 60 degrees.

[0079] The installation shown in FIG. 2 moreover differs from the installation illustrated in FIG. 1 in that a lock 7 is provided, the latter having a lock entry station 12 and a lock exit station 13. The lock entry station 12 is configured very specifically for moving in through the lock a spherical receptacle member 1, while the lock exit station 13 is configured very specifically for moving out through the lock a spherical receptacle member 1.

[0080] FIG. 3 shows a third exemplary embodiment of an installation according to the invention for producing rotomolded products. The installation has a plurality of processing devices 2 which are set up in a circle. Also in this installation, there are processing devices 2 which are configured specifically as rotating stations 3, and processing devices 2 which are configured specifically as cooling stations 4. Moreover, there is a combined supply and retrieval station 5, 6 which has a retrieval robot 14. There is furthermore a lock 7 which functions as a lock entry station 12 as well as a lock exit station 13.

[0081] The conveyor 8 has two fixedly interconnected transport arms 15, 16 which are mounted so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis 11. A gripper (not illustrated) for gripping in each case one spherical receptacle member 1 is disposed at the ends of each transport arm 15, 16. An alignment device (not illustrated), in order to be able to align a gripped spherical receptacle member 1 in a predefined orientation, in particular for retrieving or supplying, is additionally present on the transport arm 16. It is provided herein that the conveyor 8 in each case aligns the spherical receptacle member 1 to be transferred to the combined supply and retrieval station 5, 6, before said receptacle member 1 is transferred.

[0082] For retrieving or transferring a spherical receptacle member 1 to one of the processing devices 2, the transport arms 15, 16 are in each case rotated in such a manner until the respective free end of which the gripper is now to retrieve or transfer a spherical receptacle member 1, is disposed so as to be opposite the respective processing device 2.

[0083] FIG. 4 shows a fourth exemplary embodiment of an installation according to the invention for producing rotomolded products. The installation has a plurality of processing devices 2, some of which being configured as a rotating station 3, and others as a cooling station 4. Moreover, one of the processing devices is configured as a supply station 5, and another of the processing devices 2 is configured as a retrieval station 6. The conveyor 8 has an endless roller ball track 17, along which the spherical receptacle members 1, for example driven by a transport belt, can roll along. In each case one switchable turnout 18 leads from the roller ball track 17 to each of the processing devices 2. In this way, each of the spherical receptacle members 1 can be fed in a targeted and individually controlled manner to each of the processing devices 2, depending on the immediately required processing step.

[0084] After having being supplied with raw material in the supply station 5, the freshly equipped spherical receptacle member 1 is transported on the ball track 17 until said ball track 17 reaches a vacant rotating station 3. The turnout 18 that is disposed upstream of the vacant rotating station 3 is then switched such that the freshly supplied spherical receptacle member 1 is guided to the vacant rotating station 3. After completion of the rotating and heating procedure, the spherical receptacle member 1 makes its way back onto the roller ball track 17 and thereon is conveyed onward until said roller ball track 17 reaches a vacant cooling station 4. The turnout 18 that is assigned to the vacant cooling station 4 is then switched such that the spherical receptacle member 1 is fed to the vacant cooling station 4. After the cooling procedure, the spherical receptacle member makes its way back onto the ball track 17 and finally reaches the retrieval station 6 where the finished rotomolded product is retrieved. The spherical receptacle member 1 is subsequently transferred to the supply station 5 again, such that the entire procedure can now be repeated.

[0085] FIG. 5 shows a fifth exemplary embodiment of an installation according to the invention for producing rotomolded products 28. The installation has a plurality of processing devices 2, one of which being configured as a supply station 5.

