Table rotary press and method for pressure test of pressed articles in table rotary press

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for testing the pressure of a pressed article in a table rotary press, comprising the steps of: filling a receptacle with a material to be pressed; a die comprising an upper and a lower extrusion die, which are matched with the receiving part of the female die disc, is oppositely arranged at the pressure test position. In the pressure test position, the upper extrusion stamping die is positioned in an action area of an upper pressure test tool of a pressure test device of the rotary press of the workbench, and the lower extrusion stamping die is positioned in an action area of a lower pressure test tool of the pressure test device; the upper pressure test tool and the lower pressure test tool move oppositely by means of a pressure test driving device of the pressure test device, so that the upper extrusion die and the lower extrusion die are extruded oppositely in the receiving part of the female die plate by the upper pressure test tool and the lower pressure test tool, and the material filled in the receiving part is extruded into a test-pressed product. The invention also relates to a rotary table press.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for trial pressing a pressed product in a workbench rotary press, wherein the workbench rotary press comprises: a rotationally driven rotor, the rotor having an upper extrusion die and a lower extrusion die, an upper die guide and a lower die guide for the upper extrusion die and the lower extrusion die, and a die plate between the die guides, wherein the upper extrusion die and the lower extrusion die cooperate with a receiving portion of the die plate during production operation of the workbench rotary press; further comprises a filling device, in which the material to be extruded is filled into the receiving portion during production operation of the workbench rotary press; further comprises a pressure device with an upper pressure tool and a lower pressure tool, wherein the upper pressure tool and the lower pressure tool cooperate with the upper extrusion die and the lower extrusion die during production operation of the workbench rotary press, so that the upper extrusion die and the lower extrusion die extrude the material located in the receiving portion into a pressed product. The present invention also relates to a workbench rotary press, which comprises a rotationally driven rotor with an upper extrusion die and a lower extrusion die, an upper die guide and a lower die guide for the upper extrusion die and the lower extrusion die, and a die plate between the die guides, wherein the upper extrusion die and the lower extrusion die cooperate with a receiving portion of the die plate during production operation of the workbench rotary press; further comprises a filling device, in which the material to be extruded is filled into the receiving portion during production operation of the workbench rotary press; further comprises a pressure device with an upper pressure tool and a lower pressure tool, wherein the upper pressure tool and the lower pressure tool cooperate with the upper extrusion die and the lower extrusion die during production operation of the workbench rotary press, so that the upper extrusion die and the lower extrusion die extrude the material located in the receiving portion into a pressed product. Background Art

[0002] A test press is performed in order to determine the optimal setting parameters of a table rotary press for manufacturing pressed products, for example, for a material to be newly extruded during production operation. The pressed product can be a tablet in particular. In order to extrude tablets with the lowest possible product output within the framework of the test press, a single extrusion, for example, producing only one pressed product, is desirable. As is well known, table rotary presses are used for mass production of pressed products. In order to cause the extrusion force required for producing the pressed product, the extrusion die moves relative to the guiding geometry of the pressure device (for example, including upper and lower pressing rollers or pressing wedges). The extrusion speed and the holding time are determined by the rotor speed, by the guiding geometry and by the die head shape of the extrusion die. In principle, the guiding geometry may be affected by different measures. For example, the guiding curves for the extrusion die can be matched. These guiding curves control the axial movement of the extrusion die during its rotation with the rotor. In addition, the extrusion force can be affected in a table rotary press by slightly adjusting the pressure tool (for example, a pressing roller or a pressing wedge) in the axial direction. If the upper and lower pressure tools facing each other move closer together, the pressed product is compressed more strongly during the extrusion process and has a smaller tablet height. This generates a greater pressing force. Naturally, the subsequent pressing of the pressed product is influenced by changing the distance between the upper and lower pressure tools. For example, in a rotary table press, the tablet height of the pressed product is a settable variable. This results in the hardness of the pressed product and the force required for moving the pressed product through the guide geometry of the rotary table press, in particular the pressure device. The pressing force can also be controlled, in which case the tablet height is adapted during operation via the measured pressing force.

[0003] Furthermore, linear presses or single-die presses are also known for test pressing, which are usually used to produce small quantities of tablets. The field of application is the research and development of new drugs and product ingredients. Opposing pressure tools are moved towards each other in order to compress the pressed product. This can be achieved by an axial movement of the two pressure tools or one of the pressure tools. The movement is carried out via a linear drive, for example a spindle drive. With this type of single press, both the tablet height and the pressing force of the pressed product can be set to a target value. The corresponding other value is generated thereby.

