Aseptic preparation process with integrated powder-liquid lock fresh dual-chamber

Abstract

The application belongs to the technical field of automatic production of products, and particularly relates to a sterile preparation process of a powder-liquid lock fresh double-cabin integration, which integrates independent powder preparation, liquid preparation and final assembly steps into a three-line parallel collaborative production process, realizes seamless connection and efficient synchronization between processes, and avoids efficiency loss and pollution risk caused by material transfer and waiting in traditional segmented production. The method adopts a mode of powder-liquid separation treatment and filling, and then final assembly, effectively protects sensitive active ingredients in the powder from being damaged in the liquid preparation process, thereby fundamentally guarantees the efficacy and stability of the final product, and improves the overall automation level and the reliability of production quality control.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of automated product manufacturing technology, and in particular to an integrated aseptic preparation process for powder and liquid preservation in dual compartments. Background Technology

[0002] In the food, health product, and pharmaceutical industries, many products require packaging solid powders, such as probiotics, vitamins, freeze-dried powders, and active pharmaceutical ingredients, separately from liquid matrices like milk, nutrient solutions, and solvents, so that they are mixed only when consumed or used. The main purpose of this packaging method is that many active ingredients in solid powders are highly sensitive to factors such as temperature, humidity, and pH levels in the liquid environment. If they are pre-mixed with liquids and subjected to conventional heat sterilization or long-term storage, their activity will significantly decrease or even be completely lost, thus rendering the product ineffective.

[0003] However, traditional production lines often simply connect powder processing equipment, liquid preparation equipment, and final filling and capping equipment as independent units. This piecemeal layout means that the connection between each process relies on multiple independent conveying and buffering links, making it difficult to achieve precise synchronization of the entire process. This can easily lead to raw material congestion or waiting, resulting in low overall production efficiency. More importantly, the risk of semi-finished products being exposed to the external environment during raw material transfer between units increases, posing a serious challenge to maintaining a sterile state throughout the production process. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned issues, this application provides an aseptic preparation process that integrates a powder-liquid freshness-locking dual-compartment system for efficient collaborative production.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the aseptic preparation process integrating a powder-liquid freshness-locking dual-compartment design of this application includes the following steps:

[0006] Powder preparation steps: providing a first raw material, subjecting the first raw material to airflow ultrafine pulverization and sieving to obtain a powder of a predetermined particle size; mixing the powder with a second raw material to obtain a mixed powder; and filling the mixed powder into a container cap;

[0007] Liquid preparation steps: A third raw material is provided, and the third raw material is circulated and mixed in a vacuum environment through a vacuum mixing system to obtain a mixed liquid; the mixed liquid is homogenized, volume-adjusted, and subjected to ultra-high temperature instantaneous sterilization to obtain a sterile liquid; and the sterile liquid is filled into a container body.

[0008] Assembly steps: Automatically screw the container lid onto the container body to form the finished product.

[0009] Preferably, the airflow ultrafine pulverization and sieving process is achieved through the following steps:

[0010] The first raw material was pulverized using an airflow pulverizer employing a vortex collision pulverization method at an inlet air pressure of 0.7 to 0.9 MPa.

[0011] The crushed first raw material is fed into a vibrating screen connected to the outlet of the air jet mill for screening.

[0012] The coarse particles separated by the vibrating screen are automatically returned to the feed inlet of the air jet mill via a return pipe.

[0013] Preferably, the step of mixing the powder with the second raw material is carried out in a three-dimensional motion mixer; the mixer operates at a vacuum of -0.05 to -0.08 MPa for a mixing time of 3 to 8 minutes.

[0014] Preferably, the cyclic mixing process includes:

[0015] The density distribution of the mixed liquid in the temporary storage tank is monitored in real time by density monitoring points set at the top, middle and bottom of the temporary storage tank of the vacuum mixing system.

[0016] When the density difference between the upper, middle and lower parts of the temporary storage tank is greater than 2%, the circulation pump installed in the temporary storage tank is started to circulate the mixed liquid back to the vacuum mixing system for remixing until the density difference is less than or equal to 2%.

