Container treatment plant and operating procedures

Abstract

The invention relates to a container treatment system for treating containers (1) with at least one treatment module (2) which has a container receptacle and a fluid supply (3) assigned to the container receptacle, wherein the fluid supply (3) is designed to introduce a treatment fluid into a container (1) and wherein the fluid supply (3) is connected in a fluid-acting manner via a supply line (5) to a filter device (6) which has at least one filter unit (8) arranged in a filter housing (7). According to the invention, a filter sterilization device (9) for sterilizing the filter unit (8) and a handling device (13) are provided, wherein the handling device (13) is designed to transfer the at least one filter unit (8) between the filter housing (7) and the filter sterilization device (9) during a sterilization operation.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a container treatment system for treating containers with at least one treatment module which has a container receptacle and a fluid supply associated with the container receptacle, wherein the fluid supply is designed to introduce a treatment fluid into a container and wherein the fluid supply is connected in a fluid-acting manner via a supply line to a filter device which has at least one filter unit arranged in the filter housing.

[0002] The invention relates in particular to container treatment systems in the field of the food industry, in particular the beverage industry, wherein treatment means all activities that affect the containers in any way, provided that a treatment fluid is used for the treatment.

[0003] For example, the container treatment plant can be a filling plant in which the containers are filled with a product. This product can also be a liquid food, particularly a beverage, which is poured into the containers in the container treatment plant. In this case, the containers are, in particular, beverage bottles, e.g., made of glass or plastic, or beverage cans.

[0004] Alternatively, the container treatment plant can also be designed as a forming plant, in which the containers are first formed into beverage bottles. This is typically done in blow molding or stretch blow molding plants, with the containers initially being in the form of so-called preforms.

[0005] Preforms are containers which are only finished in the area of ​​the container mouth with an external thread for receiving a closure cap and in which only the container body is then formed into a beverage bottle during blow forming or stretch blow forming. For this purpose, a treatment fluid, in particular a gaseous treatment fluid (e.g. compressed air), is introduced into the container, which applies internal pressure to it and presses the container body against a blow cavity. The blow cavity has the shape of the beverage bottle to be produced. In a stretch blow molding system, a so-called stretch rod is also provided, which causes the container body to be axially elongated along the container axis.

[0006] In order to enable such blow forming, the containers are usually made of a thermoplastic material, which is first heated within a heating device and softens in the process. The material is in particular polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

[0007] During blow forming or stretch blow forming, a liquid treatment fluid can also be introduced into the containers. This typically involves a material that is already intended for filling the containers. Accordingly, the containers are not only formed by the introduction of the treatment fluid but are also filled at the same time. This process is commonly referred to as a form-fill process.

[0008] Regardless of the specific design, it is known that, depending on the intended use of the container treatment system, the treatment fluid should be introduced into the containers in as sterile a state as possible. Such a sterile state is particularly important given that the containers are used to hold foodstuffs. If the bacterial load is too high, it cannot be guaranteed that the food or beverages contained therein are safe for consumption and / or their shelf life cannot be guaranteed for a sufficiently long period.

[0009] Against this background, a filter device is provided through which the treatment fluid is passed before it reaches the corresponding container via the fluid inlets. This filter device essentially consists of a filter housing and at least one filter unit arranged within the filter housing, although it is also possible, of course, to arrange multiple filter units within the filter housing, particularly in series or parallel to one another.

[0010] Since the filter units continuously filter out germs and bacteria from the treatment fluid during production, it is essential that they be reconditioned at certain intervals. This reconditioning is usually achieved by flushing the filter units with a sterilization fluid, which actively kills the bacteria.

[0011] However, this poses a problem because the filter units must be reinserted into the filter housing in a sterile state after reconditioning, and it must also be ensured that the opened filter housing is not subjected to stress during the reconditioning of the filter units. Manual removal has proven particularly problematic in this context.

[0012] Against this background, the object of the invention is to enable sterilization of the filter units while at the same time ensuring that the filter device and also the fluid supplies are not contaminated with germs or bacteria during the sterilization process.

[0013] The subject matter and solution of this problem is a container treatment plant according to patent claim 1 as well as a plant arrangement according to claim 12 and a method according to claim 14.

