Method and apparatus for sterilizing a forming station

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and devices for the method of at least partially sterilizing forming stations (3) of a forming wheel (32) of a forming machine (1), in particular a stretch blow molding machine (1), wherein each forming station (3) comprises a forming head (6) with a forming nozzle (10) and forming valves (7), as well as a forming tool (4), wherein in the forming machine (1) expanded containers (103) are produced from preforms (102) made of a thermoplastic material by applying a pressure medium through the forming nozzle (10), wherein the forming wheel (32) has a plurality of forming stations (4) which are arranged on a rotating carrier of the forming wheel (32), wherein each forming tool (4) can assume an open and a closed state and in the closed state forms an interior space (13) in which the forming process from the preform (102) to the expanded container (103) takes place.wherein the forming station (3) is sterilized by means of a separate sterilization device (9) comprising a sterilization head (16), the sterilization device (9) with the sterilization head (16) is arranged in a first position (P1) outside the forming wheel (32), the sterilization device (9), in particular the sterilization head (16), has at least a first supply line (19) for a sterilizing fluid (15) through which the sterilizing fluid (15) is directed to the forming station (3), the sterilization by means of the separate sterilization device (9) takes place when the forming tool (4) is empty, to sterilize the forming station (2) the sterilization head (16) is inserted from outside the forming wheel (32) in a sealing manner between the forming head (6) and the forming tool (4) in order to introduce the sterilizing fluid (15) into the forming station (3) in a third position (P3).

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