[0017] Preferably, the volume adjustment step in the liquid preparation step includes:

[0018] Before subjecting the mixed liquid to ultra-high temperature instantaneous sterilization, its temperature and density are monitored in real time;

[0019] Based on the preset temperature-density characteristic curve, the final density of the mixed liquid after ultra-high temperature instantaneous sterilization and cooling is calculated;

[0020] Based on the final density and a preset target mass, calculate and adjust the volume of liquid that needs to be filled into the container body.

[0021] Preferably, after the final assembly step, the method further includes a step of surface treatment of the finished product:

[0022] The outer surface of the finished product is dried using a vortex air knife;

[0023] The outer surface of the finished product is pasteurized by hot water mist.

[0024] Preferably, in the final assembly step, the container body is positioned and transported by a conveying and positioning mechanism; the conveying and positioning mechanism includes at least two parallel annular chains, and multiple support plates are arranged across the annular chains, each of which has a positioning hole for supporting the container body; the final assembly step includes placing the container body in the positioning hole, and driving the annular chains to circulate, thereby sequentially transporting the container body to the cap placement station and the cap assembly station.

[0025] Preferably, in the final assembly step, before the automatic capping assembly, a cap placement step is performed; the cap placement step includes: using a cap picking assembly including multiple vacuum nozzles to simultaneously pick up multiple container caps from a cap supply position, and placing the container caps in batches on the bottle mouths of multiple container bodies carried by the conveying and positioning mechanism.

[0026] Preferably, the automatic capping assembly step is achieved by a capping mechanism, which includes:

[0027] Driver source;

[0028] A capping head is used to hold and rotate the container cap;

[0029] A magnetic torque clutch is disposed between the drive source and the capping head. The magnetic torque clutch includes an active component connected to the drive source and a driven component connected to the capping head. The active component drives the driven component to rotate through magnetic coupling, and allows the active component to slip relative to the driven component when the torque on the capping head reaches a preset torque.

[0030] A monitoring unit is configured to monitor the rotational state of a monitoring component that rotates synchronously with the driven component;

[0031] The monitoring unit is configured as follows:

[0032] When the drive source continues to work and the monitoring unit detects that the monitoring component has stopped rotating, it determines that the cap has reached the preset torque and sends a stop drive command.

[0033] Furthermore, if the duration or number of rotations of the monitoring component exceeds a preset threshold before the preset torque is reached, the capping failure is determined.

[0034] Preferably, before the capping head rotates, it is first lowered vertically to apply a predetermined pressure to the container cap so that the container cap engages with the threads of the container body.

[0035] The aseptic preparation process integrating powder and liquid preservation in this application integrates the independent powder preparation, liquid preparation, and final assembly steps into a three-line parallel collaborative production process. This achieves seamless connection and efficient synchronization between each process, avoiding the efficiency loss and contamination risk caused by raw material transfer and waiting in traditional segmented production. The method adopts a powder and liquid separation and filling mode, followed by final assembly, which effectively protects the sensitive active ingredients in the powder from damage during liquid preparation, thereby fundamentally ensuring the efficacy and stability of the final product, while improving the overall automation level and the reliability of production quality control. Attached Figure Description

[0036] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of the aseptic preparation process integrating powder and liquid freshness locking dual compartments provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0037] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the conveying and positioning mechanism provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0038] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Enlarged diagram of point A in the middle.

[0039] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the planar structure of the conveying and positioning mechanism provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0040] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the operation of the vacuum nozzle provided in the embodiment of this application.

[0041] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the capping mechanism provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0042] The components include: a conveying and positioning mechanism 10, a ring chain 11, a support plate 12, a positioning hole 121, a vacuum nozzle 20, a capping mechanism 30, a drive source 31, a capping head 32, an active component 33, a driven component 34, a monitoring unit 35, a cross frame 36, a monitoring component 40, a lifting cylinder 50, an eaves board 60, a threaded telescopic rod 61, and a star wheel conversion mechanism 70. Detailed Implementation

[0043] The preferred embodiments of this application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the preferred embodiments described herein are for illustration and explanation only and are not intended to limit this application.

[0044] Please see Figure 1 The figure is a schematic flow diagram of an integrated aseptic preparation process for powder-liquid freshness locking, as described in one embodiment of this application. This method is primarily used to produce products in which a solid-phase powder is mixed with a liquid-phase solvent during use, such as lyophilized powder injections, probiotic powders, or functional beverages.

