Container treatment device and method for adjusting temperature of parison

Abstract

The invention relates to a container treatment device and a method for regulating the temperature of a parison, said container treatment device comprising a manufacturing machine, in particular an injection molding machine, for manufacturing a parison, a heating device arranged downstream of the manufacturing machine, a blow molding machine arranged downstream of the heating device, and a control unit, wherein the control unit is designed to adjust an operating parameter of at least one component of the container treatment plant on the basis of an actual temperature of the parison at a position upstream of the blow molding machine, such that the parison reaches a nominal temperature at the blow molding machine.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a container treatment device for regulating the temperature of preforms and to a corresponding method. Background Art

[0002] The prior art has disclosed that a preform is formed into a container by blow molding. Usually, an injection molding method is used to manufacture the preform.

[0003] In the prior art, the production of the preform and the shaping of the preform into the container are carried out in a manner separate from one another in terms of time and location.

[0004] Therefore, in addition to the blow molding machine, the container processing equipment in the prior art usually also includes a storage device in which the finished preforms are stored as bulk. The storage device can continuously supply the blow molding machine with preforms, thereby ensuring the continuous production of containers. In order to transport the preforms from the storage device to the blow molding machine in an orderly manner, the preforms are first singulated and / or aligned by means of a sorting device. After the preforms have been shaped into containers, they can be further processed in downstream process steps, such as coating, filling, labeling, printing and / or sealing.

[0005] However, the solutions known from the prior art for producing the preforms and further processing them into containers in a manner separated from one another in time and place have a number of disadvantages. For example, the preforms can be damaged during transport to the container processing plant or during storage as bulk material in a storage device of the container processing plant, which can in turn have a negative impact on the quality of the containers produced from the preforms. In addition, the transport or storage of the preforms is costly and can lead to accidental contamination of the preforms. Summary of the invention

[0006] Purpose

[0007] Based on the known prior art, the technical purpose of the present invention is to improve the efficiency of the process of manufacturing containers from parisons and at the same time improve the quality of the manufactured containers.

[0008] Solution

[0009] The solution of the present invention for achieving the above-mentioned object is a container processing device for adjusting the temperature of a preform, and a corresponding method.

[0010] The container processing equipment for adjusting the temperature of the preform of the present invention comprises a manufacturing machine for manufacturing the preform, in particular an injection molding machine, a heating device arranged downstream of the manufacturing machine, a blow molding machine arranged downstream of the heating device, and a control unit, wherein the control unit is constructed to adjust the operating parameters of at least one component of the container processing equipment based on the actual temperature of the preform at a position upstream of the blow molding machine, so that the preform reaches a nominal temperature at the blow molding machine.

[0011] Here, being arranged downstream of a manufacturing machine or a heating device means an arrangement downstream of the manufacturing machine or the heating device with respect to the transport direction of the preforms.

[0012] The manufacturing machine can be configured to process any type of plastic and is preferably configured to manufacture a preform. The plastic can be, for example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene (PP). However, it can also be any other plastic suitable for manufacturing a preform.

[0013] The manufacturing machine can be, in particular, an injection molding machine. As an alternative, it can also be a device for manufacturing a preform by means of a compression molding method, or a device for manufacturing a preform by means of an injection compression molding method. However, it can also be any other device suitable for manufacturing a preform.

[0014] The heating device can be any heating device configured to heat the preform at least to a temperature value corresponding to at least the nominal temperature. For example, the heating device can be configured as a resistance heating device, which can include several incandescent lamps. As an alternative or in addition, the heating device can also include, for example, an infrared heating device or a microwave heating device. In one embodiment, the heating device can be configured to generate a specific temperature profile in the preform (for example along its longitudinal axis). However, the heating device can also be configured to heat the preform uniformly to a specific temperature.

[0015] The blow molding machine can be designed, for example, as an extrusion blow molding machine or a stretch blow molding machine. Preferably, the blow molding mechanism is designed to mold the parison into a container. The container is preferably a bottle used in the beverage industry. However, it can also be any other container used, for example, in the beverage, pharmaceutical, health or food industries, such as a can, cup, mug or tube, or any other container suitable for accommodating any liquid or pasty medium.

[0016] The actual temperature of the parison may refer to, for example, the actual temperature at a specific surface position of the parison, for example, the actual temperature distribution along the longitudinal axis of the parison, or an average temperature value of the parison.

[0017] The same applies to the nominal temperature of the parison.

[0018] The position of the parison upstream of the blow molding machine can be any position that the parison passes during the transport from the manufacturing machine via the heating device to the blow molding machine. For example, the position can be the outlet of the manufacturing machine or the outlet of the heating device. However, it can also be any other position between the manufacturing machine and the blow molding machine.

