Method for exchanging mold bars in capsule manufacturing, system for production of capsule shells and gripper

Abstract

The present invention discloses a gripper (5) for gripping and releasing an array (3) of mold bars (2), the mold bars (2) being used in a production line (1) for the production of hard capsule shells, a mold bar (2) comprising mold pins (2-1) with a shape which corresponds to the shape of the hard capsule shell to be produced; the gripper (5) comprising a gripper frame (5-1), a slit frame (5-2) with a slit (5-3) and a gripper bar (5-4); and a method for exchanging mold bars (2) in a production line (1) for the production of hard capsule shells. The protrusion of the gripper bar (5-4) downwards over the gripper frame (5-1) is equal to or smaller than the distance in vertical direction from the bottom side of the gripper frame (5-1) to the upper side of the slit (5-3) of the slit frame (5-2).

Description

[0001] METHOD FOR EXCHANGING MOLD BARS IN CAPSULE MANUFACTURING, SYSTEM FOR PRODUCTION OF CAPSULE SHELLS AND GRIPPER

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present invention discloses a gripper for gripping arrays of mold bars and a method for exchanging mold bars in a production line for the production of hard capsule shells as well as a system for the production of hard capsule shells.

[0004] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0005] Hard capsules are a common dosage form for pharma, health & nutrition.

[0006] A hard capsule shell is usually prepared by dip molding. Dip molding means dipping a mold pin into a solution or dispersion of a film forming polymer, the mold pin has the corresponding shape to a capsule, this solution or dispersion of a film forming polymer is also called melt. After extraction of the mold pin from the melt, some of the melt adheres to the mold pin and a polymer film is formed and shaped on the mold pin with the shape of a capsule.

[0007] A hard capsule shell comprises two parts, a cap and a body, each of the cap and the body are prepared separately by a dip molding process with a respective mold pin shaped to provide either the cap or the body.

[0008] The term "hard capsule" refers usually to a capsule that is produced by at first producing a hard capsule shell, that is an empty hard capsule shell, and then encapsulating contents in said hard capsule shell providing a filled hard capsule shell. The invention is concerned with the first step, the production of an empty hard capsule shell. A hard capsule shell is also called a two part hard capsule shell or two piece hard capsule shell, the two parts or two pieces are the cap and the body of the hard capsule shell.

[0009] The cap and the body are two separate parts which engage telescopically with each other. When telescopically joined together they form the hard capsule shell, which can be empty or filled. The words "capsule" and "capsule shell" are often usedinterchangeably, in the sense of the invention the term "capsule" rather refers to a hard capsule shell filled with a content.

[0010] The term "shell" refers usually to a polymer which forms the film which again forms the wall of the hard capsule shell, so a capsule shaped hard polymer is also called shell or capsule shell. Often the terms "shell" and "wall" are used interchangeably. The hard capsule shell in the sense of this invention refers to the cap and the body, which may be telescopically engaged with each other, when the capsule shell is closed, or separated from each other when the hard capsule shell is open.

[0011] The cap and the body are telescopically engageable to provide the hard capsule shell. Both the cap and the body have essentially two regions in longitudinal direction, a dome shaped region, which is the closed end of the cap or of the body, respectively, and a region with an open end which is opposite to the closed end. The region with the open end is an essentially cylindrically shaped region, that is the part of the wall in this region is essentially cylindrically shaped; usually this part of the wall begins with the rim of the open end and extends in longitudinal direction towards, and usually abuts, the dome shaped region. The diameters of the cap and the body are preferably such that the cylindrical part of the body fits telescopically into the cylindrical part of the cap. For closing the hard capsule shell the cylindrical part of the cap is slid telescopically over at least part of the cylindrical part of the body, or in other words the cylindrical part of the body is inserted telescopically into at least part of the cavity formed by the cylindrical part of the cap. The telescopic engagement happens co-axially with respect to the longitudinal axis of the cap and the body. In the closed hard capsule shell the dome shaped ends of the cap and the body are the two ends of the hard capsule shell in longitudinal direction.

[0012] The term "capsule prepared by dip molding" means that both the cap and the body of the capsule are prepared each separately by a respective dip molding process. Once the cap or the body, as the case may be, has formed on the mold pin, it is removed from the mold pin.

[0013] The axial, also called longitudinal, direction is the direction from the closed end of the cap to the closed end of the body of a closed capsule and vice versa, and / or from the open end of the cap (or the body, respectively) to the closed end of the cap (or thebody, respectively) and vice versa, whereas the radial direction is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

[0014] The terms "inner" and "outer" and the terms "inside" and "outside" refer to a position in radial direction. The cavity is the inside of the body or of the cap or of the hard capsule shell, the exterior is the outside of the body or of the cap or of the hard capsule shell, respectively.

[0015] So a mold pin has essentially the two regions which are corresponding to the respective regions of a hard capsule shell: a dome shaped end corresponding to the dome shaped end of the cap or the body, respectively, and cylindrical region which extends from the dome shaped end and which is corresponding to the cylindrical part of the cap or the body, respectively.

[0016] Typical sizes of a hard capsule shell are known to the skilled person and may be for example expressed in the sizes 000, OOel, 00, Oel, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 9, for example as disclosed in Pharmaceutical Capsules, Second Edition, 2014, edited by F. Podczeck and B. E. Jones, Pharmaceutical Press, London, UK, page 84, Table 4.1. Closed joined length of the hard capsule shell may vary from 11 to 27 mm, cap length from 6 to 13 mm, body length from 9 to 23 mm, cap diameter from 4 to 10 mm and body diameter from 4 to 10 mm.

[0017] A typical wall thickness of a hard capsule shell is 100 micrometer.

[0018] For each capsule size a respective mold pin is required having the corresponding size and geometry of the intended capsule size and geometry.

[0019] In production of hard capsule shells the mold pins are fixed to a bar which is an elongated bar with a rectangular cross section, that is a bar with a cuboid shape, having the mold pins fixed onto one of its surfaces, with all mold pins being fixed onto the same surface one after the other in a straight row in the direction of the length of the surface. These bars with the mold pins fixed to it are called mold bars. The mold bars are moved through the production line, passing through stages such as the dipping stage, the drying stage and the cutting and removal stage. This movement of the mold bars is a continuous, cyclic and automatized movement of themold bars through the production line. This means that once a mold bar has started from a certain position in the production line and has passed through all stages, which come one after the other in the production line, after this certain starting position, the mold bar is fed back into this certain starting position and the passage through all the ensuing stages begins again. This is repeated until the desired number of capsules has been produced. The production line handles a multitude of mold bars consecutively in a production campaign. The production line comprises respective means for moving each mold bar consecutively, from the certain starting position through all stages and again into this certain starting position. The continuous movement of the mold bars in the production line is essentially a circular movement through the production line and can thus also be referred to as a cycle, with the term circular not necessarily meant in a geometrical sense, but in the sense that it describes the cycle of a mold bar starting from said certain position, moving through all ensuing stages and again back into the starting position, where the whole cycle starts again.