[0045] In this embodiment, refer to Figures 1 to 6 The entire preparation method can be divided into three steps: powder preparation, liquid preparation, and final assembly. Specifically, it can be achieved through a highly integrated automated production line that enables the connection and collaborative operation between each workstation.

[0046] The aseptic preparation process integrating powder and liquid freshness locking dual compartments described in this embodiment includes the following steps:

[0047] I. Powder preparation steps.

[0048] Step S101: Provide a first raw material. The first raw material may be probiotic powder, enzyme preparation, vitamin, mineral, plant extract, or a combination thereof.

[0049] Step S102: The first raw material is subjected to airflow ultrafine grinding and sieving to obtain a powder with a predetermined particle size.

[0050] The specific steps include: First, using an airflow pulverizer employing a vortex collision pulverization method, the first raw material is pulverized under an inlet air pressure of 0.7 to 0.9 MPa. Specifically, the first raw material can be fed into the pulverizing chamber of the airflow pulverizer at a stable speed, for example, 5-10 kg / h, via a screw feeder. The feeding speed can be controlled by a variable frequency motor and adjusted according to the characteristics of the raw material. The pulverizing chamber can be a cylindrical cavity, for example, a cylinder with a diameter of 500 mm and a height of 800 mm. Six Laval nozzles are evenly distributed on the circumferential wall of the pulverizing chamber, each nozzle tilted downwards at a 15° angle to the horizontal plane. Compressed air is pressurized to a set pressure of 0.8 MPa by an air compressor and injected into the pulverizing chamber through the Laval nozzles, forming a strong and stable high-speed airflow. Driven by the high-speed airflow, the first raw material particles form a high-speed rotating vortex within the pulverizing chamber, causing high-speed collisions and friction between the particles, as well as collisions with the walls of the pulverizing chamber, thereby achieving ultrafine pulverization. During the grinding process, although the temperature inside the grinding chamber rises due to high-speed friction, the cooling effect of compressed air expansion can maintain the temperature inside the chamber below 40°C, thereby maximizing the protection of heat-sensitive components, such as the activity of probiotics.

[0051] Subsequently, the pulverized first raw material is fed into a vibrating screen connected to the outlet of the air jet mill for sieving. The coarse particles separated by the vibrating screen are automatically returned to the inlet of the air jet mill via a return pipe. In this way, the material on the screen automatically falls into the return pipe and is returned to the inlet of the air jet mill through a negative pressure pneumatic conveying system, realizing closed-circuit pulverization; the material undersize, i.e., qualified powder, then enters the next process.

[0052] Step S103: Mix the powder with the second raw material to obtain a mixed powder; and fill the mixed powder into a container cap.

[0053] In this embodiment, the step of mixing the powder with the second raw material is carried out in a three-dimensional motion mixer, which operates at a vacuum of -0.05 to -0.08 MPa for 3 to 8 minutes. Specifically, the powder and the second raw material are sequentially added to the mixing tank of the mixer via a vacuum feeding system. Then, the feed inlet is closed, and the vacuum pump is started to evacuate the mixing tank to a vacuum of -0.05 to -0.08 MPa (for example, -0.06 MPa in this embodiment). Finally, the drive motor of the mixer is started, and the mixing tank simultaneously undergoes axial, radial, and circumferential three-dimensional flow diffusion under the drive mechanism. This maintains a vacuum environment during the mixing process, which on the one hand prevents dust from flying and improves the operating environment; on the other hand, it reduces air entrainment during mixing, improves mixing uniformity, and also prevents oxidation, effectively protecting the active ingredients.

[0054] The aforementioned three-dimensional composite motion causes the raw materials to continuously tumble, convection, and diffuse within the mixing tank, achieving efficient mixing. After reaching the preset mixing uniformity, the discharge port is opened, and the raw materials flow into the intermediate storage silo under gravity. In this embodiment, the intermediate storage silo is a conical silo equipped with a nitrogen protection system to maintain a slight positive pressure and prevent air from entering, which could lead to oxidation or moisture absorption of the raw materials.

