Apparatus and method for treating plastics material preforms with temperature detection

Abstract

An apparatus for treating plastics material preforms has a transport device which transports the plastics material preforms along a predetermined transport path, at least one heating unit to heat the transported plastics material preforms, and a forming device arranged downstream of the heating device for forming the heated plastics material preforms into plastics material containers. The apparatus has at least one temperature detection device for detecting to detect a temperature of the plastics material preforms heated by the heating device, in a spatially resolved manner at least in a longitudinal direction of the plastics material preforms, and an image recording device to record a spatially resolved image of the plastics material preforms, wherein the image recording device is configurable taking into account at least one parameter characteristic of the plastics material preforms to be inspected.

Claims

1. An apparatus for treating plastics material preforms with a heating device which is configured to heat the plastics material preforms, wherein the heating device has a transport device which transports the plastics material preforms along a predetermined transport path, and at least one heating unit which is configured to heat the plastics material preforms transported by the transport device, and with a forming device which is arranged downstream of the heating device in a transport direction of the plastics material preforms and which is configured to form the plastics material preforms heated by the heating device into plastics material containers, wherein the apparatus has at least one temperature detection device which is configured to detect a temperature of the plastics material preforms heated by the heating device, wherein the temperature of the plastics material preforms can be detected in a spatially resolved manner at least in a longitudinal direction and/or in a circumferential direction of the plastics material preforms, wherein the temperature detection device has an image recording device which is configured to record a spatially resolved image of the plastics material preforms, wherein the image recording device is configurable taking into account at least one parameter characteristic of the plastics material preforms to be inspected.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus has a control device for controlling the forming device and this control device is configured to control the forming device depending on a temperature of a plastics material preform that is detected by the temperature detection device.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the characteristic parameter is selected from a group of parameters, which contains a length of the plastics material preform, an outer cross-section of the plastics material preform, an inner cross-section of the plastics material preform, a wall thickness of the plastics material preform, a material and/or a material composition of the plastics material preform, a geometry of the plastics material preform, a recycled content of the material of the plastics material preform, a weight of the plastics material preform, the presence of additives in the material of the plastics material preform, a proportion of additives in the material of the plastics material preform, and the type of additives in the material of the plastics material preform.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image recording device is at least one thermal imaging camera.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus has an analysis device which is configured to analyze the images recorded by the image recording device.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an image recording portion of the image recorded by the image recording device is selectable.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus has a detection device which is configured to detect at least the parameter characteristic of a plastics material preform.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus has a control device configured to control the image recording device and/or the analysis device depending on the characteristic parameter.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus has a memory device which is configured to store links which assign control variables to characteristic values of the plastics material preforms, which control variables can be fed to the control device.

10. A temperature detection device which is configured to detect a temperature of plastics material preforms heated by a heating device, wherein the temperature of the plastics material preforms can be detected in a spatially resolved manner at least in a longitudinal direction and/or a circumferential direction of the plastics material preforms, wherein the temperature detection device has an image recording device which is configured to record a spatially resolved image of the plastics material preforms, wherein the image recording device is configurable.

11. A method for treating plastics material preforms, wherein a heating device heats the plastics material preforms, and wherein the heating device has a transport device which transports the plastics material preforms along a predetermined transport path, and at least one heating unit which heats the plastics material preforms transported by the transport device, wherein a forming device which is arranged downstream of the heating device in a transport direction of the plastics material preforms forms the plastics material preforms heated by the warming device into plastics material containers, wherein the apparatus has at least one temperature detection device which detects a temperature of the plastics material preforms heated by the warming device, wherein the temperature of the plastics material preforms is detected in a spatially resolved manner at least in a longitudinal direction and/or a circumferential direction of the plastics material preforms, wherein the temperature detection device has an image recording device which records at least one spatially resolved image of the plastics material preforms.

12. A method for detecting a temperature of plastics material preforms, wherein a temperature detection device detects a temperature of plastics material preforms heated by a heating device, and wherein the temperature of the plastics material preforms is detected in a spatially resolved manner at least in a longitudinal direction and/or a circumferential direction of the plastics material preforms, wherein the temperature detection device has an image recording device which records a spatially resolved image of the plastics material preforms, wherein the image recording device is configured.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein at least one parameter characteristic of a physical property of the plastics material preform is detected.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein at least one image of the image of a plastics material preform that is detected by the image recording device is selected.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein at least one parameter characteristic of a physical property of the plastics material preform is detected.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein at least one image of the image of a plastics material preform that is detected by the image recording device is selected.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0074] Further advantages and embodiments can be seen in the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0075] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of an apparatus according to the invention;

[0076] FIG. 2 shows a representation of a first operating situation;

[0077] FIG. 3 shows a representation of a second operating situation; and

[0078] FIG. 4 shows a representation of a third operating situation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0079] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of an apparatus 1 according to the invention. This apparatus has a heating device 2, here in the form of an infrared oven, which serves to heat the plastics material preforms 10.