[0020] Depending on the size and the layout of the production line, it may be that 500, 750, 1000, 1250 or even more mold bars are continuously moved consecutively in such circular movement in the production line.

[0021] In a production line for producing hard capsule shells, all mold pins and all mold bars typically have the same size and geometry in one production campaign resulting in the production of hard capsule shells of the same size.

[0022] When in a next production campaign, a hard capsule shell of a size and / or shape different from the previous production campaign has to be produced, which requires a mold pin with a different size and / or shape than the one which was previously used in the production line, all the mold bars, and thereby also all the mold pins, corresponding to the previously produced capsule size and / or shape need to be exchanged in the production line against mold bars, that is with mold pins, whichcorrespond to the desired new capsule size and / or shape which is intended to be produced.

[0023] For this purpose, all mold bars with mold pins of the previous size and / or shape need to be removed from the production line and all the new mold bars with the mold pins of the new size and / or shape have to be inserted into the production line.

[0024] The mold bars are usually made of steel having a respective weight; the weight of a mold bar can for example be from 0.6 to 1.5 kg. Exchanging all mold bars of the previous size against the new mold bars of the new size means handling of several hundred kilograms, usually well over a ton of steel, in some cases even several tons of steel. For example, a production line may contain 2500 mold bars weighing 1 kg each, which sums up to 2.5 tons of steel.

[0025] Doing this exchange of the mold bars manually requires usually a slowing down of the manufacturing speed of the production line, if not even actually including intermittent times of standstill of the production line in order to exchange all mold bars manually. Usually it requires a slowing down together with intermittent standstills of the production line. This causes essentially a down time of the production line which, in turn, results in an increase of the production costs of the manufacture of the hard capsule shells.

[0026] Furthermore the handling of several tons of steel entails health and security issues and risks for the operators.

[0027] Chinese utility model CN220313913U in this respect discloses a demoulding mechanism that facilitates demoulding of multiple rows of hollow capsules and collects the demoulded hollow capsule shells at the same time, thereby improving the production efficiency of hollow capsules.United States Patents US 5,945,136 discloses a system for the manufacture of capsules including an elevator for manipulating and uniformly heating a plurality of vertically stacked pin bars prior to dipping. The heated elevator station is positioned before the dipping station as part of the capsule-making machine and comprises a series of vertically stacked pin bars. Each elevator stack is selectively moved up or down by means of one or more hydraulic cylinders.

[0028] There was the need for a solution to be able to produce capsule shells of different sizes in a continuously running production line, preferably even without the need of slowing down the production speed of the production line.

[0029] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0030] The problem is solved by the gripper, the method for exchanging mold bars in a production line for the production of hard capsule shells and the system for the production of hard capsule shells as defined in the independent claims. Further embodiments are described in the dependent claims and in the description and are shown in the attached figures.

[0031] According to one aspect of the invention, the above mentioned problem is solved by a gripper for gripping and releasing an array of mold bars, the mold bars being used in a production line for the production of hard capsule shells, a mold bar comprising mold pins with a shape which corresponds to the shape of the hard capsule shell to be produced;

[0032] the gripper comprising a gripper frame, a slit frame with a slit and a gripper bar; the slit frame and the gripper bar being attached to the gripper frame and protruding over the bottom side of the gripper frame in vertical direction downwards;

[0033] the slit frame and / or the gripper bar being movably attached to the gripper frame;

[0034] the slit frame having a length and a height;the direction of the length of the slit frame being in horizontal direction! the direction of the height of the slit frame being in vertical direction!

[0035] the gripper bar being defined by a gripper bar length, a gripper bar width and a gripper bar thickness,

[0036] the direction of the gripper bar width extending in vertical direction!

[0037] the direction of the gripper bar length being horizontal and parallel to the direction of the length of the slit frame!

[0038] the slit frame having the slit on the side of the slit frame facing horizontally towards the gripper bar and the slit extending in the slit frame in horizontal direction in the direction of the length of the slit frame!

[0039] the open side of the slit facing horizontally towards the gripper bar,

[0040] the protrusion of the gripper bar downwards over the gripper frame being equal to or smaller than the distance in vertical direction from the bottom side of the gripper frame to the upper side of the slit of the slit frame.

[0041] According to another aspect, the problem is solved by a method for exchanging mold bars in a production line for the production of hard capsule shells!

[0042] wherein the mold bars contained in the production line, called old mold bars, are arranged in arrays of mold bars, called old arrays, by the production line, each old array in the production line is automatically exchanged in the production line against an array of new mold bars, called new array, this automatic exchange is done by a robot with a gripper,

[0043] with the gripper being a gripper according to the invention, also with all its embodiments.A production campaign for the purpose of the invention can be the production of hard capsule shells by the production line in a size and / or shape that requires a correspondingly sized and / or shaped mold pin and can go on until a change of mold pins in the production line is required, for example due to a change of size and / or shape of the hard capsule shells that are to be produced, or due to a different requirement for an exchange of mold pins. So a production campaign for the purpose of the invention can be defined to be any production of hard capsule shells by a production line in between two consecutive exchanges of mold pins.

[0044] According to another aspect, the problem is solved by a system for the production of hard capsule shells comprising:

[0045] • a gripper for gripping and releasing an array of mold bars, the mold bars being used in a production line for the production of hard capsule shells, a mold bar comprising mold pins with a shape which corresponds to the shape of the hard capsule shell to be produced; and

[0046] • at least one such array of mold bars;

[0047] with the gripper being a gripper according to the invention, also with all its embodiments.

[0048] DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0049] The term gripping in connection with the gripping of an array of mold bars by the gripper comprises both the actual performance of gripping the array and also the performance of holding the gripped array.

[0050] According to the present invention the gripper comprises the gripper frame, the slit frame with the slit and the gripper bar; the slit frame and the gripper bar serve as means for effecting gripping and releasing of an array of mold bars. The gripper frame, the slit frame and the gripper bar can, for example, be made of steel.

[0051] The gripper frame is constructed such that it serves the purpose as described herein, which is essentially:• attaching the robot arm to the gripper frame;

[0052] • attaching the slit frame to the gripper frame;

[0053] • attaching the gripper bar to the gripper frame, horizontally opposite of the slit frame, so that the slit frame and the gripper bar face each other;

[0054] • preferably, attaching bar grippers, with the bar grippers as described herein, also with all their embodiments, to the bottom side of the gripper frame.

[0055] Preferably, the gripper frame is movably attached to the robot arm; and / or

[0056] the slit frame is movably attached to the gripper frame; and / or

[0057] the gripper bar is movably attached to the gripper frame; and / or

[0058] any bar gripper is movably attached to the bottom side of the gripper frame.

[0059] The gripper frame can be, for example, a plate, a block or a frame; preferably the gripper frame has a rectangular shape in horizontal direction.