[0004] If a test press with a defined extrusion pressure curve is to be carried out in a workbench rotary press set for regular production operation, the distance between the pressure tools must first be determined, from which the corresponding desired extrusion pressure is derived. This is only possible in a workbench rotary press according to a trial and error method, in which the height of the pressed product is first set, the extrusion pressure generated is analyzed and evaluated, and the height of the pressed product is matched, wherein these steps must be repeated until the desired extrusion pressure is reached. This requires a large amount of material to be pressed. In a workbench rotary press, the matching of the guide geometry, in particular the matching of the distance between the opposing pressure tools, is very slow and can only be controlled within very limited limits. This distance can also be set via the above-mentioned extrusion pressure control. The setting of the spacing of the die generated by the extrusion pressure is also carried out very slowly in many control steps. In addition, the corresponding predetermined distance position of the pressure tool is approached at a constant speed and cannot be freely controlled by adjusting the drive device. The adjustment of the opposing pressure tools can only achieve matching extrusion pressure within narrow limits and is carried out when the workbench rotary press is running. This means that the average value is detected for one or more pressed products. This value is used as the basis for re-controlling the distance of the pressing tool. During this re-control, other pressed products are produced which are not produced under the desired conditions and which accordingly form waste products.

[0005] Linear presses are not suitable for producing large quantities of pressed parts. In addition, it is also disadvantageous in terms of cost that in addition to the table rotary press set up for production operation, a separate test press must be provided. In addition, the data generated here cannot be directly transferred to the table rotary press set up for production operation, especially due to different components and other parameters of the press, such as ventilation of the pressure chamber or machine suspension. Therefore, the generated data must be adapted to the production press. For this purpose, additional test presses must usually be carried out on the table rotary press set up for production operation, which additionally increases the cost.

[0006] DE 103 19 024 B3 discloses a method for testing tablets in a table rotary tablet machine, which is carried out in a table rotary press set up for conventional production operation. Here, a die pair selected for single extrusion automatically moves to the filling position and fills a die or a limited number of dies with material when the filling device is at least partially removed and the rotor is stationary. Then the rotor is rotated and thus accelerated so that it has a desired production speed in the pressure station of the table rotary press. After one rotation, the rotor is stopped in the filling position again. During the rotation of the rotor, the signal or signal history curve of the measuring part is recorded and sent to the computer for display and analysis and evaluation. Advantageously, in this method, a separate test press is not required for the test press. This reduces the cost. At the same time, the data obtained within the framework of the test press can be used directly and basically without matching, because these data have been generated on the table rotary press set up for production operation. This also reduces the cost. By filling only one or several dies with material, the product output required for the test press can be kept very small at the same time. However, the tablet height of the tablet produced during the first test press must be estimated based on the filling level in the die, so that an initially unknown pressing force is generated on the press station. Accordingly, the desired pressing force for the respective product must be determined within the framework of a series of test presses. This in turn increases the effort and product output. Summary of the invention

[0007] Starting from this prior art, the object of the present invention is to provide a method and a table rotary press of the type mentioned at the outset, which method and table rotary press allow reliable and low-efficiency test presses for production operation to be carried out for setting the table rotary press.

[0008] The invention achieves this object by means of independent claims 1 and 11. Advantageous embodiments are to be found in the dependent claims, the description and the figures.

[0009] The invention achieves the object of a method of the type mentioned at the outset by means of the following steps:

[0010] Fill the receiving part with the material to be extruded,

[0011] A die consisting of an upper extrusion die and a lower extrusion die matching the receiving portion of the die plate is placed opposite to each other in a pressure testing position, in which the upper extrusion die is located in the action area of ​​the upper pressure testing tool of the pressure testing device of the table rotary press and the lower extrusion die is located in the action area of ​​the lower pressure testing tool of the pressure testing device,

[0012] With the help of the pressure test drive device of the pressure test device, the upper pressure test tool and the lower pressure test tool are moved toward each other, so that the upper extrusion die and the lower extrusion die are squeezed toward each other in the receiving part of the die plate by the upper pressure test tool and the lower pressure test tool to extrude the material filled in the receiving part into a pressure test product.

[0013] For the workbench rotary press of the type mentioned at the beginning, the present invention solves the task in the following manner, namely, the workbench rotary press also has a pressure testing device, which includes an upper pressure testing tool and a lower pressure testing tool, wherein, for the pressure testing, the upper pressure testing tool cooperates with an upper extrusion die matching the receiving portion of the die plate, and the lower pressure testing tool cooperates with a lower extrusion die matching the same receiving portion; and the pressure testing device includes a pressure testing drive device, which moves the upper pressure testing tool and the lower pressure testing tool toward each other for pressure testing, so that the upper extrusion die and the lower extrusion die are pressed toward each other in the receiving portion of the die plate by the upper pressure testing tool and the lower pressure testing tool, so as to extrude the material filled into the receiving portion into a pressure testing product.