[0080] For this purpose, the heating device 2 has a transport device 22, which serves to transport the plastics material preforms individually past heating units 24. These heating units are preferably arranged to be stationary.

[0081] The reference sign 4 designates a forming device for forming the heated plastics material preforms into plastics material containers and, in particular, plastics material bottles. This forming device 4 has a transport device 42, such as a blowing wheel, on which a plurality of forming stations 43 (only one shown) is arranged.

[0082] These forming stations each have blow molds, inside which the plastics material preforms are expanded into plastics material bottles by applying a flowable medium and, in particular, blowing air. Furthermore, the forming stations preferably each have stretching rods, which can be inserted into the plastics material preforms in order to stretch them in their longitudinal direction. In addition, the forming stations preferably each have valve devices, which make it possible to apply different pressure levels to the plastics material preforms.

[0083] The reference sign 46 designates a control device for controlling the forming device 4. Preferably, this control device makes it possible to control the individual forming stations 43 and/or the forming process. It is thus possible to control the application of the flowable medium to the plastics material preforms. In addition, it is however also possible that the movement of the mentioned stretching rods is controlled or controllable.

[0084] The reference sign 6 designates in its entirety a temperature detection device which is suitable and intended to detect the temperature of the plastics material preforms heated by the heating device. Preferably, this temperature detection is designed in such a way that it can measure and/or detect the temperature of each individual plastics material preform.

[0085] The temperature detection device has an image recording device 62, for example in the form of a thermal imaging camera, which is suitable for recording a thermal image of the plastics material preforms.

[0086] The reference sign 8 designates an analysis device which is suitable for analyzing the images recorded by the image recording device. Preferably, the image recording device and/or the analysis device is configurable. For example, it is, for example, possible to configure and/or control which part of the image recorded by the image recording device is to be analyzed.

[0087] Furthermore, a control device which controls the image recording by the image recording device 62 and/or the image analysis by the analysis device 8 is preferably provided.

[0088] The reference sign 48 schematically designates an assignment device, which assigns to the images recorded by the image recording device 62 those forming stations 43 which assign to those plastics material preforms whose temperature has been detected those forming stations which will form the corresponding plastics material preforms. In this way, individual forming of the plastics material preforms is possible depending on their temperature profile.

[0089] The reference sign 14 designates a further detection device, which is preferably arranged upstream of the temperature detection device 6 and which serves to detect the plastics material preforms and, for example, to detect their geometric shape. Preferably, this further detection device also has an image recording device which is suitable and intended to record a spatially resolved image of the individual transported plastics material preforms.

[0090] Preferably, this further detection device 14 is suitable and intended to output at least one value which is characteristic of the transported plastics material preforms.

[0091] Preferably, the image recording by the image recording device and/or the analysis of the recorded images is also controlled through the values output by the detection device.

[0092] The reference sign 12 designates a memory device in which reference data are stored, for example reference data with respect to the plastics material preforms to be processed.

[0093] If a plastics material preform is detected, it can be checked whether this plastics material preform corresponds to a plastics material preform stored in the memory device 12. In this case, the analysis device 8 can be instructed to analyze only a specific image region or the image recording device can be instructed to record a specific region.

[0094] FIG. 2 shows a first situation of the temperature detection. Here, the temperature of a first plastics material preform is measured, which has a first larger length M1. The reference sign L designates a longitudinal direction of the plastics material preforms. The reference sign 10a designates a main body (to be heated) of the plastics material preform, and the reference sign 10b designates a mouth region (not to be heated) of the plastics material preform.

[0095] The image recording device 62 (and, if applicable, the analysis device) are controlled in such a way that the temperature of the plastics material preform is recorded and/or analyzed over its entire length.

[0096] FIG. 3 shows a further measurement situation. Here, the plastics material preform is significantly shorter and only extends over the length M2. Accordingly, the image analysis and/or the image recording is also extended to the corresponding shorter region of the plastics material preform.

[0097] In the situation shown in FIG. 4, a plastics material preform which is made from a plastic material with recycled material content (as indicated by the dashed lines) is processed. In this case, too, the temperature detection can be adjusted. For example, the temperature can be detected with better resolution directly below the support ring of the plastics material preform.

[0098] The applicant reserves the right to claim all features disclosed in the application documents as essential to the invention, provided that they are novel over the prior art individually or in combination. It is also pointed out that features which can be advantageous in themselves are also described in the individual figures. A person skilled in the art will immediately recognize that a particular feature described in a figure can be advantageous even without the adoption of further features from this figure. Furthermore, the person skilled in the art will recognize that advantages can also result from a combination of several features shown in individual or in different figures.