[0060] The orientation of the gripper and its components in the horizontal and vertical direction is the orientation, which the gripper and its components have in a condition, when the gripper is attached to the robot arm and the slit frame and the gripper bar are protruding over the bottom side of the gripper frame downwards. Also the upper and bottom side of the gripper and its components are the upper and bottom side of the gripper and its components in a condition, when the gripper is attached to the robot and the slit frame and the gripper bar are protruding over the bottom side of the gripper frame downwards.

[0061] The gripper frame is defined by a length, the gripper frame length, and a height, the gripper frame height, and a thickness, the gripper frame thickness.

[0062] The direction of the gripper frame length and of the gripper frame width are perpendicular to each other and extend in horizontal direction, the direction of the gripper frame height extends in vertical direction and is perpendicular to the direction of the gripper frame length and of the gripper frame width.The side of the gripper frame that faces in vertical direction downwards is called the bottom side of the gripper frame.

[0063] Preferably, the gripper frame has a rectangular shape extending with its length and its width in horizontal direction.

[0064] Either the slit frame or the gripper bar are movably attached to the gripper frame. It is also possible, that the slit frame and the gripper bar are both movably attached to the gripper frame.

[0065] Preferably, both the slit frame and the gripper bar are movably attached to the gripper frame.

[0066] In an embodiment, the slit frame is movably attached to the gripper frame for relative movement of the slit frame towards and away from the gripper bar.

[0067] Preferably, the movement towards and away from the gripper bar has two end points which are separated by a distance from each other which is equal to, or larger than, preferably larger than, the depth of the slit.

[0068] The slit frame can also be referred to as a slit plate; essentially, the slit frame is a part, preferably a frame or a plate, constructed such that it suits to the purpose of:

[0069] • providing said slit in its lower section,

[0070] • preferably being movably attached to the gripper frame.

[0071] The slit frame can be defined by a length, the slit frame length, and a height, the slit frame height, and a width, the slit frame width,

[0072] The direction of the slit frame length and of the slit frame width are perpendicular to each other and extend in horizontal direction, the direction of the slit frame height extends in vertical direction and is perpendicular to the direction of the slit frame length and of the slit frame width.

[0073] Preferably, the slit frame has a rectangular shape extending with its length and its width in horizontal direction.The slit of the slit frame is defined by a length, the slit length, by a height, the slit height, and by a depth, the depth of the slit. The directions of the slit length and of the depth of the slit are perpendicular to each other and extend, in case that the slit does not have a slit angle, in horizontal direction, the direction of the slit height is perpendicular to the direction of the slit length and to the direction of the depth of the slit, the direction of the slit height extends in vertical direction.

[0074] The depth of the slit extends from the side of the slit frame, which faces the gripper bar, into the slit frame.

[0075] Preferably, the shape of a cross section through the slit perpendicular to the length of the slit is essentially rectangular! and / or

[0076] in a vertical cross section perpendicular to the direction of the slit length, the slit has four inner sides, two vertical sides opposite each other and two horizontal sides opposite to each other, which are the upper and the lower side of the slit, one of the two vertical sides is the open side, also called open vertical side, and faces horizontally towards the gripper bar! the other three sides of the cross section of the slit are closed and are part of the slit frame! and / or

[0077] in said vertical cross section, the lower side of the slit has a length, the length of the lower side of the slit! the upper side has a length, the length of the upper side of the slit! and a closed vertical side of the slit has a length, the length of the closed vertical side of the slit.

[0078] Preferably,

[0079] • the direction of the length of the lower side of the slit is parallel to the direction of the length of the upper side of the slit! and / or

[0080] • the direction of the length of the closed vertical side of the slit is perpendicular to the direction of the length of the lower side of the slit! and / or • the direction of the length of the closed vertical side of the slit is perpendicular to the direction of the length of the upper side of the slit.

[0081] More preferably, the direction of the length of the lower side of the slit is parallel to the direction of the length of the upper side of the slit, and the direction of the length of the closed vertical side of the slit is perpendicular to the direction of thelength of the lower side of the slit, in this embodiment the cross section of the slit has the shape of a rectangle.

[0082] The slit is positioned in the slit frame at a position below the bottom side of the gripper frame.

[0083] In one embodiment, the slit frame is a plate or a frame which has attachment means for attachment to the gripper frame in its upper section and the slit in its lower section.

[0084] The slit frame is preferably movably attached to the gripper frame which allows for a movement of the slit frame relative to the gripper frame. The movement of the slit frame is preferably a relative movement of the slit frame towards and / or away from the gripper bar. The movement of the slit frame, relative to the gripper frame, in the direction perpendicular to the direction of the length of the slit frame is a movement wherein at least a vector of the movement is in horizontal direction perpendicular to the direction of the length of the slit frame. The movement of the slit frame relative to the gripper frame can be a linear or an angular or a tilting movement; preferably a tilting movement and / or a linear movement, more preferably a tilting movement.

[0085] The gripper bar can also be a gripper plate or a gripper rod and can also be referred to as such; essentially, the gripper bar is a part which is constructed to suit the purpose of

[0086] • providing an elongated bar, rod or plate, preferably a bar or a plate, which can be positioned such that it abuts a first row of mold pins of an array of mold bars which extends at a side of the array in the direction of the width of the array;

[0087] • preferably being movably attached to the gripper frame.

[0088] The direction of the gripper bar width is vertical;

[0089] the direction of the gripper bar thickness is horizontal and perpendicular to the direction of its length;the gripper bar length is larger than the gripper bar width;

[0090] preferably, the gripper bar width is larger than the gripper bar thickness.

[0091] Preferably, the gripper bar is a rod, a bar or a plate, preferably a bar or a plate, defined by the gripper bar length, the gripper bar width and the gripper bar thickness and, more preferably, has, perpendicular to the direction of it length, a rectangular cross section.

[0092] Preferably,

[0093] • the gripper bar length is least equal to or larger than the length of the distance between two outermost mold pins in a row of mold pins in an array in the direction of the width of the array; and / or

[0094] • the gripper bar length is equal to or larger than the length of the slit in the slit frame.

[0095] An upper limit of the length of the gripper bar is essentially given only by the surroundings and practicability of its use; so preferably the length of the gripper bar is essentially the same as the length of the slit of the slit frame.

[0096] Preferably, the gripper bar is positioned, with respect to its length and the direction of its length, centered relative to the slit. Namely, the gripper bar is preferably positioned at the gripper frame such that the length of gripper bar in perpendicular projection onto the slit of the slit frame is centered in the length of the slit frame.

[0097] Preferably, the gripper bar is movably attached to the gripper frame so that the gripper bar can be moved horizontally in the direction perpendicular to the direction of the gripper bar length. The movement of the gripper bar is preferably a relative movement of the gripper bar towards and / or away from the slit frame. The movement of the gripper bar can be done between two end points of the movement which preferably have a distance from each other of a length which is at least 1 mm, more preferably larger than the depth of the slit in the slit frame.

[0098] As in case of a movement of the slit frame, also in case of the movement of the gripper bar the movement has at least a vector in the horizontal directionperpendicular to the direction of the length of the gripper bar. The movement of the gripper bar can be a linear or an angular or a tilting movement; preferably a linear movement; more preferably it is a linear movement in the horizontal direction perpendicular to the direction of the length of the gripper bar.