[0019] Reaching the nominal temperature at the blow molding machine means that the parison should reach the nominal temperature at any position of the blow molding machine before the parison is formed into a container. The arbitrary position of the blow molding machine can be, for example, the inlet of the blow molding machine, a position in the blow molding machine between the inlet of the blow molding machine and the position where the parison is moved into the blow mold, or a position in a transport direction corresponding to the blow molding machine, which transport direction is used, for example, to transport the parison to the blow molding machine.

[0020] A component is understood to be any component of a container treatment system whose operation can be regulated by means of operating parameters. The component can be, for example, a production machine, a heating device or any other container treatment machine of a container treatment system which is not explicitly mentioned here. As an alternative, the component can also be, for example, a transport device which serves to transport the parisons, for example, from a processing machine to a heating device or from a heating device to a blow molding machine.

[0021] Operating parameters are in particular machine parameters of components of the blow-molding machine, by adjusting which the temperature of the preform can be influenced.

[0022] The operating parameters may also refer to the composition of the material used to manufacture the parison in the manufacturing machine. As mentioned above, the material may be, for example, a plastic-based material, which may also include other components in addition to the plastic. In this case, adjusting the operating parameters means changing the composition of the material by adding at least one of additives, plastic flakes with a specific particle size, plastic flakes with a specific particle size distribution, recycled material, recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and / or pigment particles. The material component selection mentioned here does not constitute a limitation, so other material components not explicitly mentioned here can also be added to the material to change the material composition.

[0023] The container processing device of the present invention can produce parisons and further process them into containers. This prevents the parisons and the resulting containers from being damaged and contaminated during transportation or storage, saves transportation costs, and at the same time improves the quality of the resulting containers. By adjusting the temperature of the parison based on the actual value, thereby generating a nominal temperature at the blow molding machine, the quality of the formed container can be improved.

[0024] In one embodiment, the at least one component may include the heating device, and the operating parameter may be a heating power, a heating curve and / or a heating duration of the heating device. The temperature of the preform can be adjusted particularly flexibly and easily by means of the heating device. The heating power, the heating curve and / or the heating duration of the heating device are directly related to the temperature of the preform and are therefore suitable as operating parameters for generating a nominal temperature of the preform.

[0025] In one embodiment, the at least one component may include the manufacturing machine for manufacturing the parison. By adjusting the operating parameters of the manufacturing machine, the temperature of the parison output by the manufacturing machine can be flexibly adjusted, so that the parison reaches a specific nominal temperature at the blow molding machine.

[0026] In a further development of this embodiment, the operating parameters may be cycle time, injection duration, lock to lock time, manufacturing mold temperature, melting temperature, post-cooling temperature of the manufacturing machine and / or the composition of the material used to manufacture the parison in the manufacturing machine. The cycle time refers to the duration of the manufacturing machine for manufacturing the parison. The manufacturing mold temperature refers to the temperature of the manufacturing mold of the manufacturing machine for manufacturing the parison. The melting temperature refers to the temperature at which the material (e.g. plastic) used to manufacture the parison in the manufacturing machine melts, and the post-cooling temperature refers to the temperature to which the parison is cooled by means of a post-cooling unit after manufacturing. The lock to lock time refers to the time required for the manufacturing mold to be opened and closed. During this time, the parison cannot be manufactured in the manufacturing machine, and therefore, the lock to lock time is equivalent to the dead time. These operating parameters of the manufacturing machine directly affect the temperature of the parison when it is output from the manufacturing machine, and therefore, these operating parameters are particularly suitable for adjusting the temperature of the parison so that the nominal temperature is reached at the blow molding machine.

[0027] In one embodiment, the control unit may be configured to adjust the operating parameters of the heating device and the operating parameters of the manufacturing machine when the actual temperature is below or above a threshold value. If the actual temperature of the parison is below the threshold value, adjusting the operating temperature of the manufacturing machine or the heating device may not be sufficient to achieve the nominal temperature of the parison at the blow molding machine. By adjusting the operating parameters of the manufacturing machine and the operating parameters of the heating device, it is ensured that the parison reaches the nominal temperature at the blow molding machine even in this case and that the parison is molded into a container with the desired quality.

[0028] In one embodiment, the at least one component may include a first transport device disposed between the manufacturing machine and the heating device, and / or a second transport device disposed between the heating device and the blow molding machine. By adjusting the operating parameters of the first and / or second transport devices, the change in the temperature of the parison during the transport of the parison between the manufacturing machine and the heating device or between the heating device and the blow molding machine can be controlled (for example, by controlling the transport speed and the transport duration depending thereon), so that the parison reaches the nominal temperature at the blow molding machine.