[0014] The table rotary press according to the invention or the table rotary press used in the method according to the invention is a table rotary press which is provided for conventional production of pressed products, in particular tablets, made of, in particular, powdery materials. In a manner known per se, the table rotary press comprises a rotor with a plurality of upper extrusion dies and lower extrusion dies, which are matched in pairs to a receiving portion or cavity of a die plate. The receiving portion can be implemented as a direct hole in the die plate. However, they can also be formed in sleeve-like inserts which are inserted into correspondingly larger receiving portions of the die plate. During the operation of the table rotary press, the upper extrusion die and the lower extrusion die rotate together with the die plate, and their axial movement is controlled by a control cam and guided by an upper die guide and a lower die guide. The control cam usually cooperates with the die head of the extrusion die. During the rotation, the die plate passes through different devices of the table rotary press during production operation, namely: a filling device, in which the powder material to be pressed is filled into the receiving portion of the die plate; and a pressure device, in which an upper pressure tool and a lower pressure tool (for example an upper pressure roller and a lower pressure roller) press the upper extrusion die and the lower extrusion die into the receiving portion to press the powder material into a pressed product, such as a tablet. The pressure device can have: an upper pre-pressing tool and a lower pre-pressing tool, in particular a pre-pressing roller, and an upper main pressure tool and a lower main pressure tool, in particular a main pressure roller. As an alternative to the pressure roller, a pressure wedge is also feasible. Downstream of the pressure device, the upper extrusion die is guided upward from the receiving portion during production operation, and the pressed product produced in the receiving portion is pushed onto the upper side of the die plate by the lower extrusion die. For this purpose, an ejection cam is provided, which moves the lower extrusion die upward. The pressed product is then scraped from the die plate into the outlet of the table rotary press, for example by a scraper, and then supplied to further processing. The control cam usually also includes a metering cam, which places the lower extrusion die in a predetermined position for partial insertion into the receiving portion when the upper extrusion die is guided upward out of the corresponding receiving portion. In this metering position, the lower extrusion die forms the bottom of the corresponding receiving portion and thus defines the filling height of the material filled into the receiving portion.

[0015] As already explained, the table rotary press used according to the invention is a table rotary press which is provided for normal production operation. As will be explained in more detail below, it can be adapted for carrying out the method according to the invention. In particular, components of the table rotary press, such as the upper and lower extrusion dies and / or the filling device, can be disassembled before the start of the press test.

[0016] According to the present invention, the table rotary press has a pressure testing device, which includes an upper pressure testing tool and a lower pressure testing tool. In the method according to the present invention, a die pair consisting of an upper extrusion die and an opposite lower extrusion die matching the receiving portion of the die plate is placed in a pressure testing position, in which the upper extrusion die is located in the action area of ​​the upper pressure testing tool and the lower extrusion die is located in the action area of ​​the lower pressure testing tool. The die pair can be placed in the pressure testing position by driving the rotor to rotate to a position where the die pair is located in the action area of ​​the pressure testing tool. Before, at the same time or after the die pair is placed in the pressure testing position, the material to be pressed is filled into the receiving portion matching the die pair. For example, the receiving portion can be filled manually. Here, the receiving portion can be filled to the maximum extent. Possibly excess material can be scraped off from the upper side of the die plate. It is also possible to only partially fill the receiving portion, so that the previously weighed amount can be safely and completely received by the receiving portion and then pressed. Then, the upper pressure test tool and the lower pressure test tool are moved toward each other by the pressure test drive device of the pressure test device, so that the upper pressure test tool and the lower pressure test tool first contact the upper extrusion die and the lower extrusion die respectively, and the upper extrusion die and the lower extrusion die are pressed toward each other in such a way that the die pair extrude the material located in the receiving portion into a pressure test product. Here, it is possible that the upper extrusion die is moved axially downward and the lower extrusion die is moved axially upward by the upper pressure test tool and the lower pressure test tool. However, it is also possible that, for example, only one of the extrusion dies moves axially and is pressed toward the other extrusion die fixed axially by the corresponding pressure test tool. Here, the extrusion die is located in the receiving portion with its die tip as in conventional extrusion pressed products and extrude the material between its die tips into pressed products, such as tablets.

[0017] After the pressure test is completed, the upper pressure test tool and the lower pressure test tool can be moved apart from each other by means of the pressure test drive and the produced pressure test product can be removed. For this purpose, the rotor can be rotated, for example, into an ejection position, in which the upper extrusion punch moves upward out of the receiving portion and the lower extrusion punch pushes the produced pressure test product onto the upper side of the die plate.

[0018] Therefore, a pressure test device is provided in the table rotary press according to the present invention, which simulates the characteristics of a linear press for single extrusion pressed products in the surrounding environment of the table rotary press set for conventional production operation. The pressure test device with a pressure test drive can realize the individually controlled and thus dynamic driving of the pressure test tools toward each other, so as to extrude the material into a pressure test product. By the possibility of individually controlling the pressure test drive, if necessary, automatically according to pre-selected parameters or path curves, the conventional extrusion process in the table rotary press can be reliably and accurately simulated. The pressure test drive can also be closed-loop controlled during the pressure test and meet the advantageous characteristics of the linear press described at the beginning without taking on its disadvantages. As already mentioned, the rotary drive of the rotor can be used to place the die opposite to the pressure test position. The rotary drive can also be used to fix the extrusion die during the pressure test so that these extrusion dies cannot move, for example, radially during the extrusion process.