[0099] The protrusion, in particular the length of the protrusion of the gripper bar downwards over the gripper frame can also be referred to as a distance in vertical direction from the bottom side of the gripper frame downwards to the bottom side of the gripper bar.

[0100] Preferably the distance in vertical direction from the lower side of the gripper frame downwards to the bottom side of the gripper bar is equal to or smaller than the distance in vertical direction from the bottom side of the gripper frame to the upper side of the slit; and, more preferably,

[0101] • is smaller than the distance in vertical direction from the bottom side of the gripper frame to the upper side of the slit; and / or

[0102] • is equal to or smaller than [(distance in vertical direction from the bottom side of the gripper frame to the upper side of the slit) minus (a fraction of the length of a mold pin)]; and / or

[0103] • is equal to or smaller than [(distance in vertical direction from the bottom side of the gripper frame to the upper side of the slit) minus at least 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 mm], with a smaller distance being preferred over a larger one.

[0104] Preferably, the distance in vertical direction downwards from the bottom side of the gripper frame to the upper side of the slit is equal or larger, preferably larger, than the length of a mold pin;

[0105] more preferably, when spacer bars are used, equal or larger, preferably larger, than the spacer bar width.

[0106] Said distance can be

[0107] at least 1.01, 1.05, 1.1, 1.15, or 1.2 times the length of a mold pin or times the spacer bar width, with a higher factor preferred over a lower one! and / or• at least 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, or 45 mm, with a higher minimum value being preferred over a lower minimum value! and / or

[0108] • up to 100, 90, 80, 70, or 60 mm, with a lower maximum value being preferred over a higher maximum value!

[0109] any of the lower limits can be combined with any of the upper limits.

[0110] The slit frame and the gripper bar are preferably arranged at the gripper frame such that when the gripper is in a so called open condition, the distance between the slit frame and the gripper bar is preferably larger than the length of the mold bars of the array. In contrast to this open condition, when the gripper is in a so-called closed position, that means when the slit frame and / or the gripper bar have been moved towards the respective other, the distance between the slit frame and the gripper bar is preferably in the range of the length of the mold bars, and / or in the range of [(length of the mold bars) minus (mold bar start length + mold bar end length) / 2].

[0111] When the slit frame and, optionally, the gripper bar can be moved between their two respective end points of their movement, then a maximum distance, e.g. in the open condition of the gripper, and a minimum distance, e.g. in the closed condition of the gripper, between the slit frame and the gripper bar can be realized.

[0112] Preferably, said maximum distance is larger and said minimum distance is smaller than the length of the mold bars, and / or than [(length of the mold bars) minus (mold bar start length + mold bar end length) / 2],

[0113] If not stated otherwise, any reference to a distance between the slit frame and the gripper bar, when not mentioning a maximum and / or a minimum provided for by any movement of the slit frame and / or the gripper bar, is the medium distance between said maximum and minimum distance.

[0114] A typical distance between the slit frame and the gripper bar can be

[0115] at least 200, 300, 400, 450, or 500 mm, with a larger distance being preferred over a smaller one! and / or• not more than 900, 800, 700, 650, or 600 mm, with a smaller distance being preferred over a larger one! and / or

[0116] • from 200 to 900 mm, from 300 to 800 mm, from 400 to 700 mm, from 450 to 650 mm or from 500 to 600 mm, with a more narrow range preferred over a broader range.

[0117] The gripping of an array of mold bars by the gripper according to the invention, which has a slit frame and a gripper bar, is effected by sliding the ends of the mold bars on one side of the array into the slit and by abutting the other side of the array by the gripper bar. This sliding and this abutting results from a relative movement of the slit frame, and thereby the slit, and of the gripper bar towards each other. The release of the array from the gripper is essentially effected by moving the slit frame, and thereby the slit, away from the array after the array has been placed by the robot in its target location.

[0118] With the gripper according to the invention which has a slit frame and a gripper bar, several advantages can be achieved.

[0119] The gripper according to the invention provides an easy and reliable gripping of an object, in particular an array of mold bars. The gripping can be achieved by inserting the edge of the array, in particular the ends of bars of mold bars of the array, into the slit and subsequently or simultaneously reducing the distance between the slit frame and the gripper bar. Thereby, the gripper bar can be brought into contact with a surface of the array, which is opposite to the edge of the array inserted into the slit. The surface of the array with which the gripper bar is brought into contact with may be the opposite ends of the bars of the mold bars of the array or preferably a side surface of mold pins of the array.

[0120] In particular, by providing a slit frame with a slit, one edge of the array can be received in the slit, thereby providing a first point of holding the array. Since the gripper furthermore includes a gripper bar, a second point of holding the array canbe provided. By relative movement between the slit frame and the gripper bar, in particular by reducing the relative distance between the slit frame and gripper bar, the array will be clamped between the slit frame and the gripper bar. This clamping serves to avoid that the array slides out of this slit when it is moved by the gripper.

[0121] Since only one edge of the object to be gripped, in particular the array of mold bars, has to be inserted into a slit, only this side of the array has to be accessible from the side and to allow the gripper to become in contact with the underside of the array at this edge of the array. The gripper bar can be brought into contact with a surface which is above the underside of the array. Thus the edge of the array opposed to the edge which is inserted into the slit can be resting on a support surface. Thereby, the gripping of the object, in particular array, is simplified. In addition, as the array only has to be aligned with one edge with a slit, while the opposite side of the array can be brought into contact with the gripper bar from the side, no alignment of the opposite side with an additional slit or other holding geometry is necessary. This further simplifies the gripping of the array and thus reduces the time necessary for the actual gripping of the array.

[0122] In addition, the sliding of the mold bars into the slit allows for a lifting of the array without the need of, or at least with a reduced need of, a clamping force, which has to be applied by the gripper, in particular a horizontal clamping force. The force with which the gripper bar is abutting the array is only required in an amount that avoids the array sliding horizontally of out of the slit and is not required in an amount which would be needed for a vertical fixing of the array and for a lifting of its weight while being lifted, if no slit were provided.

[0123] Therefore, since the slit frame provides a slit into which the edge of the array can be inserted, a slipping of the array downwards can be avoided in a simple manner! for example no respective clamping force is required to fix the array in the gripper against a vertical slipping of the array out of the gripper.So the vertical fixation of the array and the lifting of its weight is simply realized by the insertion of an edge of the mold bars into the slit, and no active exercising of a force in vertical direction for fixing the mold bars in the slit is required while they are being lifted.

[0124] The gripping of an array by the gripper, when effected by both described means, namely the slit frame and the gripper bar, provides for an efficient and fast gripping of an array by the gripper, for a save moving of the array by the robot while being gripped by the gripper without the danger of an accidental sliding of the array out of the slit while being moved, and for an efficient and fast release of the array when place in its target location.