[0055] Furthermore, in the mixed powder filling process, the mixed powder is filled into the container cap using an automatic quantitative filling system. In this embodiment, the container cap is a dedicated solid-liquid separation cap, including a cap body, a sealing film, and a twist-open mechanism, with a powder storage chamber formed inside the cap body. Specifically, after the container caps are sterilized upon arrival, they are arranged by a vibratory feeder and conveyed to the filling station via a conveyor track. After the container caps reach the predetermined station, preferably, the automatic quantitative filling system uses a screw-type quantitative filling machine for filling. This filling machine uses a stepper motor to precisely control the number of rotations of the screw, thereby achieving accurate measurement. After filling, the container caps are conveyed to the sealing station via a conveyor track. The sealing can specifically use an electromagnetic induction sealing machine to seal an aluminum foil composite film on the inside of the container cap opening. To ensure quality, after sealing, the sealing quality can be comprehensively tested using a combination of visual inspection and pressure testing. Defective products will be automatically rejected. The above-mentioned testing equipment can be commercially available mature products, and their working principle will not be elaborated here.

[0056] II. Liquid preparation steps.

[0057] Step S201: Provide a third raw material. In this embodiment, the third raw material is various raw materials required for liquid preparation, such as purified water, concentrated fruit juice, etc. All raw materials must be tested before being added to ensure they meet food safety standards.

[0058] Step S202: Under vacuum conditions, the third raw material is circulated and mixed using a vacuum mixing system to obtain a mixed liquid. In this embodiment, the vacuum mixing system includes a vacuum mixing tank, a circulating pump, a temporary storage tank, and related pipelines and a control system.

[0059] In practice, the third raw material is added to the vacuum mixing tank in a predetermined order. The vacuum mixing tank can be a jacketed design, which can control the temperature inside the tank through the circulation of heating or cooling media within the jacket. A vacuum state is maintained throughout the feeding process to prevent air from entering. After feeding is complete, the high-shear emulsifying head installed at the bottom of the tank can be activated to ensure uniform distribution of solids and prevent agglomeration and sedimentation.

[0060] Step S203: The mixed liquid is homogenized, diluted to a constant volume, and subjected to ultra-high temperature instantaneous sterilization to obtain a sterile liquid.

[0061] In this embodiment, density monitoring points are set at the top, middle and bottom of the temporary storage tank of the vacuum mixing system to monitor the density distribution of the mixed liquid in the temporary storage tank in real time; and when the density difference between the top, middle and bottom of the temporary storage tank is greater than 2%, the circulation pump set in the temporary storage tank is started to circulate the mixed liquid back to the vacuum mixing system for remixing until the density difference is less than or equal to 2%.

[0062] Specifically, tuning fork density meters are installed at the upper part of the temporary storage tank, for example, 5cm from the liquid surface; at the middle part, for example, at 50% liquid level; and at the lower part, for example, 10cm from the bottom of the tank. In this embodiment, the technical parameters of the density meters are configured as follows:

[0063] Measurement range: 0.8-1.5 g / cm³ 3

[0064] Accuracy: ±0.001 g / cm 3

[0065] Temperature compensation: Automatic compensation from 0-100℃

[0066] Output signal: 4-20mA analog signal

[0067] With the above configuration, the density distribution of the mixed liquid is monitored in real time using three levels of densitometers. The data is transmitted to the control system, which calculates the density difference between the upper, middle and lower points in the temporary storage tank: density difference (%) = [(maximum density value - minimum density value) / average density value] × 100%.

[0068] When the density difference exceeds 2%, the mixture is deemed unevenly distributed, and a circulating pump is triggered to circulate and mix the materials. This method replaces the traditional open-loop mixing that relies on a fixed time, achieving intelligent, on-demand homogenization based on the real-time state of the raw materials.

[0069] Between subsequent homogenization and volume determination processes, the mixed liquid will pass through the temporary storage tank multiple times. Density monitoring will continue to operate. If the density difference is detected to exceed 2% again, for example, if sedimentation occurs during the settling process, the cycle mixing will be automatically triggered again.

[0070] Through the above-mentioned circulating mixing process, a mixed liquid with uniform component distribution is obtained, avoiding the phenomenon of clear liquid at the top and turbid liquid at the bottom that is easily generated by traditional stirring methods, thus laying a good foundation for subsequent homogenization and sterilization processes.