[0029] In a further development of this embodiment, the operating parameter may be a transport speed, an ambient temperature at the first and / or second transport device, and / or the number of parisons transported by the first and / or second transport device within a specific time interval. These operating parameters of the first and / or second transport device directly affect the temperature of the parison at the blow molding machine, and are therefore particularly suitable for adjusting these parameters so that the parison reaches a specific nominal temperature at the blow molding machine.

[0030] In addition, the present invention also proposes a method for regulating the temperature of a preform in a container processing equipment, wherein the container processing equipment includes a manufacturing machine for manufacturing preforms, in particular an injection molding machine, a heating device arranged downstream of the manufacturing machine, a blow molding machine arranged downstream of the heating device, and a control unit, and the control unit adjusts the operating parameters of at least one component of the container processing equipment based on the actual temperature of the preform at a position upstream of the blow molding machine, so that the preform reaches a nominal temperature at the blow molding machine.

[0031] By manufacturing the preforms and further processing them in one device, the preforms and the resulting containers can be protected from damage and contamination during transport or storage, saving transport costs and at the same time improving the quality of the resulting containers. In addition, by generating a nominal temperature at the blow molding machine, containers with a very uniform wall thickness distribution can be produced, thereby improving the quality of the containers.

[0032] In one embodiment, the at least one component may include the heating device, and the operating parameter may be the heating power, heating curve and / or heating duration of the heating device. By means of the heating device and by adjusting the heating power, heating curve and / or heating duration, the temperature of the parison can be set flexibly and simply, so that the parison reaches the nominal temperature at the blow molding machine.

[0033] In one embodiment, the at least one component may include the manufacturing machine for manufacturing the parison. By adjusting the operating parameters of the manufacturing machine, the temperature of the parison output by the manufacturing machine can be flexibly and easily set so as to reach a specific nominal temperature at the blow molding machine.

[0034] In a further development of this embodiment, the operating parameters may be cycle time, injection duration, lock to lock time, manufacturing mold temperature, melt temperature, post-cooling temperature of the manufacturing machine and / or the composition of the material used to manufacture the parison in the manufacturing machine. These operating parameters of the manufacturing machine directly affect the temperature of the parison output by the manufacturing machine, and therefore, these operating parameters are particularly suitable for adjusting the temperature of the parison so that the parison reaches a nominal temperature at the blow molding machine.

[0035] In one embodiment, when the actual temperature is lower or higher than a threshold value, the operating parameters of the heating device and the operating parameters of the manufacturing machine can be adjusted by the control unit. If the actual temperature of the parison is lower than the threshold value, adjusting the operating parameters of the manufacturing machine or the operating parameters of the heating device may not be sufficient to achieve the nominal temperature of the parison at the blow molding machine. By adjusting the operating parameters of the manufacturing machine and the operating parameters of the heating device, it is ensured that the parison reaches the nominal temperature at the blow molding device even in this case, and that the parison is molded into a container with the desired quality.

[0036] In one embodiment, the at least one component may include a first transport device disposed between the manufacturing machine and the heating device, and / or a second transport device disposed between the heating device and the blow molding machine. By adjusting the operating parameters of the first and / or second transport devices, the change in the temperature of the parison during the transport of the parison between the manufacturing machine and the heating device or between the heating device and the blow molding machine can be controlled, so that the parison reaches the nominal temperature at the blow molding machine.

[0037] In a further development of this embodiment, the operating parameter may be the transport speed of the first and / or second transport device, the ambient temperature at the first and / or second transport device, and / or the number of parisons transported by the first and / or second transport device. These operating parameters of the first and / or second transport device directly affect the temperature of the parisons at the blow molding machine, and are therefore particularly suitable for adjusting these parameters so that the parisons reach a specific nominal temperature at the blow molding machine.

[0038] In one embodiment, the actual temperature and / or the nominal temperature may be the actual temperature distribution and / or the nominal temperature distribution of the parison. By generating a nominal temperature distribution of the parison at the blow molding machine, the blow molding characteristics of the parison can be advantageously improved and a container with a very uniform wall thickness distribution can be generated. In this way, the potential deviation of the shape of the manufactured container from the ideal shape can be minimized. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] Figure 1A container treatment system for regulating the temperature of preforms is shown according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] Figure 1 A container treatment system 100 for regulating the temperature of preforms 110 is shown according to one embodiment.