[0125] With the gripper according to the present invention, the handling and exchange of a multitude of mold bars can be done in an efficient, timely, fast and reproducible manner which reduces, or even eliminates down times of the production line, where the mold bars of the array of mold bars are used. In addition, the gripper of the invention ensures safe handling and movement of considerable weights of steels, i.e. of the mold bars, from one location to another. The exchange of mold bars with the gripper according to the invention between production campaigns can therefore even be done in timely alignment with a running production line, even without slowing down the speed of the performance of the production line. So any downtime of the production line which was so far required for an exchange of mold bars can be reduced. Furthermore the amount of required manual labor and therewith the number of personnel involved is noticeably reduced; obviously, safety and health risks and issues arising from a manual handling by operators of tons of steel in form of mold bars are clearly reduced.

[0126] It should be appreciated that the gripper can both remove an array from the production line, and stack the removed arrays for appropriate storage.In a preferred embodiment, the surface of the side of the gripper bar, which faces towards the slit frame and which is defined by the length and the width of the gripper bar, is at least partly coated with a layer made of an elastic material. Said elastic material can for example be a silicon foam. At least partly coated means that at least those parts of said surface of the side of the gripper bar, which can abut with the mold pins, that means which come into contact with the mold pins, are covered by said layer of elastic material.

[0127] Preferably, the thickness of this layer of elastic material on said side of the gripper bar is the same over the whole surface of the gripper bar it covers, that is, it is a uniform layer. The thickness of the layer of elastic material can be from 0.5 mm to 10 mm.

[0128] This layer of elastic material is then actually the material of the gripper bar which is in contact with the array, in particular with the mold pins when the gripper bar abuts the array, in particular the mold pins.

[0129] Preferably, in the process of a gripping of an array, the gripper bar actually abuts the mold pins while the slit slides over the ends of the bars of the mold bars, or at least the gripper bar actually abuts the mold pins once the ends of the mold bars have slid into the slit. The relative movement of the slit and of the gripper bar towards each other during the actual gripping of the array by the gripper, reduces the distance between the gripper bar and the slit to such an extent and stops, when on one side of the array the ends of the bars of the mold bars are well slid into the slit and when on the other side of the array the mold pins in the first row of mold pins abut the gripper bar such that they are actually slightly pressed into the elastic material covering the gripper bar.

[0130] Said slightly pressing in of the mold pins into said elastic material serves the purpose of protecting the ends of the mold bars, which face towards the gripper bar, against any horizontal movement in a direction parallel to the direction of thelength of the gripper bar, namely a direction parallel to the depth of the slit in the slit frame. This contributes to a secure gripping of an array by the gripper, which keeps the gripped array fixed in its position, the mold bars will remain in their position aligned with their length in parallel besides each other, and while an array is gripped by the gripper and is moved around by the gripper, the mold bars do not start shifting with their ends which point towards the gripper bar because they are pressed into the elastic material covering the surface of the gripper bar where the mold pins abut the gripper bar and thereby these ends of the mold bars are well fixed in their position.

[0131] Furthermore, the provision of a layer made of elastic material at one side of the gripper bar allows for a lifting of the gripper to start once the mold pins of the array are in contact with the elastic material, if the other side of the array is at least partially inserted into the slit of the slit frame. The elastic material provides for a friction force, which reduces or even hinders the respective side array from moving downwards. Thereby, the time for the actual gripping of the array can be further reduced and the final sliding of the array into the slit or the application of further force onto the mold bars by the gripper bar can be performed once the gripper has already started lifting the array.

[0132] In one embodiment, the gripper has preferably at least two bar grippers, each bar gripper can grip and release a bar.

[0133] The bar grippers are provided in addition to the slit frame and the gripper bar. A bar gripper is a means for gripping and releasing bars. The bar gripper can function as pliers.

[0134] Preferably, a bar gripper is attached to the gripper frame, optionally, a bar gripper is movably attached to the gripper frame.

[0135] Preferably, each bar gripper can grip and release one bar.

[0136] The bars to be gripped by the bar gripper are defined by a length, a width and a height, with the length being larger than the width and also being larger than the height!more preferably,

[0137] • the bars have, perpendicular to the direction of their length, a rectangular cross section! and / or

[0138] • the bar grippers are essentially identical to each other with respect to shape, geometry and function; and / or

[0139] • the bar grippers are attached to the bottom side of the gripper frame between the slit frame and the gripper bar.

[0140] Preferably, the bar that a bar gripper grips, is a bar which is a separate component to the array of mold bars but which can at least partially be inserted between mold pins of the array. The bar to be gripped by the bar gripper can be a bar or a plate. In one embodiment, the bar to be gripped is a spacer bar, with the spacer bar as defined herein, also with all its embodiments. The spacer bar will be described in more detail below.

[0141] The term gripping in connection with the gripping of a bar by the bar gripper comprises both the actual performance of gripping the bar and also the performance of holding the gripped bar.

[0142] Preferably, the length of the distance in vertical direction downwards from the bottom side of the gripper frame to the bottom side of a bar gripper is

[0143] • smaller than [(length of the distance in vertical direction downwards from the bottom side of the gripper frame to the upper side of the slit) minus (length of a mold pin)]; and / or

[0144] • at least 1 mm; and / or

[0145] • not more than 20 mm.

[0146] In the embodiment where the gripper comprises at least two bar grippers, any one of those bar grippers can be movably attached to the gripper frame, preferably movably horizontally in the direction perpendicular to the direction of the length of the slit of the slit frame. Thereby the position of the bar gripper can be adjusted to adefined position between the slit frame and the gripper bar. In particular, the position of the bar gripper can be adjusted along the length of the mold bars of the array to be gripped or already gripped by the gripper. More particularly, the bar gripper can be adjusted to the position of a spacer bar which the bar gripper is to grip in order to facilitate the gripping of the spacer bar.

[0147] Any such horizontal movement of a bar gripper in the direction perpendicular to the direction of the length of the slit of the slit frame can be between two end points; the two end points can have a distance from each other of from 10 to 200, from 10 to 175, from 10 to 150, from 10 to 125, or from 10 to 100 mm.

[0148] The bar gripper can grip a bar whose length extends in horizontal direction and parallel to the direction of the length of the slit.

[0149] A bar gripper can be realized with two bars, the bar gripper bars, which are attached to the lower side of the gripper frame; so in this case the bar gripper comprises two bar gripper bars which serve as means for gripping a bar. Bar gripper bars can also be referred to as bar gripper blocks.

[0150] A bar gripper bar can be defined by a length, a width and a thickness, with the length being larger than the width and the width being larger than the thickness, and with the direction of the length being horizontal and being parallel to the direction of the length of the slit, and with the direction of the width being horizontal and perpendicular to the direction of the length, and with the direction of the thickness being vertical;

[0151] and with the two bar gripper bars of a bar gripper being aligned to each other with respected to their length.

[0152] Preferably, a bar gripper bar has, in the direction perpendicular to the direction of its length, a rectangular cross section.

[0153] At least one, preferably both, of the two bar gripper bars is movably attached to the lower side of the gripper frame.