[0019] By integrating the pressure test device for a single extrusion into a workbench rotary press provided for production operation according to the present invention, the purchase cost and personnel training cost for a single linear press can be avoided. The assembly space, which is usually in short supply in the laboratory, is saved, in which such a press is often operated. The pressure test environment within the workbench rotary press is the same as the environment for subsequent production operation. Therefore, influencing factors such as air humidity, extrusion chamber ventilation, extrusion tool type, machine suspension, etc. are all the same and the data obtained can be directly used for subsequent production operation. By integrating the components for pressure testing, in particular the pressure test device, into the workbench rotary press, it is possible to abandon the modification of the workbench rotary press to switch to production operation if necessary. In principle, it is possible to switch directly from a single extrusion within the pressure test framework to production operation. The values ​​determined within the framework of the pressure test can be used directly and without further matching for subsequent production operation.

[0020] According to one embodiment, it can be provided that the pressing force and / or a parameter characterizing the pressing force are determined during the press test, and that the press test is terminated by moving the upper press test tool and the lower press test tool apart from each other when a predetermined pressing force and / or a predetermined value of a parameter characterizing the pressing force is reached. This involves parameters that are particularly important for setting a rotary table press for production operation. Furthermore, the method according to the invention or the rotary table press provided for this purpose according to the invention ensures that the respectively desired pressing force is safely reached and not exceeded with the first pressing process. Expensive trial and error methods can be omitted.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the parameters characterizing the extrusion pressure can be the sheet height, the extrusion pressure history curve and / or the dwell time at a predetermined extrusion pressure. For example, the sheet height can be determined via the axial path of the upper extrusion die and the lower extrusion die. The dwell time is the path holding phase. It describes the time period during which the extruded product is compressed to a minimum volume. During this time period, the extrusion pressure can vary. The path of the die no longer changes. The extrusion pressure history curve can be detected over time.

[0022] The pressing force and / or a parameter characterizing the pressing force can be used for setting the table rotary press for production operation.

[0023] According to another embodiment, it is possible that during the press test, only the die pair that matches the receptacle of the die plate is installed in the rotor. The remaining die pairs of the rotor can be removed. Of course, it is also possible to leave some of the die pairs of the rotor in the rotor and remove some of the die pairs, or to leave all the die pairs in the rotor. The presence of only this die pair for the press test has the advantage that, among other things, the die pair does not interact with components of the table rotary press.

[0024] According to another embodiment, the filling device of the rotary table press can be disassembled or deactivated during the pressure test. This has the advantage that the receptacles that are not used during the pressure test are not undesirably filled with material to be pressed. For example, the filling device can be completely or partially removed from the rotor. However, it is also possible to empty it or to close the filling opening through which the material is filled from the filling device into the receptacle. This makes it possible to avoid complex measures to prevent the receptacles from being filled, such as inserting a dummy mold.

[0025] According to a particularly practical embodiment, the material to be squeezed during the pressure test can be manually filled into the receiving portion. However, it is also conceivable that the material is filled into the receiving portion by a filling device or other filling device.

[0026] According to another embodiment, it can be provided that multiple pressure tests are carried out, and the extrusion pressure history curve and / or the die path history curve are changed by changing the driving speed of the pressure test drive. For example, within the framework of the single pressure test or within the framework of multiple pressure tests, a sinusoidal and / or sawtooth and / or rectangular extrusion pressure history curve and / or die path history curve can be set by the test drive. By means of the pressure test drive of the pressure test device, which can be basically freely open-loop controlled or closed-loop controlled according to the present invention, a basically freely defined trajectory curve can be predetermined and passed through within the framework of one or more pressure tests. Different trajectory curves can not only be extrusions on different workbench rotary presses, but also standardized trajectory curves, for example, for finding suitable parameters for new products made of the material to be extruded. This facilitates finding the optimal settings of the workbench rotary press for subsequent production runs.

[0027] According to another embodiment, it can be provided that after the first pressure test process, the upper pressure test tool and the lower pressure test tool are moved apart from each other by means of the pressure test drive, and then they are moved toward each other again by means of the pressure test drive, so that the upper extrusion die and the lower extrusion die are pressed toward each other in the receiving portion of the die plate by the upper pressure test tool and the lower pressure test tool, so as to further press the material filled in the receiving portion into a pressure test product. In this way, multiple extrusions can be simulated, such as occur in a press device with multiple pressure tools, such as multiple pressure rollers, especially pre-pressing rollers and main pressure rollers, which pass one after another in the frame of the rotor rotation. In this way, the subsequent production operation can be better simulated within the framework of the pressure test, so as to find the optimal setting parameters of the worktable rotary press.