[0071] Furthermore, for the homogenization process, in this embodiment, the mixed liquid can be pumped into the homogenizer by a circulating pump.

[0072] In some embodiments, the volume adjustment step in the liquid preparation step includes:

[0073] 1) Before subjecting the mixed liquid to ultra-high temperature (UHT) sterilization, its temperature and density should be monitored in real time. Specifically, this can be achieved by using a PT100 platinum resistance thermometer with an accuracy of ±0.1℃ installed at the homogenizer outlet pipe, and by using a thermometer with an accuracy of ±0.0005 g / cm³ installed at the buffer tank inlet. 3 Density monitoring is performed using a Coriolis force density meter.

[0074] 2) Based on the preset temperature-density characteristic curve, calculate the final density of the mixed liquid after ultra-high temperature instantaneous sterilization and cooling. In this embodiment, the temperature-density characteristic curve is a fitting function that maps the input temperature to the corresponding density of the liquid mixture, which can be obtained based on empirical summarization of the characteristics of different materials.

[0075] 3) Calculate and adjust the volume of liquid that needs to be filled into the container body based on the final density and a preset target mass.

[0076] In this embodiment, the ultra-high temperature (UHT) sterilization process of the mixed liquid can be achieved using a plate or tubular heat exchanger. Specifically, the mixed liquid is rapidly heated to a temperature range of 135°C to 150°C and held at this temperature for 2 to 5 seconds. This combination of process parameters can effectively kill microorganisms and spores in the liquid in a very short time, achieving commercial sterility standards, while effectively reducing the damage to heat-sensitive components such as flavor substances and vitamins caused by heat treatment. After sterilization, the liquid is rapidly cooled to the filling temperature, such as 20-25°C, in the cooling section of the heat exchanger, and then transported to the aseptic filling area for the next step.

[0077] Step S204: Fill the sterile liquid into a container body. In specific implementation, a rotary negative pressure filling machine can be used for filling, that is, the filling head enters the bottle, the sealing ring seals the bottle mouth, then the pressure inside the bottle is evacuated to -0.04 MPa for 0.8 seconds, and finally the filling valve is opened, and the sterile liquid flows into the bottle rapidly under the pressure difference to complete the filling.

[0078] It should be understood that the above-described liquid preparation process using UHT online sterilization is a preferred embodiment of this application. In other optional embodiments, to adapt to different product requirements or production conditions, the liquid sterilization step can also be achieved by post-finished sterilization.

[0079] Specifically, the alternative process may include: first, filling the liquid after vacuum mixing in step S202 into the container body using a non-aseptic filling method, such as atmospheric pressure filling; then, immediately sealing the bottle mouth of the filled container body with aluminum foil to form a temporary seal; subsequently, sending the temporarily sealed container bodies in batches into a sterilization cabinet for thermal sterilization for 15 to 30 minutes at a temperature range of 90°C to 121°C; after sterilization, removing the container bodies from the sterilization cabinet and automatically drying them through an air duct to remove moisture adhering to their outer surface due to the sterilization process, such as water bath or steam sterilization.

[0080] The same alternative process can be used to obtain the container body containing sterile liquid. This container body then proceeds to the subsequent assembly steps.

[0081] III. Assembly Steps: Automatically screw the container lid onto the container body to form the finished product.

[0082] Step S301: Bottle positioning and conveying.

[0083] In practice, the filled container body is positioned and transported by a conveying and positioning mechanism 10. The conveying and positioning mechanism 10 includes at least two parallel annular chains 11, driven by sprockets driven by servo motors. Multiple support plates 12 are strung across the annular chains 11, each support plate 12 having a positioning hole 121 for supporting the container body. Preferably, the bottom of the positioning hole 121 is provided with a rubber buffer pad to prevent wear on the bottle bottom, and the sidewall of the positioning hole is provided with three evenly distributed elastic positioning claws to reliably fix the bottle body in a flexible clamping manner and to accommodate manufacturing tolerances of the bottle diameter. Specifically, placing the container body in the positioning hole 121 can be achieved through a star wheel conversion mechanism 70, which completes the station switching and transfer. The container body is then sequentially transported to the cap placement station and the cap assembly station by driving the annular chains 11 in a cyclical motion.

[0084] Step S302: Place the top cover.