[0154] The movement of a bar gripper bar has at least a vector in the horizontal direction perpendicular to the direction of the length of the slit. The movement of the bargripper bar can be a linear or an angular or a tilting movement; preferably it is a linear movement, more preferably it is a linear movement in the horizontal direction perpendicular to the direction of the length of the slit.

[0155] The part of the movement of a bar gripper bar in the horizontal direction perpendicular to the direction of the length of the slit can be a movement between two end points which have a distance from each other with a length which is at least 1, 5, 10 or 20 mm, with a larger length being preferred over a smaller one; typical values of the length can be 30, 40, 50, 60 or 70 mm.

[0156] The movement of a bar gripper bar, preferably of both bar gripper bars, allows for gripping and releasing a bar, preferably a spacer bar, so the possible positions of the two bar gripper bars of a bar gripper, relative to each other and provided for by the movement of the bar gripper and of the bar gripper bars, are such that the two bar gripper bars can assume positions relative to each other which are required while gripping a bar, and can assume positions relative to each other which are required for the release of a bar.

[0157] So the movement of the bar gripper bars relative to each other provides for covering a distance between the bar gripper bars from equal to and smaller than the width of the bar to be gripped to larger than the width of the bar to be gripped.

[0158] Two vertical sides of the two bar gripper bars of a bar gripper face horizontally each other, these are the sides which effect, by the movement of the bar gripper bars relative to each other, the gripping and the releasing of a spacer bar.

[0159] A typical thickness of the bar gripper bars can be from 4 to 20, from 4 to 16, from 4 to 14, from 4 to 12 mm.

[0160] Preferably, all bar gripper bars have the same thickness; and / or the two vertical sides of the two bar gripper bars of a bar gripper, which face horizontally each other, and which are the sides which effect, by the movement of the bar gripper bars relative to each other, the gripping and the releasing of a spacer bar, have the same geometry; and / or all bar gripper bars have essentially the same shape, size and geometry.The provision of bar grippers, preferably attached to the gripper frame, allows for the use of the same gripper both for gripping and moving arrays and for the preparation of a stacking of arrays, that is for the insertion of spacer bars into and their removal from arrays. Also this provides for a timely and efficient exchange of mold bars between production campaigns; no special device for the insertion of spacer bars into and their removal from arrays is required. For example, the insertion of the spacer bars into an array in an exchange location, which needs to be removed from the production line, can be done right before of even, at least partly, simultaneously with the gripping of the array.

[0161] Preferably, the length of the slit frame of the gripper is equal to or larger than the width of the array that is to be gripped by the gripper.

[0162] The length of the slit is

[0163] • equal to or larger than the width of the array that is to be gripped by the gripper; and / or

[0164] • smaller than or equal to, preferably equal to, the length of the slit frame. If the length of the slit is smaller than the length of the slit frame, then the slit is preferably located centered in the slit frame with respect to the direction of its length.

[0165] Preferably the length of the slit frame and the length of the slit are identical, thereby the slit is open in direction of its length on both sides of the slit frame.

[0166] The depth of the slit of the slit frame of the gripper is the extension of the lower side of the slit in a cross section of the slit in perpendicular direction to the direction of the length of the slit. Namely, the depth of the slit is the extension of the slit into the body of the slit frame for the surface of the slit frame at which the slit is open. Preferably, the depth of the slit of the slit frame of the gripper is

[0167] at least 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9 mm, with a higher minimum value being preferred over a lower one; and / or• not more than 60, 50, 40, 30, or 20 mm, with a lower values being preferred over a higher value! and / or

[0168] • from 5 to 60, 5 to 50, 5 to 50, 5 to 40, 5 to 30, or 5 to 20 mm, with a more narrow range being preferred over a wider one.

[0169] Typical values for the depth of the slit of the slit frame of the gripper are 7.5, 8, 9, 10, 11, or 12 mm.

[0170] In a cross section of the slit in vertical direction perpendicular to the direction of its length,

[0171] • the shape of the outer end of the upper side of the slit, that is of the connection between the outer end of the upper side of the slit and the connecting vertical side of the slit frame, namely the end of the upper side of the slit at the open side of the slit, has essentially

[0172] the contour of an edge, in particular a sharp edge, or the contour of a rounded edge, which is rounded with a radius of at least 1 or 2 mm, or

[0173] the contour of a chamfer, which is called herein upper slit chamfer, preferably it has the contour of an upper slit chamfer! and / or

[0174] • the shape of the outer end of the lower side of the slit, that is of the connection between the outer end of the lower side of the slit and the connecting vertical side of the slit frame, namely the end of the lower side of the slit at the open side of the slit, has essentially

[0175] the contour of an edge, in particular a sharp edge, or the contour of a rounded edge, which is rounded with a radius of at least 1 or 2 mm, or

[0176] the contour of a chamfer, which is called herein lower slit chamfer, preferably it has the contour of a lower slit chamfer.

[0177] In a preferred embodiment, the length of the lower side of the slit is equal to or longer than, preferably longer than, the length of the upper side of the slit.When the lower side of the slit is longer than the upper side of the slit, than the open vertical side of the slit is the extension of the side of the slit frame that starts from the end of the upper side of the slit downwards up to the lower side of the slit. That means, the lower end of the open vertical side hes in the lower side of the slit spaced from the outer end of the lower side.

[0178] When the lower side of the slit has said lower slit chamfer or said rounded edge, then the depth of the sht is the length of the part of the lower side of the slit which extends from the closed vertical side of the sht to the edge of the beginning of the lower sht chamfer or to the beginning of the rounding of the rounded edge.

[0179] Preferably,

[0180] • when the sht has said upper slit chamfer, then the angle of the upper slit chamfer relative to the upper side of the slit is in the range from 60 to 20 °, 50 to 25 °, 50 to 30 °, or 50 to 35 °, with a more narrow range being preferred of a wider one, typical values are 50, 45 or 40 °; and / or

[0181] • when the sht has said lower slit chamfer, then the angle of the lower slit chamfer relative to the lower side of the sht is in the range from 60 to 20 °, 50 to 25 °, or 50 to 30 °, with a more narrow range being preferred of a wider one, typical values are 45, 40 and 35 °; and / or

[0182] • the length of the surface of the lower slit chamfer between the two edges of the chamfer, is

[0183] at least 1, 2, or 3 mm, and / or

[0184] not more than 10, or 9 mm, and / or

[0185] from 1 to 10, 2 to 9, 3 to 9 mm! and / or

[0186] • the length of the surface of the upper slit chamfer between the two edges of the chamfer, is

[0187] at least 1, 2, or 3 mm, and / or

[0188] not more than 10, or 9 mm, and / or

[0189] from 1 to 10, 2 to 9, 3 to 9 mm.The length of the upper side of the slit is the length from the closed vertical side of the slit to the beginning of any rounding or edge of the upper side of the slit, preferably, the length of the upper side of the slit is at least 5, 6, or 7 mm.