[0028] The pressure test drive is a linear drive. In particular, two pressure test drives may be provided, one of which drives the upper pressure test tool and the other drives the lower pressure test tool. The pressure test drive may be capable of open-loop control or closed-loop control alone, so that the pressure test can be particularly flexible. According to a particularly practical embodiment, the pressure test drive may include an electric or hydraulic drive. Such a drive may be particularly accurately and flexibly open-loop controlled or closed-loop controlled and is therefore particularly suitable for the present invention. Unlike the adjustment drive of the pressure tool, particularly the pressure roller, which is usually provided for the pressure device, the pressure test drive is actively used to extrude the pressed product. The adjustment drive which is usually provided is only used to adjust the height of the pressure tool. The kinetic energy is provided by the main drive of the drive rotor of the workbench rotary press. The pressure test drive also forms an adjustment drive in principle, but it itself provides the feed of the extrusion die for extruding the material in the receiving portion into a pressed product. The common adjustment drive for the pressure tool (such as the pressure roller) can only move to the target point, while the pressure test drive can be moved along a limited trajectory curve. Other parameters such as the extrusion force affect the trajectory curve. Thus, the test press drive can be used to simulate a single-die press in the environment of a conventional table rotary press.

[0029] The table rotary press can also include a control device, which is configured to control the pressure test drive. The method according to the present invention can be executed by the control device of the table rotary press, for example, in addition to the manual filling receiving portion, especially automatically. The control device can be formed by a machine control system for controlling the table rotary press in production operation or integrated into the machine control system. Based on the result of the pressure test, the table rotary press can be configured with all components for subsequent production operation. This can also be done by the control device. This, for example, involves the desired setting of the metering curve and / or the pressure device, especially the pressure tool (such as a pressure roller) and / or the rotor speed. In terms of determining parameters according to the present invention, such as the extrusion force or the parameters characterizing the extrusion force, these parameters can be measured by means of corresponding sensors. For this purpose, the table rotary press according to the present invention can have corresponding sensors, such as extrusion force sensors on the pressure device, for example, arranged on the pressure tool, especially the pressure roller. Parameters characterizing the extrusion pressure history curve and / or other parameters determined when necessary can also be measured by means of corresponding sensors of the table rotary press.

[0030] According to another embodiment, the upper pressure test tool and the lower pressure test tool can be formed by the upper pressure tool and the lower pressure tool of the pressure device. The pressure tool, such as the upper pressure roller and the lower pressure roller, usually already has a linear guide device or an eccentric guide device, and the pressure tool can be set to a defined distance dimension via the linear guide device or the eccentric guide device with the help of an adjustment device. In addition, the receiving part of the pressure tool usually already has an extrusion force sensor, which can be used to measure the extrusion force and control the drive device, such as the rotation drive device of the rotor and / or the pressure test drive device. As explained, the adjustment drive device usually provided for axially adjusting the pressure tool, such as the pressure roller, is not suitable for implementing the pressure test according to the present invention. In particular, the pressure test drive device can replace the adjustment drive device for adjusting the upper pressure tool and the lower pressure tool. The pressure test drive device can also include a transmission, which can replace the transmission of the adjustment drive device.

[0031] However, in addition to the pressure tool, other positions on the rotor are also possible in order to integrate the pressure test device with the pressure test drive. Accordingly, the upper pressure test tool and the lower pressure test tool can be pressure test tools that are constructed separately from the pressure device, and they do not necessarily participate in the production operation of the workbench rotary press. For example, an upper actuator and a lower actuator driven by the pressure test drive can be arranged at a rotor position separated from the pressure device, and the upper actuator and the lower actuator can be pressed toward each other accordingly by means of the pressure test drive, so that the upper extrusion die and the lower extrusion die located in the pressure test position squeeze the material filled in the receiving part into a pressure test product. In this case, there is no need to change the pressure device of the workbench rotary press in order to integrate the pressure test device according to the present invention. In conventional production operation, the actuator can form an upper guide cam element and a lower guide cam element in a particularly practical manner to guide the extrusion die rotating with the rotor. Existing table rotary presses can therefore be retrofitted particularly easily by removing the upper and lower control cam elements at the test press position and replacing them with upper and lower actuators driven by the test press drive.

[0032] As already explained, the upper and lower pressure tools can be formed by upper and lower pressure rollers or pressure wedges.

[0033] The method according to the invention can be implemented using the table rotary press according to the invention. Accordingly, the table rotary press according to the invention can be configured to implement the method according to the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] The embodiments of the present invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings schematically:

[0035] Figure 1 shows a developed view of a rotor of a table rotary press according to the invention and used in the method according to the invention,

[0036] Figure 2 Different possible pressing force curves which can be realized with the table rotary press according to the invention or the method according to the invention are shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] Unless otherwise indicated, the same reference numerals in the drawings refer to the same objects.

