Deep-draw packaging machine with a chain guide device

Abstract

Thermoforming packaging machine (1) comprising a machine frame (6), a chain guide device (8) attached to the machine frame (6) for lateral transport chains (14) designed for gripping a film web (F) on both sides and for transporting the film web (F) in a production direction (R) of the thermoforming packaging machine (1), and at least one tool (W) designed for processing the film web (F) gripped by means of the transport chains (14), wherein the tool (W) comprises a tool upper part (22), and wherein the machine frame (6) has lateral longitudinal beams (13) extending along the production direction (R) for attaching the tool upper part (22), by means of which a weight force (G) of the tool upper part (22) can be absorbed, characterized in that the machine frame (6) has several spaced apart from each other in the production direction (R) for attaching the chain guide device (8).has crossbeams (15) extending transversely to the production direction (R) and supported separately from the longitudinal beams (13).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a thermoforming packaging machine with a chain guide device mounted thereon according to claim 1.

[0002] It is known that a thermoforming packaging machine has a machine frame with lateral longitudinal beams on which several workstations, including the machine tool components attached to them, are mounted. These workstations are used to process a film web transported in the production direction of the thermoforming packaging machine. Furthermore, a chain guide device designed to grip and transport the film web is mounted on the same lateral longitudinal beams. However, this shared mounting and attachment of the workstations and the chain guide device to the lateral longitudinal beams of the machine frame results in a superposition of various forces along the lateral longitudinal beams, particularly during operation of the thermoforming packaging machine.For example, at the longitudinal beams there is an interaction between weight forces acting on them, in particular caused by the workstations mounted on them, and film tensile forces exerted along the chain guide device, which are introduced into the lateral longitudinal beams by the taut film web transverse to the production direction.

[0003] A problem with this kind of force superposition within the longitudinal beams is that, during operation of the thermoforming packaging machine, the weight forces exerted on the longitudinal beams by the workstations, which may be amplified by lifting movements, affect the functionality of the chain guide device. Conversely, the film tensile forces exerted by the chain guide device can also stress the lateral longitudinal beams to such an extent that this impacts the functionality of the workstations. While the aforementioned force superposition can potentially be compensated for by a more robust construction of the machine frame, particularly the longitudinal beams attached to it, this leads to higher manufacturing costs.

[0004] Furthermore, these forces acting on the lateral longitudinal beams in different directions cause torsional stress on the beams. This complicates the structural design of the longitudinal beams.

[0005] DE 1 586 180 A discloses a thermoforming packaging machine with a forming station mounted within a machine frame. The forming station has a tool upper section that is attached to a crossbeam of the machine frame at the entrance of the thermoforming packaging machine. A chain guide device, designed to grip and transport a film web, is also mounted on this crossbeam. Because the tool upper section and the chain guide device are attached to the same crossbeam, the forces generated by both the tool upper section and the chain guide device act on the crossbeam during operation of the thermoforming packaging machine. Consequently, the disadvantages described above in connection with the lateral longitudinal beams also apply analogously to the crossbeam in this case.

[0006] DE 10 2008 051 026 A1 discloses a thermoforming packaging machine with a chain guide device mounted on it for lateral transport chains, which are designed to grip and transport a film web in the production direction of the thermoforming packaging machine. The chain guide device has chain links that are adjustable transversely to the production direction in order to be usable for different film web widths.

[0007] The object of the invention is to improve a thermoforming packaging machine in terms of design and function with regard to the disadvantages described in connection with the prior art, in particular to provide design and functional improvements for the operation of a chain guide device mounted on it.

[0008] This problem is solved by means of a thermoforming packaging machine according to claim 1.

[0009] Advantageous further developments of the invention are given by the respective dependent claims.

[0010] The thermoforming packaging machine according to the invention comprises a machine frame and a chain guide device attached to the machine frame for lateral transport chains, which are designed to grip a film web on both sides and to transport the film web in a production direction of the thermoforming packaging machine. Furthermore, the thermoforming packaging machine according to the invention has at least one tool designed for processing the film web gripped by the transport chains. This tool can, for example, be part of a forming station or a sealing station.

[0011] The tool used on the thermoforming packaging machine according to the invention comprises a tool upper part, wherein the machine frame has lateral longitudinal beams extending along the production direction for fastening the tool upper part, by means of which a weight force of the tool upper part can be absorbed.

[0012] According to the invention, the machine frame for attaching the chain guide device has several crossbeams spaced apart from each other in the production direction, extending transversely to the production direction and mounted separately from the longitudinal beams.