[0190] The length of the distance between the closed vertical side of the slit and the outer side of the slit frame is preferably limited by the length of a mold bar start length and / or of the a mold bar end length which will be described below! this has the advantage that the slit frame will not touch the first mold pins of the mold bar when the slit is slid over the beginning of the bars of the mold bars. In an embodiment, the length of the distance between the closed vertical side of the slit and the outer side of the slit frame is equal to the depth of the slit.

[0191] In a cross section of the slit and both in case of an upper slit chamfer and a lower slit chamfer, the height between the start edge and the end edge of the respective chamfer is preferably

[0192] • at least 1, 2, or 3 mm! and or

[0193] • not more than 15, 14, 13, 12, or 11 mm!

[0194] typical values are 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 mm.

[0195] The advantage of providing chamfers at the ends of the slit facilitates insertion of the edge of an array into the slit and thereby reduces time necessary for the actual gripping of the array.

[0196] Preferably, the shape of the outer end of the lower side of the slit has the contour of a lower slit chamfer.

[0197] A rounded edge and / or a chamfer, both in case of the lower and the upper side of the slit, serves the purpose of guiding the beginning of the mold bars into the slit when the slit starts sliding over the beginning of the mold bars and / or when the mold bars are starting to be pushed into the slit.

[0198] Preferably, when the slit is positioned by the robot in a vertical offset relative to the beginning of the mold bars, then the slit is preferably positioned by the robot invertical direction such that the first contact between the beginning of the mold bars and the slit frame is a contact of the lower edge of the beginning of the bars of the mold bars with the surface of the lower slit chamfer. The beginning of the bars of the mold bars can thus be guided by and glide along the lower slit chamfer into the slit.

[0199] The height of the slit of the slit frame of the gripper is the length of the closed vertical side of the slit.

[0200] Preferably, the height of the slit is equal to or larger than the bar thickness of the bar of a mold bar;

[0201] more preferably the height of the slit is

[0202] • equal to or larger than, preferably larger than, more preferably 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, or 0.4 mm larger than the bar thickness of the bar of the mold bar, with a higher value being preferred over a lower value; and / or

[0203] • not more than 1 mm larger than the bar thickness of the bar of the mold bar;

[0204] and / or

[0205] • at least 4 mm; and / or

[0206] • not more than 11 mm.

[0207] Typical values for the height of the slit are in the range from 4 to 11, from 4 to 10, or from 4 to 9 mm, with a more narrow range preferred over a broader range.

[0208] Typical specific values for the height of the slit are 5.5, 6.5, 7.5, or 8.5 mm, preferably 6.5 or 7.5 mm, more preferably 7.5 mm.

[0209] In a preferred embodiment, the slit is provided in the slit frame at an angle different from 0° to the horizontal plane. The angle is also referred to herein as the slit angle. Due to the slit angle the slit preferably extends from its open side towards its closed side in a downward slant. The slid angle is in particular the angle between the lower side of the slit and the horizontal plane at the closed side of the slit and, in case of a rectangular shaped slit, also the angle between the upper side of the slit and the horizontal plane at the closed side of the slit.

[0210] Preferably, the slit angle is• at least 1, or 2 °, and / or

[0211] • not more than 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 °.

[0212] More preferably, the cross section of the slit perpendicular to the direction of its length has the shape of a rectangle. In this case the side which so far has been called the closed vertical side, and the side, that so far has been called the open vertical side, obviously no longer have said vertical direction but have an angle against the vertical direction which corresponds to the slit angle. A lower side, an upper side, a closed side and an open side of the slit are the four sides of the rectangle, and the direction of the lower side and of the upper side of the slit in a cross section of the slit is extending at said slit angle.

[0213] The slit angle serves the purpose of compensating, when an array is gripped by the gripper and no longer rests on a surface,

[0214] (i) any bending of the mold bars of an array, said bending can be caused by the weight of the mold bars in combination with their lengths which can cause a slight bending of the mold bars along their length due to gravitation!

[0215] (ii) a deviation of the direction of the length of the array from the horizontal direction which is caused by a difference between the height of the slit and the thickness of the bars of the mold bars, when the height of the slit is larger than the thickness of the bars of the mold bars! in that case the beginnings of the mold bars actually are touching the inside of the slit at two points: the upper edge of the beginning of the bar of a mold bar touches the upper side of the slit, and the lower side of the bar of a mold bar touches the outer edge of the lower side of the slit.

[0216] Preferably, in particular in case that the slit has a slit angle, a tilting movement of the slit frame, relative to the gripper frame, provides for a tilting movement of the slit frame between at least the following two positions: one position being a position of the slit frame with the direction of the height of the slit frame being vertical, and the other position being a position of the slit frame with the direction of the lower side of the slit being horizontal.

[0217] In the first mentioned position the slit is slanted downwards from the open side of the slit. In this first position, the lower side of the slit is at the slit angle against thehorizontal direction, and in the second mentioned position the direction of the height of the slit frame is in an angle against the vertical direction, which corresponds to the sht angle.

[0218] So preferably, the angle that a tilting movement of the slit frame covers,

[0219] • that it has at least the extent of the sht angle; and / or

[0220] • that it comprises at least the two mentioned positions of the slit frame.

[0221] The tilting angle of the slit frame is preferably equal to or larger than the slit angle and allows the at least the two mentioned positions of the slit frame to be assumed by the tilting movement. The tilting angle can be larger by at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 ° than the slit angle.

[0222] Preferably, a sliding of the slit over the ends of the mold bars starts with the slit frame being in the tilted position, wherein the direction of the lower side of the sht aligned or essentially aligned to the direction of the lower sides of the bars of the mold bars in the array to be gripped.

[0223] According to a further subject, the present invention relates to a method for exchanging mold bars in a production line for the production of hard capsule shells; wherein the mold bars contained in the production line, called old mold bars, are arranged in arrays of mold bars, called old arrays, by the production line, each old array in the production line is automatically exchanged in the production line against an array of new mold bars, called new array, this automatic exchange is done by a robot with a gripper; the gripper being a gripper according to the invention, also with all its embodiments.

[0224] In the method according to invention, preferably, the old mold bars are arranged consecutively in old arrays by the production line.

[0225] This consecutive arrangement of arrays by the production line also serves the purpose of facilitating a consecutive exchange of arrays in a continuously running production line, preferably even without the need of slowing down the productionspeed of the production line! thereby the robot can consecutively exchange one old array after the other against new arrays.

[0226] An old mold bar can also be called a previous mold bar. An old array can also be called a previous array.

[0227] Preferably, the old mold bars, or previous mold bars, contain mold pins of a previous size used in the previous production campaign, whereas the new mold bars contain mold pins of a new size to be used in the next production campaign.

[0228] By using a gripper according to the invention, the advantages of the gripper can be used. The features and advantages described with respect to the gripper - as far as applicable - pertain to the method and vice versa and will not or only partially be repeated.

[0229] Preferably, the method for exchanging mold bars in a production line for the production of hard capsule shells has the features^

[0230] the production line contains and handles automatically a plurality of mold bars in a production campaign, moving the mold bars consecutively and in a cycle repeatedly through the production line.