[0085] In this embodiment, before automatic capping assembly, a cap placement step is performed; the cap placement step includes: using a cap picking assembly including multiple vacuum nozzles 20, simultaneously picking up multiple container caps from a cap supply position, and placing the container caps in batches on the bottle mouths of multiple container bodies carried by the conveying and positioning mechanism 10.

[0086] Specifically, driven by a drive device, the cap-removing assembly can move multiple vacuum nozzles 20 horizontally and rotate at a preset angle, allowing the cap-removing component to switch between the cap-supply position and the bottle mouth position. In this embodiment, the drive device includes a servo motor as a power source, a moving bracket, and at least one horizontally arranged linear guide rail. The moving bracket slides along the linear guide rail via at least one slider, ensuring that the moving bracket can only perform linear reciprocating motion along the axial direction of the guide rail. The output shaft of the servo motor is connected to the moving bracket via a crank and a connecting rod, so that when the servo motor rotates, it can drive the moving bracket to slide on the linear guide rail via the crank and connecting rod. The rotation of the cap-removing assembly can be achieved by a separate motor.

[0087] The cap-retrieving assembly includes a cylinder, and vacuum nozzles 20 are located at the output end of the cylinder to achieve lifting and lowering. Multiple vacuum nozzles 20 are equidistantly arranged corresponding to the positioning holes 121 on the support plate 12. That is, the number and spacing of these nozzles perfectly correspond to the positioning holes 121 on the support plate 12 below, enabling batch synchronous operation. When the drive device rotates the entire assembly to the cap-supply position, for example, above a cap sorting tray; then, the cylinder descends, and the vacuum nozzles 20 pick up the container caps that have been filled and sealed with raw materials; next, the cylinder rises, and a separate motor rotates by a preset angle, for example, 90 degrees, to directly above the bottle opening of the container body; finally, the cylinder descends again, placing the container cap at the bottle opening of the container body and releasing the vacuum, completing the cap-adding action.

[0088] Step S303: Automatic cap assembly.

[0089] After the container cap is placed, the container body continues to be conveyed to the automatic capping station by the conveying and positioning mechanism 10. Capping assembly is achieved through the capping mechanism 30. In this embodiment, the capping mechanism 30 mainly includes a frame 36, a drive source 31, a capping head 32, and a magnetic torque clutch. Wherein:

[0090] The drive source 31 is a motor, which is vertically mounted on the frame 36. The capping head 32 is coaxially arranged with the drive source 31 and is slidably mounted on the frame 36 via a slide rail. Specifically, the capping head 32 is a clamping rotating pneumatic gripper that clamps and rotates the container cap through pneumatic operation.

[0091] A magnetic torque clutch is disposed between the drive source 31 and the capping head 32. The magnetic torque clutch includes an active component 33 connected to the drive source 31, which is an active magnetic wheel, and a driven component 34 connected to the capping head 32, which is a driven magnetic wheel. The active component 33 drives the driven component 34 to rotate through magnetic coupling, and allows the active component 33 to slip relative to the driven component 34 when the torque on the capping head 32 reaches a preset torque.

[0092] The monitoring unit 35 is configured to monitor the rotational state of a monitoring component 40 that rotates synchronously with the driven component 34. In a specific implementation, a controller is also included, which is electrically connected to the monitoring unit 35; the monitoring component 40 may be an indexing wheel that rotates with the capping head 32, and the monitoring unit 35 may be a photoelectric sensor that captures the rotational state of the monitoring component 40 in real time.

[0093] During the capping operation, as the container cap is tightened, the reaction torque on the capping head 32 gradually increases. When this torque reaches the preset threshold of the magnetic torque clutch, the magnetic coupling is overcome, and the clutch slips. That is, the driving component 33 continues to rotate under the drive of the motor, while the driven component 34, the capping head 32 connected to it, and the monitoring component 40 stop rotating. At this time, the monitoring unit 35 detects the stationary state of the monitoring component 40. Under the condition that the drive source 31 continues to work, once it receives a signal that the monitoring component 40 has stopped rotating, it immediately determines that the capping has reached the preset torque. Subsequently, the controller issues a stop drive command, stops the drive source 31, and controls the capping head 32 to rise and reset, completing one capping operation.