[0013] In this invention, the chain guide device is not attached to the same machine frame component as the upper tooling. Instead, separate supports are used to carry the upper tooling and the chain guide device: the lateral longitudinal supports for the upper tooling and the transverse supports for the chain guide device. This results in a force-decoupled mounting of the upper tooling and the chain guide device on the machine frame, so that during operation of the packaging machine, the respective transverse forces from the upper tooling and the chain guide device do not overlap or only act on each other to a greatly reduced extent.

[0014] The adverse force superposition described above with regard to the prior art can thus be avoided by means of the invention. This consequently leads to improved packaging production using the thermoforming packaging machine according to the invention, because the upper tool part and the chain guide device are mounted in a force-isolated manner and can therefore operate more independently of each other.

[0015] The force distribution according to the invention enables a simplified structural design of the lateral longitudinal beams, since these are not subjected to torsional stress. Since the crossbeams also do not experience torsional loading, they too can be manufactured simply from a structural point of view.

[0016] Because the thermoforming packaging machine according to the invention uses different machine frame components, namely the longitudinal beams and the transverse beams, to support the upper tooling and the chain guide device separately, the longitudinal beams and the transverse beams can be designed independently of each other: the longitudinal beams support the upper tooling, i.e., absorb the weight force acting upon it, and the transverse beams support the chain guide device, i.e., absorb the film tensile forces acting upon it. This allows for a targeted design of the chain guide device, in particular a simple bending stiffness transverse to the production direction, without superimposing the component weight force, i.e., without a resulting torsional stress.Similarly, the lateral longitudinal beams can be designed primarily based on the weight load acting upon them, i.e., without considering the transverse tensile force of the chain guide device on the film. This allows the design of the crossbeams to be carried out without considering torsional stress.

[0017] A further advantage of the decoupled mounting according to the invention is that the upper tool part and the chain guide device can be adjusted independently of each other. The chain guide device can, for example, be adjusted for a desired film web width and / or film web tension without having to perform any adjustment or assembly steps on the side longitudinal beams. Thus, the chain guide device can be adjusted independently of the side longitudinal beams, and in particular, independently of their design. Therefore, spacer bolts, which were used in known solutions for attaching the chain guide device to the longitudinal beams, can be dispensed with.

[0018] It is conceivable that tensile forces (of the film) acting transversely to the production direction along the chain guide device could be absorbed by the crossbeams in an isolated manner from the longitudinal beams. These tensile forces could, for example, be film tensile forces exerted by gripping the film web from both sides to achieve the desired film tension. Because the tensile forces generated when gripping the film web transversely to the production direction act along the length of the crossbeams, the respective crossbeams are subjected to very little bending stress, if any at all. Rather, the respective crossbeams are primarily stressed in compression or tension with respect to the tensile forces acting upon them. This allows for a simple design for the crossbeams.

[0019] Preferably, the weight forces exerted by several tools used on the thermoforming packaging machine are absorbed by the longitudinal beams in an isolated manner from the transverse beams. This allows the operation of the respective tools to function independently of the setting and / or operation of the chain guide device on the thermoforming packaging machine, resulting in an overall improved production outcome. In particular, the isolated force absorption also makes it easier to replace different tool types mounted on the longitudinal beams with others, because the longitudinal beams then only have to absorb varying weight forces.

[0020] One embodiment of the invention provides that the chain guide device has two support units attached to each crossbeam, designed to transmit the transverse tensile forces to the respective crossbeams. Tensile forces resulting from the film tension can be deflected by the support units onto the respective crossbeams arranged below the film web and absorbed by them, thus creating a closed force flow on the machine frame via the film web, the support units, and the crossbeams, which remains isolated from the longitudinal beams. In particular, this offers the possibility of designing the support units separately with regard to the tensile forces acting on the chain guide device and the resulting bending moments.

[0021] Preferably, the respective crossbeams have a top surface along which the attached support units are adjustable transversely to the production direction. This adjustment function enables the chain guide device to grip and transport various film web widths. In particular, the support units can be adjusted continuously, allowing for more precise adjustment of the desired film web tension. The crossbeams used as the substructure for the chain guide device can be subjected to forces that are isolated from the longitudinal beams, independent of the set film web width and / or film tension. Specifically, the force balance acting on the respective crossbeams is independent of the weight forces acting on the longitudinal beams in every setting of the chain guide device.