[0086] The supply station 5 contains a robot 19 which fills the molding dies of the individual spherical receptacle members 1 in each case with a specific quantity of a respective specific type of raw material. This is performed in detail as follows: The supply station 5 has a plurality of storage containers 20 which are filled with different raw materials. In each case one a metering dispenser 21 is disposed on each storage container 20, said metering dispenser 21 being controlled such that the respective quantity of raw material required for a specific molding die is filled into a pot 22 which is located on a rotating plate 23. As soon as the pot after filling reaches the robot 19, the latter acquires the pot and pours the content into the assigned molding die of the spherical receptacle member 1 to be supplied. The spherical receptacle member 1 is then automatically closed, and makes its way along a roller ball track 17 to the further processing devices 2.

[0087] The installation has a first row 24 and a second row 25 of processing devices 2 which are in each case equipped with rotating stations 3 and cooling stations 4. Depending on the row 25, 26 in which there is sufficient immediately available capacity, it can be set by means of a control turnout 26 to which row the respective spherical receptacle member 1 that is to be fed to rotating and heating procedure is to make its way. After the cooling procedure in one of the cooling stations 4, the respective spherical receptacle member 1 makes its way into a buffer zone 27 and then to a retrieval station 6, where retrieving the finished rotomolded products 28 is performed. Said finished rotomolded products 28 are deposited by the robot 19 onto a transport belt 29 and subsequently sorted, in particular in an automatic manner, into transport boxes 30 provided.

[0088] FIG. 6 shows a sixth exemplary embodiment of an installation according to the invention for producing rotomolded products. The installation has a plurality of processing devices 2 which are set up in a circle. Also in this installation, there are processing devices 2 which are configured specifically as rotating stations 3, and processing devices 2 which are configured specifically as cooling stations 4. Moreover, there is a combined supply and retrieval station 5, 6 which has a retrieval robot 14. There is furthermore a lock 7 which functions as a lock entry station 12 as well as a lock exit station 13.

[0089] The conveyor 8 in the case of this embodiment is configured as an industrial robot. Such an embodiment has the very particular advantage that the conveyor can be adapted in a simple manner, in particular by simple reprogramming, when the installation is to be extended by adding of further processing devices, or is to be downsized by removing individual processing devices.

[0090] FIG. 7 shows a seventh exemplary embodiment of an installation according to the invention for producing rotomolded products. The installation has a plurality of processing devices 2 which are set up in a circle.

[0091] Each of the processing devices 2 is configured to function as a rotating station 3 for heating and rotating in each case one spherical receptacle device 1, as well as a cooling station 4 for cooling in each case one of the spherical receptacle members 1. Cooling is preferably performed in each case while simultaneously rotating the spherical receptacle member. Rotating during cooling guarantees that the raw material is held in the desired shape on the internal wall of the molding die until a sufficient strength has been reached.

[0092] There is moreover a combined supply and retrieval station 5, 6 which has a retrieval robot 14. There is furthermore a lock 7 which functions as a lock entry station 12 as well as a lock exit station 13. The conveyor 8 in the case of this embodiment is configured as an industrial robot.

[0093] On account of each of the processing devices 2 being able to be used for heating as well as for cooling, fewer transport procedures are required because both processing steps can in each case be completed in the same processing device 2.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0094] 1 Spherical receptacle member [0095] 2 Processing device [0096] 3 Rotating station [0097] 4 Cooling station [0098] 5 Supply station [0099] 6 Retrieval station [0100] 7 Lock [0101] 8 Conveyor [0102] 9 Guide track [0103] 10 Slide [0104] 11 Rotation axis [0105] 12 Lock entry station [0106] 13 Lock exit station [0107] 14 Retrieval robot [0108] 15 Transport arm [0109] 16 Transport arm [0110] 17 Ball track [0111] 18 Turnout [0112] 19 Robot [0113] 20 Storage container [0114] 21 Metering device [0115] 22 Pot [0116] 23 Rotating plate [0117] 24 First row [0118] 25 Second row [0119] 26 Control turnout [0120] 27 Buffer zone [0121] 28 Rotomolded products [0122] 29 Conveyor belt [0123] 30 Transport box [0124] 31 Industrial robot