[0094] Furthermore, during the capping process, if the rotation duration or number of rotations of the monitoring component 40 exceeds a preset threshold—for example, if it rotates continuously for more than 2 seconds without the controller receiving a stop signal—this indicates a possible abnormality such as stripped threads between the cap and the bottle body, resulting in insufficient reaction torque. In this case, the controller will determine that the capping has failed and may execute actions such as alarming, stopping the machine, or recording the bottle's position for subsequent rejection.

[0095] In some embodiments, a lifting cylinder 50 is also provided on the top of the strut 36, and an eave plate 60 is protruding on the side wall of the clamping rotary gripper. The eave plate 60 is connected to the piston rod of the lifting cylinder 50 through a threaded telescopic rod 61. The lifting cylinder 50 drives the clamping rotary gripper to move vertically up and down through the threaded telescopic rod 61 and the eave plate 60. The axial working length of the driving magnetic wheel and the driven magnetic wheel can be changed by adjusting the length of the threaded telescopic rod 61.

[0096] In some embodiments, before the capping head 32 rotates, it is first lowered vertically to apply a predetermined pressure to the container cap so that the container cap engages with the threads of the container body.

[0097] Specifically, the capping head 32, also known as the clamping rotating gripper and the eaves plate 60, is connected to the lifting cylinder 50 via a threaded telescopic rod 61. This connection allows the lifting cylinder 50 to actively control the capping head 32 to precisely lift and lower vertically via a slide rail. At the beginning of each capping cycle, the controller prioritizes driving the lifting cylinder 50, causing the capping head 32 to move downwards to apply a pre-pressure to the container cap. This pre-pressure action ensures that the container cap is firmly pressed into the bottle neck of the container body, and that its internal threads or snap-fit ​​structure engages reliably with the anti-rotation parts of the container body, such as the starting end of the thread or the groove of the tamper-evident ring. Only then does the drive source 31 start to rotate the capping head 32 to tighten it. This press-then-twist sequence fundamentally avoids problems such as stripped threads, crooked caps, or thread damage caused by improper cap placement, effectively improving the success rate of capping and the sealing quality.

[0098] Furthermore, the lifting cylinder 50 used to achieve the aforementioned pressing-then-rotating process is the same mechanism as the one used for statically adjusting the axial length of the driving and driven magnetic wheels. In other words, this single component, the lifting cylinder 50, undertakes both the dynamic lifting task during the work cycle and its connecting part, the threaded telescopic rod 61, which is responsible for setting the static torque adjustment during equipment debugging. This multifunctional design avoids the need for two separate drive and transmission systems for lifting and torque adjustment, thereby effectively simplifying the mechanical structure of the equipment, reducing the number of parts, lowering manufacturing costs, and reducing potential failure points.

[0099] In some embodiments, after the final assembly step, a step of performing an outer surface treatment on the finished product is further included:

[0100] The outer surface of the finished product is dried using vortex air knives. Specifically, six vortex air knives are evenly distributed around the container body. Each air knife is a slit nozzle with a slit length of 200 mm and a width of 0.5 mm, spraying downwards at a 30° angle to the container body surface. The airflow from adjacent air knives converges, forming a vortex on the container body surface, enhancing the drying effect. After drying, the outer surface of the finished product is immediately pasteurized using superheated water mist.

[0101] The aseptic preparation process integrating powder and liquid preservation in this application integrates the independent powder preparation, liquid preparation, and final assembly steps into a three-line parallel collaborative production process. This achieves seamless connection and efficient synchronization between each process, avoiding the efficiency loss and contamination risk caused by raw material transfer and waiting in traditional segmented production. The method adopts a powder and liquid separation and filling mode, followed by final assembly, which effectively protects the sensitive active ingredients in the powder from damage during liquid preparation, thereby fundamentally ensuring the efficacy and stability of the final product, while improving the overall automation level and the reliability of production quality control.