[0022] An advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the crossbeams are attached at their ends to opposing vertical columns of the machine frame, which are used to support the longitudinal beams. Along their longitudinal extent, the columns absorb both the weight of the tools attached to the longitudinal beams and the weight of the chain guide device. Since the crossbeams are attached between the columns in this embodiment, they also serve to stiffen the machine frame.

[0023] It is conceivable that the crossbeams used to stiffen the machine frame could each form part of a closed frame structure oriented perpendicular to the production direction. The vertical columns could also be used to form this closed frame structure. Such a frame structure could further include a crossbeam positioned above ground level.

[0024] Preferably, the vertical columns, via the crossbeams attached to them, absorb a weight force exerted by the chain guide device. This weight force acts on the columns via the ends formed on the crossbeams in the same direction as the weight force of the upper tool part, resulting in a simple column design.

[0025] One embodiment of the invention provides that the chain guide device has at least one additional crossbeam suspended along the production direction from the lateral longitudinal beams, corresponding to the height of the crossbeams mounted between the vertical columns. This crossbeam, which is self-supporting and attached to the chain guide device and, like the other crossbeams, is also decoupled from the longitudinal beams of the machine frame, ensures an overall robust construction of the chain guide device. In particular, it helps the chain guide device to have a rigid structure along its entire length in order to hold the film web gripped by it with the desired film tension.

[0026] The crossbeam installed between the vertical columns and the crossbeam freely supported elsewhere on the chain guide device can essentially have the same structural design, making their manufacture cost-effective.

[0027] It is possible for all crossbeams to be positioned at a lower height than the longitudinal beams. On the machine frame of the thermoforming packaging machine, this means that the respective weight forces of the tools mounted along the longitudinal beams act above the weight force exerted by the chain guide device, thus enabling a more robust overall design. Furthermore, this allows the tensile forces of the chain guide device acting along the crossbeams to be absorbed at a level lower than the guide plane of the film web, thereby shifting the tensile forces towards the center of the machine frame. This results in a more favorable force distribution on the machine frame.

[0028] It is advantageous if the chain guide device and / or the crossbeams for the chain guide device are dimensioned independently of the weight of the tool attached to the longitudinal beams. This makes it possible to use the chain guide device in a modular design on various thermoforming packaging machine types. In particular, this allows the chain guide device to be dimensioned as a module independently of any other installed configuration of the thermoforming packaging machine with regard to the tools used on it.

[0029] A simple construction is achieved by the fact that the crossbeams and / or the lateral longitudinal beams have a substantially C-shaped profile. The longitudinal beams and / or crossbeams can each be designed as bent structural elements whose cross-sections are shaped to withstand the forces acting upon them. Because the forces acting upon the longitudinal beams and the crossbeams can be reduced by means of the construction method according to the invention, their structural design is correspondingly simplified.

[0030] The invention proposes a separate mounting of the chain guide device, namely to several crossbeams mounted on the machine frame transversely to the production direction. These crossbeams are mounted decoupled from the longitudinal beams extending along the production direction on the machine frame, to which tools of the thermoforming packaging machine can be attached. The longitudinal beams extending in the production direction and the crossbeams arranged transversely to the production direction can thus be designed more simply due to their reduced load-bearing capacity. This also results in functional independence of the tools used on the thermoforming packaging machine and the chain guide device, so that the production process on the thermoforming packaging machine, and in particular the setup process of the thermoforming packaging machine, can be optimized.

[0031] The present invention is explained in more detail with reference to the following figures. They show: Fig. 1 a thermoforming packaging machine according to the invention in perspective view; Fig. 2A a separate, perspective view of the machine frame of the thermoforming packaging machine made of Fig. 1 with a chain guide device in a first position; Fig. 2B the machine frame and the chain guide device made of Fig. 2A in a cross-sectional view; Fig. 3A an isolated, perspective view of the machine frame with the chain guide device in a second position; and Fig. 3B the machine frame with the chain guide device made of Fig. 3A in a cross-sectional view.

[0032] Identical components are consistently labelled with the same reference symbols in the figures.

[0033] Fig. Figure 1 shows a schematic side view of an intermittently operating thermoforming packaging machine 1. The thermoforming packaging machine 1 has a forming station 2, a sealing station 3, a cross-cutting unit 4, and a longitudinal cutting unit 5, which are arranged in this order in a production direction R of the thermoforming packaging machine 1 on a machine frame 6. On the inlet side of the machine frame 6 is a feeding device 7, from which a film web F (see Figure 1) is fed. Fig. 2B). Furthermore, the thermoforming packaging machine 1 has a chain guide device 8 which guides the film web F along the production direction R of the thermoforming packaging machine 1 through the respective work stations mounted on the machine frame 6.