[0041] According to the invention, the container processing device 100 comprises a manufacturing machine 101 , a heating device 102 arranged downstream of the manufacturing machine 101 relative to the transport direction 116 of the preform 110 , a blow molding machine 103 arranged downstream of the heating device 102 along the transport direction 116 of the preform 110 , and a control unit 104 .

[0042] According to the present invention, the control unit 104 (for example, a computer with a processor and corresponding memory) is configured to adjust the operating parameters of at least one component of the container processing equipment 100 based on the actual temperature of the preform 110 at a position 112 upstream of the blow molding machine 103, so that the preform 110 reaches a nominal temperature at the blow molding machine 113.

[0043] Furthermore, an optional first transport device 114 is shown between the production machine 101 and the heating device 102, which is suitable for transporting the preforms 110 from the production machine 101 to the heating device 102, and an optional second transport device 115 is shown between the heating device 102 and the blow molding machine 103, which is suitable for transporting the preforms 110 from the heating device 102 to the blow molding machine 103. Likewise optionally, a third transport device 117 can be provided downstream of the blow molding machine 103 in the transport direction 116 of the containers 111. The containers 111 can be further transported to at least one further container handling machine, which is not explicitly shown here, by means of the third transport device 117.

[0044] The at least one container processing machine may be, for example, a device for pre-processing the container 111, for example by means of a plasma method or a corona method, a filler for filling the container 111 with a beverage or another liquid, a labeling device, a direct printing device, and / or a closing device. However, it may also be any other device for processing the container 111, which is not explicitly mentioned here.

[0045] In the embodiment discussed here, the optional transport devices 114, 115, 117 are designed as linear transport devices. In an alternative embodiment, the transport devices can also be designed as star-shaped rotary devices.

[0046] The manufacturing machine 101 can be configured to process any type of plastic, and is preferably constructed to manufacture the parison 110. For example, the manufacturing machine 101 can be constructed to process polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or to manufacture the parison 110 with PET. As an alternative, the manufacturing machine 101 can also be constructed to process polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene (PP), and to manufacture the parison 110 with PE or PP. However, these examples are not limiting, and therefore, any other plastic suitable for manufacturing the parison 110 can also be processed by the manufacturing machine 101 to form the parison 110. In one embodiment, the manufacturing machine 101 may include several manufacturing molds, each of which has at least one mold cavity. The shape of the mold cavity is a negative mold of the parison 110 produced by the manufacturing machine 101. Different manufacturing molds may include mold cavities constructed in different ways, so that the use of the manufacturing machine 101 is flexible and can be constructed to produce different types of parisons 110.

[0047] The manufacturing machine can be, in particular, an injection molding machine. As an alternative, it can also be a device for manufacturing a preform by means of a compression molding method, or a device for manufacturing a preform by means of an injection compression molding method. However, it can also be any other device suitable for manufacturing a preform.

[0048] The heating device 102 can be any heating device 102 suitable for heating the preform 110. In one embodiment, the heating device can be a resistance heating device. As an alternative, it can also be an infrared heating device or a microwave heating device. The heating device 102 can be configured to uniformly heat the preform 110 or its surface to a specific temperature. In one embodiment, the heating device 102 can also be configured to generate a specific temperature distribution in the preform 110, for example along its longitudinal axis. If a specific temperature distribution is generated in the preform 110, a container 111 with a very uniform wall thickness distribution can be produced during the blow molding process, thereby improving the quality of the manufactured container 111.

[0049] The blow molding machine 103 can be, for example, an extrusion blow molding machine or a stretch blow molding machine. In one embodiment, the blow molding machine 103 can be configured as a turntable machine, wherein the blow molding machine 103 can include a plurality of container receptacles, which can be arranged along the circumference of the turntable machine. The blow molding machine 103 can preferably be configured to mold the parison 110 produced by the manufacturing machine 101 into a container 111.

[0050] The container 111 produced by the blow molding machine 103 with the parison 110 can be a bottle used in the beverage industry. However, as an alternative, the container 111 can also be any other type of container used in, for example, the beverage, pharmaceutical, health or food industries, such as a can, a cup, a mug or a tube, or any other container 111 suitable for containing any liquid or pasty medium.

[0051] The control unit 104 may be implemented as a computer, a server or any other computing unit and is configured to control the operation of the container treatment system 100 or to control an operating parameter of at least one component of the container treatment system 100 .

[0052] A component of the container treatment system 100 may be, for example, a production machine 101 or a heating device 102. However, a component may also be any other component of the container treatment system that can be operated by means of operating parameter regulation. Preference is given to components that can influence the temperature of the preforms 110 by means of operating parameter regulation. Accordingly, the component may also be, for example, an optional transport device 114, 115, 117.