[0102] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "vertical", "up", "down", "horizontal", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0103] In the description of this application, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "set," "install," "connect," and "link" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0104] Finally, it should be noted that the above descriptions are merely preferred embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A sterile preparation process integrating powder and liquid freshness locking dual compartments, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Powder preparation steps: providing a first raw material, subjecting the first raw material to airflow ultrafine pulverization and sieving to obtain a powder of a predetermined particle size; mixing the powder with a second raw material to obtain a mixed powder; and filling the mixed powder into a container cap; Liquid preparation steps: A third raw material is provided, and the third raw material is circulated and mixed in a vacuum environment through a vacuum mixing system to obtain a mixed liquid; the mixed liquid is homogenized, volume-adjusted, and subjected to ultra-high temperature instantaneous sterilization to obtain a sterile liquid; and the sterile liquid is filled into a container body. Assembly steps: Automatically screw the container lid onto the container body to form the finished product; In the final assembly step, the container body is positioned and transported by a conveying and positioning mechanism; the conveying and positioning mechanism includes at least two parallel annular chains, with multiple support plates spanning across the annular chains, each support plate having a positioning hole for supporting the container body; the final assembly step includes placing the container body in the positioning hole and, by driving the annular chains to circulate, sequentially transporting the container body to the top cover placement station and the cap assembly station; In the final assembly step, before the automatic capping assembly, a cap placement step is performed; the cap placement step includes: using a cap picking assembly including multiple vacuum nozzles, simultaneously picking up multiple container caps from a cap supply position, and placing the container caps in batches on the bottle mouths of multiple container bodies carried by the conveying and positioning mechanism.

2. The preparation process according to claim 1, characterized in that, The airflow ultrafine pulverization and sieving process is achieved through the following steps: The first raw material was pulverized using an airflow pulverizer employing a vortex collision pulverization method at an inlet air pressure of 0.7 to 0.9 MPa. The pulverized first raw material is fed into a vibrating screen connected to the outlet of the air jet mill for sieving; The coarse particles separated by the vibrating screen are automatically returned to the feed inlet of the air jet mill via a return pipe.

3. The preparation process according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of mixing the powder with the second raw material is carried out in a three-dimensional motion mixer; the mixer operates at a vacuum of -0.05 to -0.08 MPa for a mixing time of 3 to 8 minutes.

4. The preparation process according to claim 1, characterized in that, The circulating mixing process in the liquid preparation step includes: The density distribution of the mixed liquid in the temporary storage tank is monitored in real time by density monitoring points set at the top, middle and bottom of the temporary storage tank of the vacuum mixing system. When the density difference between the upper, middle and lower parts of the temporary storage tank is greater than 2%, the circulation pump installed in the temporary storage tank is started to circulate the mixed liquid back to the vacuum mixing system for remixing until the density difference is less than or equal to 2%.

5. The preparation process according to claim 1, characterized in that, The volume adjustment step in the liquid preparation process includes: Before subjecting the mixed liquid to ultra-high temperature instantaneous sterilization, its temperature and density are monitored in real time; Based on the preset temperature-density characteristic curve, the final density of the mixed liquid after ultra-high temperature instantaneous sterilization and cooling is calculated; Based on the final density and a preset target mass, calculate and adjust the volume of liquid that needs to be filled into the container body.

6. The preparation process according to claim 1, characterized in that, Following the final assembly step, the process also includes a step of surface treatment of the finished product: The outer surface of the finished product is dried using a vortex air knife; The outer surface of the finished product is pasteurized by hot water mist.

7. The preparation process according to claim 1, characterized in that, The automatic capping assembly step is achieved through a capping mechanism, which includes: Driver source; A capping head is used to hold and rotate the container cap; A magnetic torque clutch is disposed between the drive source and the capping head. The magnetic torque clutch includes an active component connected to the drive source and a driven component connected to the capping head. The active component drives the driven component to rotate through magnetic coupling, and allows the active component to slip relative to the driven component when the torque on the capping head reaches a preset torque. A monitoring unit is configured to monitor the rotational state of a monitoring component that rotates synchronously with the driven component; The monitoring unit is configured as follows: When the drive source continues to work and the monitoring unit detects that the monitoring component has stopped rotating, it determines that the cap has reached the preset torque and sends a stop drive command. Furthermore, if the duration or number of rotations of the monitoring component exceeds a preset threshold before the preset torque is reached, the capping failure is determined.

8. The preparation process according to claim 7, characterized in that, Before the capping head rotates, it is lowered vertically to apply a predetermined pressure to the container cap so that the container cap engages with the threads of the container body.

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