[0014] The container treatment system according to the invention accordingly provides a filter sterilization device for sterilizing the filter unit and a handling device, wherein the handling device is configured to transfer the at least one filter unit between the filter housing and the filter sterilization device during a sterilization operation. The handling device can be operated automatically via an associated control device, so that no manual intervention by the user is required in the transfer process between the filter sterilization device and the filter device.

[0015] Such a configuration makes it possible, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, for the handling device and the at least one filter unit, preferably the entire filter device, to be arranged within a common housing. In this context, an enclosure refers to a configuration in which the aforementioned components are separated from the environment. This is preferably achieved by a plurality of walls, although, of course, the entire container treatment system does not have to be enclosed. Rather, it is sufficient for the filter device, or at least a section of the filter device required for removing the filter unit, to be enclosed together with the handling device.

[0016] Furthermore, the filter sterilization device can also be arranged within the common housing. Alternatively, it is also possible to arrange the filter sterilization device outside the housing, in which case a closable feed opening must be provided in the housing through which the filter unit can be fed into or removed from the filter sterilization device. Accordingly, the filter sterilization device must be connected to the housing via the closable feed opening under cleanroom conditions. In this context, cleanroom conditions refer to the conditions that also exist within the housing, with particular reference to the cleanroom class.

[0017] According to a preferred embodiment, the container treatment plant is designed as a blow molding plant or stretch blow molding plant, in which containers in the form of preforms are formed into beverage bottles. The forming takes place either with a gaseous treatment fluid (e.g. compressed air) or with a liquid treatment fluid, which in this case is primarily a liquid filling material, in particular a foodstuff, e.g. a beverage (form-fill process). To enable such forming, the treatment modules each have a container receptacle designed as a blow mold. This blow mold usually consists of at least two blow mold halves, which are designed to be pivotable relative to one another and which together form a blow cavity corresponding to the shape of the beverage bottle to be produced.

[0018] When the blow cavity is open, a container in the form of a preform can be inserted, with the blow mold then being closed by pivoting the blow mold halves. A fluid supply is assigned to the container receptacle, through which, when the container is closed, the treatment fluid is introduced under pressure into the container to cause plastic deformation of the container. Typically, the fluid supply is formed on a valve device arranged above the container receptacle, so that the supply of the treatment fluid can be controlled accordingly via the valve device.

[0019] The at least one treatment module is usually arranged on a rotatably drivable carrier, so that the containers are treated as the carrier rotates. Such a configuration is also preferred for a filling system. In particular, a large number, e.g. 10 to 20 treatment modules, are arranged on the carrier so that a large number of containers can be treated simultaneously. According to such a configuration, the treatment modules, including the fluid supplies and the container receptacle, are firmly mounted on the carrier so that the treatment fluid is supplied to the containers in a rotating system. For this purpose, the fluid supplies are connected either directly or indirectly to a rotary feedthrough, which enables the treatment fluid to be transferred between a stationary line system and the rotating fluid supplies.According to such a design, the supply line is part of the fixed piping system and connects to the rotary union at the end. Accordingly, the filter device is not mounted on the rotating support but rather located upstream of the rotary union.

[0020] In order to enable a plastic deformation of the containers in a suitable manner in the first place, the container treatment plant can have a heating device which is arranged upstream of the at least one treatment module and in which the containers or the preforms are heated in order to soften the material, in particular PET.

[0021] The invention is also particularly advantageous when not only the introduction of a sterile treatment fluid is desired, but also when the containers are already sterile during treatment or are sterilized during the treatment. In particular, the container treatment system can have a container sterilization device in which the containers are sterilized. Accordingly, a distinction must be made between a filter sterilization device, which only sterilizes the filter units in a sterilization facility, and a container sterilization device, which sterilizes the containers in a production facility.

[0022] This container sterilization device is preferably arranged upstream of the at least one treatment module in the transport direction of the containers. In the case of a blow molding system, the container sterilization device can be arranged either upstream of the heating device or between the heating device and the at least one treatment module. Arranging it upstream of the heating device has the advantage that, in the case of sterilization using a container sterilization fluid, the container sterilization fluid is first introduced into the container sterilization device and then activated in the downstream heating device. The sterilizing agent is, in particular, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), peracetic acid, steam, or mixtures thereof.Furthermore, it is also conceivable for the container sterilization device to be integrated into the heating device or into the treatment modules, so that sterilization occurs during heating or during blow molding, respectively. Instead of sterilization with a container sterilization fluid, sterilization of the containers by irradiation, particularly UV irradiation, is also possible.