[0053] In order to control the operation of the at least one component, the control unit 104 may be connected to the at least one component of the container handling system 100 via a cable connection. Figure 1 This is the case, for example, in the embodiment under discussion, in which the control unit 104 is connected to the production machine 101 via a cable connection 105, to the heating device 102 via a cable connection 107, and to the blow molding machine 103 via a cable connection 109. The control unit can also be connected to optional transport devices 114, 115 via cable connections 106, 108. As an alternative, the control unit 104 can also be connected to the at least one component via a wireless connection, for example a WLAN connection.

[0054] Optionally, the control unit 104 may include a storage unit. In one embodiment, a database may be stored in the storage unit, wherein in the database, a corresponding operating parameter value of at least one component of the container processing device 100 is assigned to at least one specific actual temperature of the parison 110 at a specific position 112 upstream of the blow molding machine 103, so that the parison 110 can reach a specific nominal temperature at the blow molding machine 103. As an alternative, a function may also be stored in the storage unit for at least one component, wherein, by means of the function, based on the actual temperature of the parison 110 at the specific position 112 upstream of the blow molding machine 103 and the nominal temperature of the parison 110 at the blow molding machine 103, an operating parameter value can be determined for the at least one component, so that the parison 110 can reach the nominal temperature at the blow molding machine.

[0055] In one embodiment, in order to adjust the operating parameter of the at least one component, the control unit 104 can set the operating parameter to an operating parameter value determined with the help of a database stored in the memory unit or with the help of a function stored in the memory unit.

[0056] The actual temperature of the parison 110 specifically refers to the actual temperature at a specific surface position of the parison 110, such as the actual temperature distribution along the longitudinal axis of the parison 110, or the average temperature of the parison. Similar to the actual temperature, the nominal temperature may also be the nominal temperature at a specific surface position of the parison 110, such as the nominal temperature distribution along the longitudinal axis of the parison 110, or the nominal temperature average.

[0057] In combination Figure 1 In the embodiment discussed, the position upstream of the blow molding machine is selected to be the inlet of the heating device 112. This position is only an example and does not constitute any limitation. Accordingly, the operating parameters can also be adjusted based on the actual temperature at any other position upstream of the blow molding machine. In general, the position upstream of the blow molding machine 112 can refer to any position that the parison 110 passes during the transportation process from the manufacturing machine 101 to the blow molding machine 103. For example, the position upstream of the blow molding machine 103 can also be the outlet of the manufacturing machine 101, the outlet of the heating device 102, or the inlet 113 of the blow molding machine. But for example, it can also be any position along the optional first and / or second transport device 114, 115.

[0058] In the embodiment shown here, the parison 110 should reach the nominal temperature at the inlet 113 of the blow molding machine 103. As an alternative, the location where the nominal temperature of the parison 110 is to be produced can also be any other location in the blow molding machine 103, for example, a location between the inlet 113 of the blow molding machine and the location in the blow molding machine 103, for example, for the parison 110 to be moved into the blow mold. As an alternative, the nominal temperature can also be produced at a location of a transport device corresponding to the blow molding machine 103, for example, the optional second transport device 115.

[0059] Preferably, the nominal temperature and the actual temperature are determined and / or defined at the same point, for example at the inlet of the blow moulding machine or at the inlet of the heating device.

[0060] In order to determine the actual temperature of the preform 110, a first temperature sensor 118 may be provided. The first temperature sensor 118 may be, for example, an infrared temperature sensor for contactlessly determining the temperature of the preform 110. The first temperature sensor 118 may be configured in particular to determine the temperature at a specific surface location of the preform 110, the temperature distribution of the preform 110, for example, along its longitudinal axis, or an average temperature value of the preform 110. This configuration of the first temperature sensor 118 is only an example, and therefore the first temperature sensor 118 may also be configured as any other type of temperature sensor suitable for determining the actual temperature of the preform 110.

[0061] In one embodiment, the first temperature sensor 118 can be mounted in a movable manner in the transport direction 116 of the parisons in order to determine the temperature of the parisons 110 at any location between the production machine 101 and the blow molding machine 103. The first temperature sensor 118 can be connected to the control unit 104 by means of a cable connection 120 (or alternatively by means of a wireless connection).

[0062] Optionally, a second temperature sensor 119 can be provided for determining the temperature of the parison 110 at the blow molding machine 113. The second temperature sensor 119 can serve as a check sensor for verifying whether the temperature of the parison 110 at the blow molding machine 113 is actually equal to the nominal temperature. Like the first temperature sensor 118, the second temperature sensor 119 can also be designed to determine the temperature at a specific surface location of the parison 110, the temperature distribution of the parison 110, for example along its longitudinal axis, or the temperature average value of the parison 110. The second temperature sensor 119 can also be designed, for example, as an infrared temperature sensor and connected to the control unit 104 by means of a cable connection 121 (alternatively by means of a wireless connection). Like the first temperature sensor 118, the second temperature sensor 119 can also be designed as any type of temperature sensor suitable for determining the temperature of the parison 110.