[0034] In Fig. Forming station 2 is designed as a thermoforming station in which troughs are formed in the film web F by thermoforming, for example using compressed air and / or vacuum. Forming station 2 can be configured such that several troughs are formed side by side in the direction perpendicular to the production direction R. A filling section 9 is provided downstream of forming station 2 in the production direction R, in which the troughs formed in the film web F are filled with products.

[0035] The sealing station 3 has a hermetically sealable chamber 3a in which the atmosphere in the troughs can be evacuated and / or replaced by gas purging with a replacement gas or a gas mixture before sealing with the top film dispensed by a top film transport device 10.

[0036] The cross-cutting device 4 can be designed as a punch that cuts the film web F and the top film in a direction transverse to the production direction R between adjacent troughs. The cross-cutting device 4 operates in such a way that the film web F is not cut across its entire width, but at least in one edge area remains intact. This allows for controlled onward transport of the film web F by means of the chain guide device 8.

[0037] The longitudinal cutting device 5 can be designed as a knife arrangement with which the film web F and the top film are cut between adjacent troughs and at the lateral edge of the film web in the production direction R, so that individual packages are present behind the longitudinal cutting device 5.

[0038] The thermoforming packaging machine 1 from Fig. 1 also has a control unit 11. Its function is to control and monitor the processes taking place in the thermoforming packaging machine 1. A display device 12 serves to visualize and / or influence the process sequences in the thermoforming packaging machine 1 for or by an operator.

[0039] Fig. Figure 2A shows the machine frame 6 of the thermoforming packaging machine 1 in an isolated, perspective view. Fig. Figure 2A shows that the chain guide device 8 is decoupled from lateral longitudinal beams 13 and mounted on the machine frame 6. The longitudinal beams 13 extend along the production direction R on the machine frame 6 and form a base for mounting the forming station 2, the sealing station 3, the cross-cutting device 4, and the longitudinal cutting device 5. The longitudinal beams 13 thus support the weight of these workstations.

[0040] The chain guide device 8 has lateral transport chains 14 designed to grip and transport the film web F. In particular, it shows Fig. 2A, that the chain guide device 8 is mounted on a crossbeam 15 which extends transversely to the production direction R. The crossbeam 15 is attached to the machine frame 6 below the longitudinal beams 13. A further crossbeam 15' is arranged at a distance from the crossbeam 15, which has essentially the same construction and function as the crossbeam 15, but is cantilevered and attached to the chain guide device 8.

[0041] The according to Fig. The crossbeam 15 used for mounting the chain guide device 8 has lateral ends 16 by means of which it is attached to vertical columns 17 of the machine frame 6. In the area of ​​the floor, perpendicular to the production direction R, another beam 18 extends between the vertical columns 17. The beam 18, the vertical columns 17, and the crossbeam 15 together form a substantially rectangular frame structure fixed transversely to the production direction R on the machine frame 6, resulting in a robust construction. This frame structure is particularly important in Fig. 2B is visible.

[0042] Fig. Figure 2A further shows that the respective longitudinal beams 13 are formed from essentially C-shaped frame components, for example as bent structural elements. The resulting C-shaped side frame members are mounted facing away from each other on the machine frame 6. This makes it easier to clean the longitudinal beams 13.

[0043] According to Fig. 2A On a top surface 19 of the crossbeam 15, movable support units 20 of the chain guide device 8 are positioned. The support units 20 can be continuously adjusted along the top surface 19 of the crossbeam 15 in order to grip different film web widths using the chain guide device 8 or to set a desired film tension on the film web F. The transport chain 14 is in Fig. 2A arranged along a chain guide profile 21, which is supported by the support unit 20.

[0044] Fig. Figure 2B shows the machine frame 6 in a cross-sectional view along the production direction R. A [missing information] is mounted on the two lateral longitudinal beams 13. Fig. 2B schematically depicted tool W, in particular a tool upper part 22, is attached, for example a mold tool upper part of the molding station 2. A weight force G of the tool upper part 22 is absorbed by the machine frame 6 via the lateral longitudinal beams 13. In Fig. 2B The weight force G is introduced on both sides of the machine frame 6 via the longitudinal beams 13 into the vertical columns 17. The weight force G' generated by the chain guide device 8 also acts on the vertical columns 17.