[0023] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the enclosure is further configured as a clean room, with the enclosure being assigned an air supply device for introducing germ-free air. In this context, a clean room is understood to be an enclosure that has a reduced number of airborne particles compared to the surrounding environment. A distinction is generally made between different cleanliness classes according to ISO 14644-1. Within the scope of the invention, cleanliness classes between ISO 3 and ISO 9 are particularly envisaged.

[0024] A preferred development of the invention provides that the filter sterilization device is configured to flow a sterilization fluid through a filter unit. Accordingly, the corresponding filter unit is inserted into the filter sterilization device for sterilization, and the corresponding sterilization fluid is then flowed through the filter unit. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), peracetic acid, steam, or mixtures thereof are particularly suitable as sterilization fluids for this purpose. The flow through the filter unit continues until a sufficient degree of sterilization is achieved. This can be verified, for example, by arranging a monitoring device downstream of the filter unit in the flow direction to monitor the microbial load of the draining, used sterilization fluid.Once a sufficient degree of sterilization has been achieved, the flow through the filter unit can then be stopped and the filter unit can be transferred back into the filter device if necessary.

[0025] A preferred development further provides that the filter sterilization device has a filter holder and a sterilization line system associated with the filter holder for introducing and discharging the sterilization fluid, wherein the sterilization line system extends out of the housing at the end. Accordingly, the flow through the filter unit is ensured via the sterilization line system. For this purpose, the sterilization line system has an inlet line and an outlet line, wherein fresh sterilization fluid can be supplied via the inlet line and the used sterilization fluid can be discharged via the outlet line. The previously described monitoring device can then also be connected to the outlet line system. It is essential that the sterilization line system extends out of the housing at the end.This preferably includes both the inlet line and the outlet line so that the sterilization fluid can be introduced and discharged without interfering with the enclosure.

[0026] With regard to the filter sterilization device, various positioning options are generally possible. For a particularly space-saving arrangement, an arrangement above or below the filter device is particularly suitable. In particular, the handling device can then also be arranged above the treatment modules. Depending on the design, it is also possible to provide an arrangement next to the filter device. This can be particularly useful if two container treatment systems or the filter device of two container treatment systems are to be sterilized simultaneously using only one handling device and only one filter sterilization device. The handling device can also be a permanently integrated component of the treatment system. The handling device is preferably arranged upstream of the rotary union.

[0027] A preferred development of the invention further provides that the handling device is also configured to open the filter housing of the filter device and subsequently remove a filter unit and / or insert a filter unit into the filter housing, and subsequently close the filter housing. It should be noted that the filter units are usually encapsulated within the filter housing, so that the filter housing must first be opened in order to remove the corresponding filter unit. To do this, the handling device can first remove a part of the filter housing and place it within the enclosure. The filter unit is then removed and inserted into the filter sterilization device. This takes place in two separate steps.When inserting a filter unit, two separate steps are also required: the first step involves inserting the filter unit and the second step involves closing the filter housing.

[0028] The handling device preferably has at least one gripper robot. The gripper robot can in turn have a multi-axis movable gripper arm with an end-side gripping means. This can be a gripping means that is suitable for various method steps and enables both the opening of the filter housing and the removal and insertion of the filter unit. Accordingly, only one gripper robot is required for both method steps. According to a preferred embodiment, the gripping means can also be designed to be interchangeable, in which case a tool magazine is arranged within the housing within reach of the gripper arm, via which tool magazine the gripper robot can independently select the appropriate gripping means. Accordingly, a first gripping means is provided for opening and closing the filter housing, wherein at least a second gripping means is provided for removing or inserting the filter unit.Alternatively, two separate gripper robots are also conceivable, with a first gripper robot having the first gripping means and the second gripper robot having the second gripping means. Accordingly, the filter housing can be opened and closed with the first gripper robot, and the filter unit can be transferred with the second gripper robot. Alternatively, a lifting device can be provided instead of the first gripper robot, which opens and closes the filter housing via a linear movement.

[0029] In principle, the invention also encompasses embodiments in which multiple filter units are arranged within the filter device. This involves at least two filter units which are arranged together within the filter housing. The filter units can be of the same or different design and can be used for the same or different filtering purposes. In particular, the filter units are selected from the group consisting of sterile filters, activated carbon filters, and particle filters. Activated carbon filters are particularly suitable for separating oils, while sterile filters are intended for separating microorganisms. If these filter units are of different design, different gripping means can also be available for the gripping robot to remove the various filter units and to insert them back into the filter housing.