[0063] Therefore, the control unit 104 is able to determine the operating parameter value based on the actual temperature of the preform 110 at the position 112 upstream of the blow molding machine 103 determined by the optional first temperature sensor 118, with the help of a database stored in the storage unit or a function stored in the storage unit, and adjust the operating parameters of the component based on the operating parameter value determined in this way, so that the preform 110 reaches the nominal temperature at the blow molding machine 113.

[0064] Optionally, the control unit 104 can also check, by means of the temperature of the preform 110 obtained by the second temperature sensor 119, whether the preform 110 actually has the desired nominal temperature at the blow molding machine 113. If the desired nominal temperature is not reached despite the adjustment of the operating parameters, in one embodiment the control unit 104 can continue to readjust the operating parameters of the assembly until the desired nominal temperature is reached at the blow molding machine 113. For this purpose, a control loop can be provided, for example.

[0065] In one embodiment, the at least one component may include a heating device 102. The heating device 102 allows the temperature of the preform 110 to be set flexibly and easily, so that the operation of the heating device 102 is particularly suitable for adjusting the preform 110 to a nominal temperature at the blow molding machine 113. The operating parameters of the heating device 102 may be, for example, a heating power, a heating profile and / or a heating duration. These parameters directly influence the temperature or the temperature distribution of the preform 110, so that the temperature of the preform 110 can be set particularly easily and flexibly.

[0066] In one embodiment, the at least one component may also include a manufacturing machine 101 for manufacturing the parison 110. By adjusting the operating parameters of the manufacturing machine 101, the temperature at which the manufactured parison 110 is output by the manufacturing machine 101 can be adjusted, thereby also affecting the temperature of the parison 110 at the blow molding machine 113. The operating parameters of the manufacturing machine 101 may be, for example, the cycle time, the injection duration, the lock to lock time, the manufacturing mold temperature, the melting temperature, the post-cooling temperature of the manufacturing machine and / or the composition of the material used to manufacture the parison in the manufacturing machine 101. The material may be, for example, a plastic-based material, which may include other components in addition to the plastic. These operating parameters directly affect the temperature of the parison 110 when the parison is output by the manufacturing machine 101, and are therefore particularly suitable for bringing the parison 110 to a nominal temperature at the blow molding machine 113.

[0067] If the operating parameter is the composition of the material used to manufacture the preform in the manufacturing machine 101, then adjusting the operating parameter can be understood as: changing the composition of the material by adding at least one of additives, plastic flakes with a specific particle size, plastic flakes with a specific particle size distribution, recycled materials, recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and / or pigment particles.

[0068] The selections mentioned here do not constitute a limitation, so that other material components not explicitly mentioned here can also be added to the material to change the material composition.

[0069] Optionally, the manufacturing machine 101 may have one or more storage units for this purpose, in which the above-mentioned material components and any other applicable material components not explicitly mentioned here can be stored. The optional storage unit can be connected to a central storage device for material for manufacturing parisons (which can be included in the manufacturing machine 101) and controlled by the control unit 104 in a certain way so that at least one of the material components can be added to the material for manufacturing parisons stored in the central storage device based on the actual temperature of the parisons 110 at the position 112 upstream of the blow molding machine 103, thereby changing the material composition. By changing the material composition, the temperature of the parison when it leaves the manufacturing machine 101 can be changed and the parison 110 can reach the nominal temperature at the blow molding machine 113.

[0070] In another embodiment, the at least one component may include a first transport device 114 disposed between the manufacturing machine 101 and the heating device 102, and / or a second transport device 115 disposed between the heating device 102 and the blow molding machine 103. The transport speed for transporting the parison 110 from the manufacturing machine 101 to the heating device 102 and / or from the heating device 102 to the blow molding machine 103, or the environmental conditions along the first transport device 114 and / or the second transport device 115, for example, may affect the temperature of the parison 110, and therefore, the nominal temperature of the parison 110 at the blow molding machine 113 may also be set by adjusting the operating parameters of the first transport device 114 and / or the second transport device 115.