[0045] The film web F is clamped between the transport chains 14. The film tensile forces Z acting on it are transmitted to the crossbeam 15 via the lateral chain guide profiles 21 and the support units 20. The film tensile forces Z thus act essentially along the crossbeam 15 and not – as in known designs – on the lateral longitudinal beams 13. The weight force G of the upper tool part 22 acts on the machine frame 6 without influencing the chain guide device 8, i.e., the crossbeam 15 remains unloaded. Conversely, as also shows... Fig. 2B, the longitudinal beams 13 are not subjected to the film tensile forces Z of the chain guide device 8. This isolated force action on the machine frame 6 simplifies its structural design.

[0046] Fig. Figure 2B shows that the film tensile forces Z exerted on the film web F due to the film tension remain within the chain guide device 8, in particular on the crossbeam 15, i.e., are isolated from the longitudinal beams 13. A load on the chain guide device 8 caused by the film tensile forces Z can thus be decoupled from the longitudinal beams 13, so that the longitudinal beams 13 are not subjected to any transverse stress.

[0047] The in Fig. The force distribution shown in Figure 2B illustrates that the respective weight forces G, G' do not interact with the film tensile forces Z occurring along the chain guide device 8, thus ensuring that both the functionality and adjustability of the chain guide device 8 are independent of the tool components attached along the longitudinal beams 13, for example, the upper tool part 22.

[0048] In Fig. In step 2B, the two support units 20 are adjusted to their maximum relative position along the top surface 19 of the crossbeam 15. The chain guide device 8 is thus set for a minimum film width. For this purpose, the two support units 20 are shifted as far as possible within a groove 23 of the crossbeam 15 towards the center of the machine.

[0049] The crossbeam 15 is attached to the machine frame 6 at a first height H1 above a base U. The longitudinal beams 13, extending in the production direction R, are positioned on the machine frame 6 at a second height H2. The crossbeam 15 is arranged according to Fig. 2B is arranged below the longitudinal beams 13, so that the film tensile forces Z acting on it are offset further towards the center of the machine relative to the weight forces G acting on the longitudinal beams 13. The overall stability of the structure is increased by the film tensile forces F acting on the crossbeams 15, which are shifted further towards the center of the machine.

[0050] Because of the fact that in Fig. Since the longitudinal beams 13 shown in Figure 2B do not need to absorb any film tensile forces Z of the chain guide device 8, i.e., are not subjected to any torsional stress, they can be designed in a simplified manner, specifically with regard to the load caused by the weight force G of the upper tool part 22, e.g., in a C-shaped design. The outwardly open, C-shaped design of the longitudinal beams 13 is made of Fig. 2B is particularly advantageous for cleaning purposes.

[0051] Fig. Figure 2B further shows that the crossbeam 15, attached at its lateral ends 16 to the vertical columns 17, together with the support 18 positioned below it and the vertical columns 17, forms the essentially rectangular, closed frame structure. This provides a particularly robust substructure for both the chain guide device 8 and the upper tool part 22, which is ideally suited to absorbing the respective weight forces G, G' and the film tensile forces Z.

[0052] Fig. 3A shows the machine frame 6 made of Fig. 2A with the chain guide device 8 positioned thereon in a second position. In this position, the two support units 20 on the upper side 19 of the crossbeam 15 are mounted in their maximum outward adjustment. This allows a wider film web F to be gripped between the transport chains 14. Even in this setting of the chain guide device 8, the lateral longitudinal beams 13 remain unloaded from the associated film tensile forces Z.

[0053] Fig. Figure 3B shows the second setting of the chain guide device 8 in a cross-sectional perspective. The two support units 20 are displaced maximally towards the outside of the machine frame 6 in their respective grooves 23. The in Fig. The foil web shown in 3B has a greater foil width than the one in Fig. 2B shown foil strip F.

[0054] Also in Fig. 3B, based on the force flow K, which acts on the chain guide device 8 due to the film tensile forces Z of the film web F, shows that the longitudinal beams 13 remain unloaded. Rather, the longitudinal beams 13, as already shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 2B, only the weight forces G and G' act on the chain guide device 8 and are not additionally loaded by the film tensile forces Z. Conversely, it also follows that the chain guide device 8 is not loaded by the weight force G of the upper tool part 22, nor by the weight forces of other tool components attached along the longitudinal beams 13.

[0055] Essentially, the figures show that, thanks to the decoupled mounting of the chain guide device 8 and the upper tool part 22, torsional stress on both the chain guide device 8 and the longitudinal beam 13 is prevented, or at least significantly reduced. This applies regardless of the position in which the chain guide device 8 is mounted on the crossbeam 15.