[0038] exist Figure 1The table rotary press shown in the figure is a table rotary press for manufacturing tablets, which can be used in the present invention, and in which powdered materials are pressed into pressed products, especially tablets. The rotor of the table rotary press is driven to rotate by a rotary drive device and includes a die plate 10, which has a plurality of receiving portions 12. For example, the receiving portion 12 can be formed by a hole of the die plate 10. In addition, the rotor includes a plurality of upper extrusion dies 14 and lower extrusion dies 16, which revolve synchronously with the die plate 10. Each upper extrusion die 14 is axially guided in an upper die guide 18, and each lower extrusion die 16 is axially guided in a lower die guide 20. The axial movement of the upper extrusion die 14 and the lower extrusion die 16 during the rotation of the rotor is controlled by an upper control cam element 22 and a lower control cam element 24. Furthermore, a filling device 26 is provided, which has a filling container 28 and a filling chamber 30, which are connected via a filling tube 32. In this way, in the present example, the powdery material passes by gravity from the filling container 28 via the filling tube 32 into the filling chamber 30 and from there via a filling opening provided on the bottom side of the filling chamber 30 into the receptacle 12 of the matrix plate 10 in turn by gravity.

[0039] The table rotary press also includes a pressure device 34. In the example shown, the pressure device 34 includes a pre-pressure device having an upper pressure roller 36 held on an upper support and a lower pressure roller 38 held on a lower support, and a main pressure device having an upper pressure roller 40 held on an upper support and a lower pressure roller 42 held on a lower support. In addition, the table rotary press also includes an ejection device 44 and a scraping device 46 with a scraping element, which feeds the tablet 48 produced in the table rotary press to a discharge device 50 for discharge from the table rotary press. For example, the scraping device 46 can include a preferably sickle-shaped scraping element, which scrapes the tablet 48 conveyed by the lower extrusion die 16 to the upper side of the die plate 10 from the die plate 10 in the region of the ejection device 44 and feeds it to the discharge device 50.

[0040] Furthermore, the table rotary press comprises a control device 52 for controlling the operation of the table rotary press and for carrying out the method according to the invention, as explained in greater detail below.

[0041] The worktable rotary press according to the present invention further comprises a test press device for testing the pressed product in the worktable rotary press. Figure 1 Three possible embodiments of the pressure testing device are shown in FIG. These pressure testing devices can be arranged in the workbench rotary press in combination in whole or in part. However, it is also possible to only provide one of the pressure testing devices shown in the figure.

[0042] In the example shown, the upper pressure roller 36 and the lower pressure roller 38 of the pre-pressure device form the first upper pressure test tool 36 and the first lower pressure test tool 38, respectively. The upper pressure roller 40 and the lower pressure roller 42 of the main pressure device 34 form the second upper pressure test tool 40 and the second lower pressure test tool 42, respectively. Figure 1 In the embodiment, a third upper pressure testing tool 54 and a third lower pressure testing tool 56 are provided in the region of the ejection position of the rotor, which are designed as actuators which can replace corresponding control cam elements in the region of the ejection position.

[0043] In the example shown, each upper and lower pressure test tool 36, 38, 40, 42, 54, 56 is equipped with a pressure test drive 58. The pressure test drive 58 acts on the pressure test tool 36, 38, 40, 42, 54, 56 matched thereto via a connection device 60. The connection device 60 can form or include a transmission of the respective pressure test drive 58. For example, the connection device 60 can respectively include a toothed belt, a toothed belt wheel, a planetary screw transmission with a nut and a transmission shaft. The pressure test drive 58 can be, for example, a hydraulic drive or an electric drive.

[0044] In order to perform a pressure test using the first pressure test device, a die pair consisting of an upper extrusion die 14 and a lower extrusion die 16, which is matched with the receiving portion 12 of the die plate 10, is placed in a pressure test position, which is arranged here in the area where the distance between the upper pressure roller 36 as the first upper pressure test tool 36 and the lower pressure roller 38 as the first lower pressure test tool 38 is the smallest. For this purpose, the upper pressure roller 36 as the upper pressure test tool 36 and the lower pressure roller 38 as the lower pressure test tool 38 are first moved apart from each other by means of the pressure test drive 58, so that, for example, by rotating the rotor, this die pair can be placed in the pressure test position without any problems. Before, during or after being placed in the pressure test position, the receiving portion 12 matched with this die pair is filled with the material to be extruded, for example manually. Subsequently, the upper pressure roller 36 as the first upper pressure test tool 36 and the lower pressure roller 38 as the first lower pressure test tool 38 are moved toward each other by means of the respectively matched pressure test drive devices 58, so that the upper extrusion die 14 and the lower extrusion die 16 of this die pair are pressed toward each other in the receiving portion 12 of the die plate 10 by the upper pressure test tool 36 and the lower pressure test tool 38, so as to extrude the material filled in the receiving portion into a pressure test product. After the pressure test is completed, the first upper pressure test tool 36 and the lower pressure test tool 38 can be moved away from each other again by the pressure test drive device 58 in a controlled manner, so that the pressure test product can be taken out of the receiving portion 12. For this purpose, the rotor can be moved to the ejection position, in which the lower extrusion die 16 ejects the produced pressure test product onto the upper side of the die plate 10. The control of the pressure test drive device 58 can be carried out in the same way as the rotor is controlled by the control device 52. As explained in more detail below, for example, a previously defined extrusion force can be achieved within the framework of the pressure test. Different extrusion force history curves or die travel history curves can also be realized. On this basis, the worktable rotary press can be optimally set for subsequent production operation. In this example, the test pressure drive 58 acts on the pressure rollers 36, 40 or 38, 42 as test pressure tools. They can replace the adjustment drive of the pressure rollers 36, 40 or 38, 42 for setting the axial distance between the pressure rollers 36, 40 or 38, 42, including the transmission of the adjustment drive if necessary.