[0030] A further aspect also relates to a system arrangement comprising at least two container treatment systems according to the preamble of claim 1. Accordingly, two container treatment systems are provided, each having at least one treatment module which has a container receptacle and a fluid supply associated with the container receptacle, wherein the fluid supplies are designed to introduce a treatment fluid into a container and wherein the fluid supplies are connected in a fluid-acting manner via a supply line to a filter device which has at least one filter unit arranged in a filter housing. The treatment systems can be identical or different. In particular, they are two blow molding systems or two filling systems. Alternatively, a first treatment system can also be designed as a blow molding system and a second treatment system as a filling system.

[0031] According to the invention, it is now provided that a common filter sterilization device for sterilizing the filter unit and a common handling device are assigned to the at least two container treatment systems, wherein the handling device is designed to transfer the at least one filter unit of the container treatment systems between the filter housing and the filter sterilization device in a sterilization operation.

[0032] According to such an embodiment, a housing is preferably provided here as well, which encloses not only the handling device but also the filter devices of the container treatment systems of the system arrangement. The filter sterilization device can also be arranged within the housing or connected to the housing via a closable feed opening. Accordingly, in the case of, for example, two container treatment systems arranged side by side, the filter sterilization device and the handling device can be arranged between the container treatment systems, so that the filter units of both container treatment systems can be sterilized alternately.

[0033] It is understood that the features previously discussed in connection with the container treatment plant can also be adopted for the container treatment plants in the plant arrangement.

[0034] A further aspect of the invention relates to a method for operating a container treatment plant according to the invention or a plant arrangement according to the invention, wherein, during a sterilization operation, the handling device removes a non-sterile filter unit from the filter housing and transfers it to the filter sterilization device, and wherein the non-sterile filter unit is subsequently flowed through with a sterilization fluid and sterilized in the process. This sterilization operation can, in principle, be provided between two consecutive production operations. Accordingly, it is a regularly scheduled interruption of production for the reconditioning of the filter units. Alternatively or additionally, the sterilization operation can also be provided before initial production operation or before commissioning of the container treatment plant.This ensures that a manually inserted filter unit is not used in a contaminated state.

[0035] In this context, a non-sterile filter unit is understood to be a filter unit that has already been exposed to a treatment fluid or that has not yet been sterilized by active sterilization and therefore has a higher microbial load. Accordingly, the non-sterile filter unit differs from a sterilized filter unit, particularly in its higher microbial load.

[0036] According to a further development of the invention, a sterilized filter unit is then inserted into the filter housing by the handling device. This can be the previously removed, unsterile filter unit, which is processed into a sterilized filter unit in the filter sterilization device.

[0037] Preferably, however, the sterilized filter unit is inserted during or before the sterilization of the non-sterile filter units in the filter sterilization device. Accordingly, it is assumed that a sterilized filter unit is already present, replacing the non-sterile filter unit within the filter device. Accordingly, a certain number of filter units can already be provided in a sterilized state to enable the shortest possible interruption to production operations.

[0038] Of course, several non-sterile filter units can also be removed one after the other. In this case, it is preferable to first remove all non-sterile filter units and replace them with sterilized filter units before or during the actual sterilization of the non-sterile filter units. This ensures that no sterilized filter units come into contact with the non-sterile filter units within the filter device.

[0039] A further development of the invention further provides that the sterilization fluid is hydrogen peroxide, peracetic acid, water vapor or mixtures thereof.

[0040] In addition, the filter housing is preferably opened by the handling device before the removal of the non-sterile filter unit(s) and closed again after inserting at least one filter unit.

[0041] Furthermore, it is also possible for the filter units of at least two container treatment systems to be sterilized one after the other in the shared filter sterilization device. Such a configuration has already been explained above. Preferably, the filter units of a first container treatment system are sterilized first, with the first container treatment system then being put into production mode, and with the filter units of the second container treatment system being sterilized during a sterilization operation while the first container treatment system is in production mode. This ensures that the other container treatment system can continue to operate in production mode while the filter units of one container treatment system are being sterilized.