[0071] The operating parameters of the first transport device 114 and / or the second transport device 115 may be, for example, the transport speed, the ambient temperature at the first transport device 114 and / or the second transport device 115, and / or the number of parisons 110 transported within a specific time interval by the first and / or second transport devices 114, 115. These parameters can directly influence the temperature of the parisons 110 at the blow molding machine 113, so that the parisons 110 can reach a nominal temperature at the blow molding machine 113 by adjusting these parameters.

[0072] In one embodiment, it is sufficient to adjust (exactly) one operating parameter of one component so that the parison 110 reaches the nominal temperature at the blow molding machine 113. In this context, it may be sufficient to adjust, for example, the heating power, the heating curve or the heating duration of a heating device or alternatively one parameter of the production machine 101.

[0073] In an alternative embodiment, at least two different operating parameters of (exactly) one component can also be adjusted so that the parisons 110 reach the nominal temperature at the blow molding machine 113. This solution can be used, for example, when adjusting one operating parameter of one component is not sufficient for the parisons 110 to reach the nominal temperature at the blow molding machine 113. Accordingly, for example, the heating power and the heating duration of the heating device 102 can be adjusted, or alternatively two operating parameters of the production machine 101 can be adjusted. As an alternative, the operating parameters of at least two components of the container treatment device 100 can also be adjusted so that the parisons 110 reach the nominal temperature at the blow molding machine 103. For example, one operating parameter of the production machine 101 and one operating parameter of the heating device 102 can be adjusted so that the parisons 110 reach the nominal temperature at the blow molding machine 113. This solution can be used, for example, when adjusting one or several operating parameters of only one component (for example, the blow molding machine or the heating device) is not sufficient for the parisons 110 to reach the nominal temperature at the blow molding machine 103. This situation may occur when an operating parameter of one of the components has been adjusted to a maximum value and cannot be adjusted any higher, or when an operating parameter needs to be adjusted outside a preset range. Adjusting an operating parameter outside a preset range may, for example, have a negative impact on the quality of the produced preform. Accordingly, excessive heating of the preform by the heating device 102 may have a negative impact on the quality of the container 111 produced from the preform 110.

[0074] Furthermore, the operating parameters of more than two components of the container treatment system 100 can be adjusted so that the preforms 110 reach the nominal temperature at the blow molding machine 103. For example, the operating parameters of the manufacturing machine 101, the operating parameters of the first transport device 114, the operating parameters of the heating device 102, and the operating parameters of the second transport device 115 can be adjusted so that the preforms 110 reach the nominal temperature at the blow molding machine 113. This solution can be used, for example, if adjusting the operating parameters of two components of the container treatment system 100 is not sufficient to bring the preforms 110 to the nominal temperature at the blow molding machine 103. For example, if in the above-discussed embodiment, the preforms 110 cannot reach the nominal temperature at the blow molding machine 113 by adjusting the operating parameters of the manufacturing machine 101 and adjusting the operating parameters of the heating device 102, then, for example, the operating parameters of the first transport device 114 and / or the second transport device 115 can be additionally adjusted.

[0075] If the control unit 104 determines, for example, that the actual temperature of the parison 110 at the inlet of the heating device 112 is too low or too high to achieve the nominal temperature at the blow molding machine 113, the control unit 104 can adjust the operation of the manufacturing machine 101, the heating device 102 and / or any other component of the container processing equipment 100 based on the data stored in the storage unit, so as to increase or decrease the temperature of the parison 110 and achieve the nominal temperature at the blow molding machine 113. As described above, the actual temperature of the parison 110 at any other location between the processing machine 101 and the blow molding machine 103 (for example, the inlet 113 of the blow molding machine) can also be determined by the control unit 104, and the control unit 104 can adjust the operation of the manufacturing machine 101, the heating device 102 and / or any other component of the container processing equipment 100 based on the actual temperature and the data stored in the storage unit, so as to decrease or increase the temperature of the parison 110 and achieve the nominal temperature at the blow molding machine 113.

[0076] Optionally, when the control unit 104 determines that the actual temperature of the parison 110 at the inlet of the heating device 102 (or any other position between the processing machine 101 and the blow molding machine 103, such as the inlet 113 of the blow molding machine) is too low or too high, so that the nominal temperature cannot be achieved at the blow molding machine 113, the control unit 104 can also adjust the operation of the manufacturing machine 101, the heating device 102 or any other component of the container processing equipment 100 based on the data stored in the storage unit, so as to increase or decrease the temperature of the parison 110. If the control unit 104 subsequently determines that the adjustment of the operation of the one component (such as the manufacturing machine 101, the heating device 102 or any other component) is not sufficient to achieve the nominal temperature of the parison 110 at the blow molding machine 113, the control unit 104 can additionally adjust the operation of one of the other components of the container processing equipment 100 based on the data stored in the storage unit so that the parison reaches the nominal temperature at the blow molding machine 113. This process can be repeated any number of times.