[0045] In the same manner as the first pressure testing device using the pressure rollers 36 and 38 as the first pressure testing tool, Figure 1 The second and third pressure testing devices shown can perform pressure testing. For example, the pressure testing positions in which the die pair is placed by corresponding rotation of the rotor are different from each other. In particular, in order to perform pressure testing with the second pressure testing device (including the pressure rollers 40 and 42 as the second upper and lower pressure testing tools 40, 42), the die pair is located in the rotation position of the rotor corresponding to the minimum distance between the upper pressure roller 40 and the lower pressure roller 42. Once this position is reached, a pressure test can also be performed with the second pressure testing device in the manner described above for the first pressure testing device.

[0046] Accordingly, the pressure test can be carried out using the third pressure test device. In this case, the pressure test position is Figure 1 Once in this position, a test press can be performed again, if necessary after the third test press tools 54, 56 have been moved apart from each other by means of the test press drive 58 and the receiving portion 12 has been filled with the material to be pressed, by pressing the third test press tools 54, 56 towards each other by means of the associated test press drive 58. Naturally, for this purpose, the lower pressing die 16 will be moved further downwards so that the receiving portion 12 can be filled to the desired filling height.

[0047] As explained, with the rotary table press according to the invention, it is possible to carry out press tests with different extrusion force course curves. It is also possible for the rotary table press to have an extrusion force sensor in the area of ​​the press test device, which measures the extrusion force during the press test. In this way, it can be ensured that the desired extrusion force is safely achieved and not exceeded.

[0048] Figure 2 Different possible extrusion pressure curves are shown, for example, extrusion pressure curves that vary over time. Figure 2 From left to right in the figure, a sinusoidal extrusion pressure history curve, a sawtooth extrusion pressure history curve, a multiple extrusion extrusion pressure history curve and a rectangular extrusion pressure history curve are shown. For example, the multiple extrusion extrusion pressure history curve can simulate extrusion in a worktable rotary press with a pre-pressure device and a main pressure device, which the extrusion die passes successively during the rotation process. Figure 2 The different heights of the respective pressing force curves in the third illustration from the left in the middle simulate the lower pressing force in the region of the pre-pressing device compared to the main pressing device.

[0049] Reference numerals list

[0050] 10 Concave die plate

[0051] 12 Reception Department

[0052] 14 Upper extrusion die

[0053] 16 Lower extrusion die

[0054] 18 Upper punch guide

[0055] 20 Lower punch guide

[0056] 22 Upper control cam element

[0057] 24 Lower control cam element

[0058] 26 Filling device

[0059] 28 Filling container

[0060] 30 Filling chamber

[0061] 32 Filling tube

[0062] 34 Main pressure device

[0063] 36, 40, 54 Upper pressure roller / pressure test tool

[0064] 38, 42, 56 lower pressure roller / pressure test tool

[0065] 44 Ejector device

[0066] 46 Scraping device

[0067] 48 Pressed products

[0068] 50 Discharge device

[0069] 52 Control device

[0070] 58 Pressure test drive device

[0071] 60 Connecting device

Claims

1. A method for trial pressing a pressed product (48) in a table rotary press, the table rotary press comprising a rotatably driven rotor having an upper extrusion die and a lower extrusion die (14, 16), upper and lower die guides (18, 20) for the upper and lower extrusion dies (14, 16) and a die plate (10) between the die guides (18, 20), wherein: The upper extrusion die and the lower extrusion die (14, 16) cooperate with the receiving portion (12) of the die plate (10) during the production operation of the workbench rotary press; the method also includes a filling device (26), in which the material to be extruded is filled into the receiving portion (12) during the production operation of the workbench rotary press; and a pressure device (34) with an upper pressure tool and a lower pressure tool, which cooperate with the upper extrusion die and the lower extrusion die (14, 16) during the production operation of the workbench rotary press, so that the upper extrusion die and the lower extrusion die extrude the material in the receiving portion (12) into a pressed product. The method is characterized in that the method includes the following steps: Filling the material to be extruded into the receiving portion (12), A die consisting of an upper extrusion die and a lower extrusion die (14, 16) matched with a receiving portion (12) of a die plate (10) is placed opposite to a pressure testing position, in which the upper extrusion die (14) is located in the action area of ​​an upper pressure testing tool (36, 40, 54) of a pressure testing device of a worktable rotary press and the lower extrusion die (14) is located in the action area of ​​a lower pressure testing tool (38, 42, 56) of the pressure testing device, The upper pressure testing tool and the lower pressure testing tool (38, 42, 56) are moved toward each other by means of a pressure testing drive device (58) of the pressure testing device, so that the upper extrusion die (14) and the lower extrusion die (16) are pressed toward each other by the upper pressure testing tool and the lower pressure testing tool (36, 40, 54, 38, 42, 56) in the receiving portion (12) of the die plate (10), so as to extrude the material filled in the receiving portion (12) into a pressure testing product (48).