[0042] The invention is explained in more detail below with the aid of explanatory drawings. They show: Fig. 1A, Fig. 1B, Fig. 1C a container treatment plant according to the invention or a method according to the invention for operating Fig. 2 an alternative design with a separate lifting device for the filter housing Fig. 3 an alternative design with two gripper robots.

[0043] The Fig. 1A, Fig. 1B, Fig. 1C shows a schematic representation of a container treatment system according to the invention for treating containers 1 within treatment modules 2. The treatment modules have a container receptacle (not shown in detail) and a fluid supply 3 associated with the container receptacle, via which a treatment fluid can be introduced into the containers 1. In the example shown, the container treatment system is designed as a blow molding system, so that the containers 1 are designed as preforms and are converted into beverage bottles by introducing a treatment fluid. Accordingly, the containers 1 are made of a thermoplastic material, in particular polyethylene terephthalate.

[0044] The fluid inlets 3 are connected to a supply line 5 via a rotary union 4, wherein the fluid inlet 5 is in turn fluidically connected to a filter device 6. This filter device 6 makes it possible to filter the treatment fluid before it is introduced into the containers 1, so that any germs or bacteria cannot enter the containers 1.

[0045] For this purpose, the filter device 6 comprises a filter housing 7 and at least one filter unit 8 arranged within the filter housing 7. Since the filter unit 8 is continuously exposed to the treatment fluid during production, it is necessary to recondition the filter unit 8 at certain intervals, in particular by sterilization, in order to be able to kill the accumulated germs or bacteria. In principle, several filter units 8 can also be arranged within the filter housing 7. These are then usually connected in series and have different functionalities, with the filter units 8 being designed in particular as sterile filters, activated carbon filters, or particle filters.

[0046] The Fig. 1A, Fig. 1B, Fig. 1C now show how the filter units 8 are sterilized during a sterilization operation.

[0047] According to the Fig. 1A, a filter sterilization device 9 is provided for this purpose, into which the filter units 8 must be inserted for sterilization. The filter sterilization device 9 has a sterilization line system 10 consisting of an inlet line 11 and an outlet line 12, wherein a sterilization fluid is introduced into the filter sterilization device 9 via the inlet line 11.

[0048] In addition, a handling device 13 is provided, which in the example shown has at least one gripping robot 14, via which the filter units 8 are removed from the filter housing 7 and transferred to the filter sterilization device 9.

[0049] This is particularly evident in the Fig. 1B and Fig. 1C, whereby the filter device 6 is first separated from the supply line 5 in a fluid-tight manner via shut-off valves 15a, 15b.

[0050] In addition, the filter device 7 as well as the filter sterilization device 9 and the handling device 13 are surrounded by a common housing 16, which is designed as a clean room and in which no intervention by a person usually takes place.

[0051] According to the Fig. 1B, the gripping robot 14 now removes the filter housing 7 or a part of the filter housing 7 and places it on a housing shelf 17.

[0052] Then, according to the Fig. 1C, removal of the filter unit 8 is possible, which is not only removed from the filter housing 7 via the gripping robot 14 but is then also arranged in the filter sterilization device 9.

[0053] The filter unit 8 can then be sterilized by introducing the sterilization fluid via the inlet line 11. The sterilization fluid is, in particular, hydrogen peroxide, peracetic acid, steam, or mixtures thereof. The sterilization fluid is supplied from outside the housing 16 and also removed again, so that the inlet line 11 and the outlet line 12 are respectively routed out of the housing 6.

[0054] After sterilization, the filter unit 8 can be reinserted into the filter housing 7 via the gripper robot 13, and the filter housing 7 can be closed. Of course, it is also possible to sterilize several filter units 8 one after the other. Furthermore, it is also conceivable to insert an additional filter unit 8, so that production can resume during the actual sterilization.

[0055] The Fig. Figure 2 shows an alternative embodiment in which the handling device 13 comprises, on the one hand, a gripping robot 14, which in this case, however, is required exclusively for transferring the filter unit 8 into the filter sterilization device 9. The opening and closing of the filter housing 7 is effected via a lifting device 18, which enables movement of a part of the filter housing 7 in the vertical direction V. Accordingly, the handling device 13 consists of the lifting device 18 and the gripping robot 14.