[0056] The upper part of the tool 22 shown in the figures could, for example, be a molding tool upper part of the one described in Fig. The same force isolation principle applies with regard to the Fig. 2B and Fig. 3B, which is described for the tool upper part 22 and the chain guide device 8, can also be used for other tool upper parts of the thermoforming packaging machine 1, for example for a sealing tool upper part of the sealing station 3.

[0057] Because, in the invention, the film tensile forces Z generated by the film tension act on the crossbeams 15, which are mounted insulated from the longitudinal beams 13, the lateral longitudinal beams 13 remain unstressed. This force isolation means that the longitudinal beams 13 can be designed in a simpler manner primarily to absorb unidirectional weight forces, in particular the weight force G of the upper tool part 22 and the weight force G' of the chain guide device 8, i.e., without torsional stress.

[0058] Since the weight forces G introduced at the longitudinal beams 13 do not interact with the film tensile forces Z absorbed along the crossbeams 15, the upper part of the tool 22 and the chain guide device 8 can operate and be adjusted independently of each other.

[0059] In the invention, the respective crossbeams 15 form their own bearing structure on the machine frame 6 for supporting the chain guide device 8. The longitudinal beams 13 are used independently on the machine frame 6 to support tool components of the workstations of the thermoforming packaging machine 1. This decoupled bearing arrangement makes it possible, in particular, to use different tool types together with the chain guide device 8 on the thermoforming packaging machine 1, since the operation of the chain guide device 8 remains independent of any changes in the weight load on the longitudinal beams 13. QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] DE 1586180 A

[0005] DE 102008051026 A1

[0006]

Claims

[1] Thermoforming packaging machine (1) comprising a machine frame (6), a chain guide device (8) attached to the machine frame (6) for lateral transport chains (14) designed to grip a film web (F) on both sides and to transport the film web (F) in a production direction (R) of the thermoforming packaging machine (1), and at least one tool (W) designed to process the film web (F) gripped by the transport chains (14), wherein the tool (W) comprises a tool upper part (22), and wherein the machine frame (6) has lateral longitudinal beams (13) extending along the production direction (R) for attaching the tool upper part (22), by means of which a weight force (G) of the tool upper part (22) can be absorbed, characterized by, that the machine frame (6) for fastening the chain guide device (8) has several crossbeams (15) spaced apart from each other in the production direction (R), extending transversely to the production direction (R) and mounted separately from the longitudinal beams (13). [2] Thermoforming packaging machine according to claim 1, characterized by , that transverse film tensile forces (Z) along the chain guide device (8) to the production direction (R) can be absorbed in isolation from the longitudinal beams (13) by means of the cross members (15) and / or that weight forces (G) exerted by several tools (W) used on the thermoforming packaging machine (1) can be absorbed in isolation from the cross members (15) by means of the longitudinal beams (13). [3] Thermoforming packaging machine according to claim 2, characterized by, that the chain guide device (8) has two support units (20) attached to it per crossbeam (15), which are designed to transfer the transverse film tensile forces (Z) to the respective crossbeams (15). [4] Thermoforming packaging machine according to claim 3, characterized by , that the respective crossbeams (15) have a top surface (19) along which the support units (20) attached to them are adjustable transversely to the production direction (R). [5] Thermoforming packaging machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the crossbeams (15) are attached at their ends (16) to opposite vertical columns (17) of the machine frame (6) used to support the longitudinal beams (13). [6] Thermoforming packaging machine according to claim 5, characterized by , that a weight force (G` exerted by the chain guide device (8) can be absorbed by means of the vertical columns (17) via the crossbeams (15) attached to them. [7] Thermoforming packaging machine according to claim 5 or 6, characterized by , that the chain guide device (8) has at least one further crossbeam (15`) suspended from the lateral longitudinal beams (13) along the production direction (R), corresponding to a height position of the crossbeams (15) fixed between the vertical columns (17). [8] Thermoforming packaging machine according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that all crossbeams (15, 15`) are positioned at a lower height than the longitudinal beams (13). [9] Thermoforming packaging machine according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the chain guide device (8) and / or the crossbeams (15, 15`) for the chain guide device (8) is dimensioned independently of the weight of the tool (W) attached to the longitudinal beams (13). [10] Thermoforming packaging machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the crossbeams (15, 15`) and / or the lateral longitudinal beams (13) have a substantially C-shaped profile.

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