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The extrusion pressure and / or a parameter characterizing the extrusion pressure are determined during the pressure test, and when a predetermined extrusion pressure and / or a predetermined value of a parameter characterizing the extrusion pressure is reached, the pressure test is ended by moving the upper pressure test tool and the lower pressure test tool (36, 40, 54, 38, 42, 56) apart from each other.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that Parameters characterizing the pressing force are the tablet height, the pressing force history and / or the dwell time at a predetermined pressing force.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The pressing force and / or a parameter characterizing the pressing force are taken into account for setting the table rotary press for production operation.

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that During the press test, only the die pair matching the receiving portion (12) of the die plate (10) is installed in the rotor.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The material to be pressed during the pressure test is manually filled into the receiving portion (12).

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that Perform multiple pressure tests and change the extrusion pressure history curve and / or the die travel history curve by changing the driving speed of the pressure test drive device.

8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that By adjusting the driving speed of the pressure test drive, a sinusoidal and / or sawtooth and / or rectangular extrusion force history curve and / or a punch stroke history curve is adjusted within the framework of one or more pressure tests.

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that After the first pressure test process, the upper pressure test tool and the lower pressure test tool are moved apart from each other by means of a pressure test drive device, and then they are moved toward each other again by means of the pressure test drive device, so that the upper extrusion die (14) and the lower extrusion die (16) are pressed toward each other in the receiving portion (12) of the die plate (10) by the upper pressure test tool and the lower pressure test tool, so that the material filled in the receiving portion (12) is further pressed into a pressure test product.

10. The method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that The method is carried out with a table rotary press according to one of the following claims.

11. A rotary table press, comprising a rotatably driven rotor with upper and lower extrusion dies (14, 16), upper and lower die guides (18, 20) for the upper and lower extrusion dies (14, 16) and a die plate (10) between the die guides (18, 20), wherein: The upper extrusion die and the lower extrusion die (14, 16) cooperate with the receiving portion (12) of the die plate (10) during the production operation of the workbench rotary press; further comprising a filling device (26), in which the material to be extruded is filled into the receiving portion (12) during the production operation of the workbench rotary press; further comprising a pressure device (34) with an upper pressure tool and a lower pressure tool, wherein the upper pressure tool and the lower pressure tool cooperate with the upper extrusion die and the lower extrusion die (14, 16) during the production operation of the workbench rotary press, so that the upper extrusion die and the lower extrusion die extrude the material in the receiving portion (12) into a pressed product (48); The invention is characterized in that the worktable rotary press also includes a pressure testing device, which includes an upper pressure testing tool (36, 40, 54) and a lower pressure testing tool (38, 42, 56), wherein, for the pressure testing, the upper pressure testing tool (36, 40, 54) cooperates with an upper extrusion punch (14) matched with a receiving portion (12) of a concave die plate (10), and the lower pressure testing tool (38, 42, 56) cooperates with a lower extrusion punch (16) matched with the same receiving portion (12); The pressure test device also includes a pressure test drive device, which moves an upper pressure test tool (36, 40, 54) and a lower pressure test tool (38, 42, 56) toward each other for pressure testing, so that an upper extrusion die (14) and a lower extrusion die (16) are pressed toward each other by the upper pressure test tool and the lower pressure test tool (36, 38, 40, 42, 54, 56) in a receiving portion (12) of a concave die plate (10), so that the material filled in the receiving portion (12) is squeezed into a pressure test product (48).

12. The table rotary press according to claim 11, characterized in that: The pressure test drive device includes an electric or hydraulic drive device.

13. The table rotary press according to any one of claims 11 or 12, characterized in that: The table rotary press comprises a control device (52) which is configured to control a test pressure drive device.

14. The rotary table press according to any one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that: The upper and lower pressure testing tools (36, 40, 54, 38, 42, 56) are formed by the upper and lower pressure tools of the pressure device.

15. The rotary table press according to any one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that: The upper pressure testing tool and the lower pressure testing tool (36, 40, 54, 38, 42, 56) are pressure testing tools constructed separately from the pressure device (34).

16. The rotary table press according to any one of claims 11 to 15, characterized in that: The upper and lower pressure tools (36, 40, 54, 38, 42, 56) are formed by upper and lower pressure rollers (36, 40, 54, 38, 42, 56).

17. The rotary table press according to any one of claims 11 to 16, characterized in that: The rotary table press is designed to carry out the method according to one of claims 1 to 10 .

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