[0056] According to the Fig. 3, the handling device 13 has a first gripping robot 14a and a second gripping robot 14b, wherein the first gripping robot 14a is provided for opening and closing the filter housing 7 and the second gripping robot 14b is provided for transferring the filter unit 8 into the filter sterilization device 9. List of reference symbols 1 container 2 treatment modules 3 Fluid supply 4 rotary union 5 Supply line 6 Filter device 7 filter housings 8 filter units 9 Filter sterilization device 10 sterilization line system 11 Inlet line 12 Outlet line 13 Handling device 14, 14a, 14b Gripper robots 15a, 15b Shut-off valves 16 Enclosure 17 Housing shelf 18 Lifting device V vertical direction QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

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

[0000] ISO 3

[0023] ISO 9

[0023]

Claims

[1] Container treatment system for treating containers (1) with at least one treatment module (2) which has a container receptacle and a fluid supply (3) associated with the container receptacle, wherein the fluid supply (3) is designed to introduce a treatment fluid into a container (1) and wherein the fluid supply (3) is connected via a supply line (5) in a fluid-acting manner to a filter device (6) which has at least one filter unit (8) arranged in a filter housing (7), characterized by that a filter sterilization device (9) for sterilizing the filter unit (8) and a handling device (13) are provided, wherein the handling device (13) is designed to transfer the at least one filter unit (8) between the filter housing (7) and the filter sterilization device (9) in a sterilization operation. [2] Container treatment plant according to claim 1, characterized bythat the handling device (13) and the at least one filter unit (8) are arranged within a common housing (16). [3] Container treatment plant according to claim 2, characterized by that the filter sterilization device (9) is arranged within the common housing (16) or is connected to it via a closable feed opening under clean room conditions. [4] Container treatment plant according to claim 2 or 3, characterized by that the housing (16) is designed as a clean room, wherein the housing (16) is assigned an air supply device for introducing germ-free air. [5] Container treatment plant according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the filter sterilization device (9) is designed to flow a sterilization fluid through the filter unit (8). [6] Container treatment plant according to claim 5, characterized bythat the filter sterilization device (9) has a filter holder and a sterilization line system (10) assigned to the filter holder for introducing and removing the sterilization fluid, wherein the sterilization line system (10) is led out of the housing (16) at the end. [7] Container treatment plant according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the filter sterilization device (9) is arranged above, below or next to the filter device (6). [8] Container treatment plant according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the handling device (13) is designed to open the filter housing (7) of the filter device (6) and then to remove a filter unit (8) and / or to insert a filter unit (8) into the filter housing (7) and then to close the filter housing (7). [9] Container treatment plant according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the handling device (13) has at least one gripping robot (14, 14a, 14b). [10] Container treatment plant according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the filter device (6) has at least two filter units (8). [11] Container treatment plant according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the filter units (8) are designed as sterile filters, particle filters and / or as activated carbon filters. [12] Plant arrangement comprising at least two container treatment plants according to the preamble of claim 1, characterized byin that a common filter sterilization device (9) for sterilizing the filter unit (8) and a common handling device (13) are assigned to the at least two container treatment systems, wherein the handling device (13) is designed to transfer the at least one filter unit (8) between the filter housing (7) and the filter sterilization device (9) in a sterilization operation. [13] System arrangement according to claim 12, characterized by that at least one, preferably all, of the at least two container treatment plants is designed according to one of claims 2 to 10. [14] Method for operating a container treatment plant according to one of claims 1 to 11 or a plant arrangement according to claim 12 or 13, wherein during a sterilization operation the handling device (13) removes a non-sterile filter unit (8) from the filter housing (7) and transfers it into the filter sterilization device (9), wherein the non-sterile filter unit (8) is subsequently flowed through with a sterilization fluid and is sterilized in the course of this. [15] Method according to claim 14, characterized by that a sterilized filter unit (8) is inserted into the filter housing (7) by the handling device (13). [16] Method according to claim 15, characterized by that the insertion of the sterilized filter unit (8) takes place during or before the sterilization of the used filter unit (8) in the filter sterilization device (9). [17] Method according to one of claims 14 to 16, characterized bythat the sterilization fluid is steam or hydrogen peroxide. [18] Method according to one of claims 14 to 17, characterized by that before removing the used filter unit (8) the filter housing (7) is opened by the handling device and is closed again after inserting at least one filter unit (8). [19] Method according to one of claims 14 to 18, characterized by that the filter units (8) of at least two container treatment plants are sterilized one after the other in the common filter sterilization device (9).

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