[0077] In one embodiment, the control unit 104 can, for example, determine that the actual temperature of the parison 110 at the inlet 113 of the blow molding machine is too low or too high, and in a first step adjust the operation of the manufacturing machine 101 based on the data stored in the storage unit, such as increasing or decreasing the manufacturing mold temperature of the manufacturing machine, so that the parison 110 reaches the nominal temperature at the blow molding machine 113. If the control unit 104 determines in a second step that the actual temperature of the parison 110 at the inlet 113 of the blow molding machine is still too low or too high (i.e., lower or higher than the nominal temperature), the control unit 104 can additionally adjust the operation of the heating device 102, such as increasing or decreasing the heating power of the heating device 102, based on the data stored in the storage unit, so as to achieve the nominal temperature at the inlet 113 of the blow molding machine.

Claims

1. A container processing device (100) for adjusting the temperature of a preform (110), wherein: The container processing equipment (100) includes a manufacturing machine (101), in particular an injection molding machine, for manufacturing the preform (110), a heating device (102) arranged downstream of the manufacturing machine (101), a blow molding machine (103) arranged downstream of the heating device (102), and a control unit (104), wherein the control unit (104) is configured to adjust the operating parameters of at least one component of the container processing equipment (100) based on the actual temperature of the preform (110) at a position (112) upstream of the blow molding machine (103), so that the preform (110) reaches a nominal temperature at the blow molding machine (113).

2. The container processing equipment according to claim 1, wherein: The at least one component comprises the heating device (102), and the operating parameter is a heating power, a heating curve and / or a heating duration of the heating device.

3. The container processing equipment according to claims 1 to 2, wherein: The at least one component comprises the manufacturing machine (101) for manufacturing a parison (110).

4. The container processing equipment according to claim 3, wherein: The operating parameters are cycle time, injection duration, lock-to-lock time, manufacturing mold temperature, melt temperature, post-cooling temperature of the manufacturing machine (101) and / or the composition of the material used to manufacture the parison in the manufacturing machine (101).

5. The container processing equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The control unit (104) is configured to adjust operating parameters of the heating device (102) and operating parameters of the manufacturing machine (101) when the actual temperature is lower than or higher than a threshold value.

6. The container processing equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The at least one component comprises a first transport device (114) arranged between the manufacturing machine (101) and the heating device (102), and / or comprises a second transport device (115) arranged between the heating device (102) and the blow molding machine (103).

7. The container processing equipment according to claim 6, wherein: The operating parameters are the transport speed, the ambient temperature at the first transport device (114) and / or the second transport device (115), and / or the number of parisons transported by the first transport device (114) and / or the second transport device (115) within a specific time interval.

8. A method for regulating the temperature of a preform (110) in a container processing device (100), wherein: The container processing equipment (100) comprises a manufacturing machine (101), in particular an injection molding machine, for manufacturing the preform (110), a heating device (102) arranged downstream of the manufacturing machine (101), a blow molding machine (103) arranged downstream of the heating device (102), and a control unit (104), wherein the control unit (104) adjusts the operating parameters of at least one component of the container processing equipment (100) based on the actual temperature of the preform (110) at a position (112) upstream of the blow molding machine (103), so that the preform (110) reaches a nominal temperature at the blow molding machine (113).

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein: The at least one component comprises the heating device (102), and the operating parameter is a heating power, a heating curve and / or a heating duration of the heating device.

10. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 9, wherein: The at least one component comprises the manufacturing machine (101) for manufacturing a parison.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein: The operating parameters are cycle time, injection duration, lock-to-lock time, manufacturing mold temperature, melt temperature, post-cooling temperature of the manufacturing machine (101) and / or the composition of the material used to manufacture the parison in the manufacturing machine (101).

12. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein: When the actual temperature is lower than or higher than a threshold value, the operating parameters of the heating device (102) and the operating parameters of the manufacturing machine (101) are adjusted by the control unit (104).

13. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein: The at least one component comprises a first transport device (114) arranged between the manufacturing machine (101) and the heating device (102), and / or comprises a second transport device (115) arranged between the heating device (102) and the blow molding machine (103).

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein: The operating parameters are the transport speed of the first transport device (114) and / or the second transport device (115), the ambient temperature at the first transport device (114) and / or the second transport device (115), and / or the number of parisons (110) transported by the first transport device (114) and / or the second transport device (115).

15. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 14, wherein: The actual temperature and / or the nominal temperature are the actual temperature distribution and / or the nominal temperature distribution of the parison (110).

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