[0231] Preferably, a mold bar comprises two elements, a bar and mold pins, more preferably a bar and at least two mold pins. The mold pins are preferably fixed to the bar. In a preferred embodiment, the bar of the mold bar is a bar with a rectangular cross section in the direction perpendicular to the direction of its length.

[0232] Preferably, the mold pins are fixed to the bar in a straight row with any two mold pins adjacent to each other being separated from each other by a certain distance and with the mold pins protruding vertically upwards from the surface of the bars and with the end of the mold pins pointing upwards.According to a preferred embodiment, the method comprises an arrangement step and an exchange step.

[0233] In the arrangement step, the production line preferably arranges a defined number of mold bars out of the plurality of mold bars contained in the production line in a production campaign into an array of mold bars, called the old array containing old mold bars, this arranging is done by automatic action of the production line, the production line provides this old array in a designated location of the production line, said designated location is called the exchange location.

[0234] Preferably, the exchange of old mold bars in the production line against new mold bars is effected by an exchange of an old array containing old mold bars to be removed from the production line, which is provided by the production line in the exchange location, against a new array containing new mold bars to be inserted into the production line, the exchange of these two arrays is effected by a robot that has a movable arm ending in the gripper, the gripper of mold bars!

[0235] with the gripper as defined herein, also with all its embodiments.

[0236] Preferably, a first location aside from the production line is provided where the new array is provided;

[0237] a second location aside from the production line is provided for receiving the old arrays.

[0238] Preferably, the exchange step comprises the steps [1], [2] and [3]:

[0239] [1] a new array is provided at the first location;

[0240] [2] the movable arm of the robot moves the gripper to the exchange location, the gripper grips the old array of mold bars which is to be removed from the production line and which is provided by the production line in the exchange location, and the robot moves the gripper, which is gripping the old array, to thesecond location and places the old array in the second location, the gripper releases the old array in the second location;

[0241] [3] the robot moves the gripper to the first location, the gripper grips the new array and the robot moves the gripper gripping the new array to the exchange location and places the new array in the exchange location, the gripper releases the new array in the exchange location.

[0242] Preferably, the production line incorporates in an incorporation step the mold bars from the new array from the exchange location into the cycle through the production line in an automatic manner.

[0243] Preferably, the production line performs the arrangement step and the incorporation step automatically and repetitively, while the robot repeats the steps [1], [2] and [3] in timely alignment with the performance of the production line of the arrangement step and the incorporation step.

[0244] The end of a mold pin that points upwards is the dome shaped end which corresponds to the dome shaped end of a cap, or body of a hard capsule shell.

[0245] The gripper that is used in the method for exchanging mold bars in a production line for the production of hard capsule shells, is the gripper according to the invention, also with all its embodiments.

[0246] A mold bar comprises two elements, a bar and at least two mold pins, the mold pins are fixed to the bar of the mold bar.

[0247] Preferably, the bar of the mold bar is a bar with a rectangular cross section in the direction perpendicular to the direction of its length.

[0248] The bar of the mold bar has a bar length, a bar width and a bar thickness.

[0249] Preferably, the bar of the mold bar has a cuboid shape.

[0250] The mold bar has a mold bar length, a mold bar width and a mold bar thickness. The mold bar length is the bar length of the bar of the mold bar.The mold bar width is the bar width of the bar of the mold bar.

[0251] The mold bar length is larger than the mold bar width and is larger than the bar thickness.

[0252] The longitudinal direction of the mold bar is the direction along its length.

[0253] Preferably, the rectangular cross section of the bar in the direction perpendicular to the direction of its length is at least essentially rectangular; the term essentially rectangular means that the corners and the edges of the bar can be rounded or flattened.

[0254] One of the two surfaces defined by the bar width and the bar length is called the upper surface, preferably it is a rectangular surfaces.

[0255] Preferably, each of the six surfaces of the bar is flat.

[0256] The mold pins can be fixed into the upper surface of the bar by insertion of at least part of the mold pins into the bar via the upper surface or can be fixed onto the upper surface of the bar. The mold pins are arranged one after the other in a row, preferably a straight row, in the direction of the mold bar length. Preferably each mold pin is fixed at the center of the bar with respect to the mold bar width. Each mold pin is fixed in the direction of the mold bar length at a distance from the next mold pin so that the mold pins do not touch each other, preferably all the mold pins of a mold bar are fixed at equal distance from each other along the direction of the mold bar length. Preferably, all mold pins of a mold bar are arranged parallel to each other.

[0257] A typical distance between two adjacent mold pins fixed to the bar can be

[0258] • at least 1, 2, 3 or 4 mm, with a larger minimum distance preferred over a smaller one; and / or

[0259] • up to 50, 40, 30, or 20 mm, with a smaller maximum distance preferred over a larger one;

[0260] any of the lower limits can be combined with any of the upper limits of the distance; and / or

[0261] at least 2, 10, 20, or 25 mold pins are fixed to a bar, with a higher number of said series being preferred over a lower one.When viewed along its length then the bar of the mold bar preferably extends before the first mold pin with a certain length, called the mold bar start length, and the bar of the mold bar extends after the last mold pin with a certain length, called the mold bar end length.

[0262] The upper limit of the number of mold pins fixed to a bar of the mold bar is given by the capsule size to be produced, by the length of the bar, by the minimum distance between two mold pins adjacent to each other and by the mold bar start length and mold bar end length of the mold bar. Up to 100, 90, 80, 70, or 60 mold pins can be fixed to a bar, with a lower number of said series being preferred over a higher one. Any of said lower numbers of mold pins can be combined with any of said upper numbers of mold pins. For example, the number of mold pins can be from 2 to 100, from 10 to 90, from 20 to 80, from 25 to 70, or from 25 to 60.

[0263] The mold bar start length is the length of the distance from the beginning of the bar of the mold bar to the first mold pin on the bar of the mold bar, the mold bar end length is the length of the distance from the last mold pin on the bar of the mold bar to the end of the bar of the mold bar.

[0264] A mold bar can have a mold bar start length which is different from its mold bar end length, or, which is the preferred embodiment, the mold bar start length and the mold bar end length are the same.

[0265] Typical values for a mold bar start length and / or a mold bar end length are from 10 to 50 mm, from 12 to 40 mm, from 14 to 30 mm, from 16 to 28 mm from 18 to 26 mm, with a more narrow range preferred over a broader range.

[0266] Preferably, the mold bars are symmetric with respect to middle of their length; and / or

[0267] the mold bars are symmetric with respect to a vertical plane through middle of the width of the mold bars along their length.

[0268] The mold bar length is at least{[(the number of mold pins which are fixed to the bar of the mold bar) times (the diameter of a mold pin)] plus [the sum of the distances between the mold pins] plus [the mold bar start length] plus [the mold bar end length]}.

[0269] The length of a mold bar can be from 300 to 800 mm, from 400 to 700 mm, from 500 to 600 mm, from 525 to 575 mm, with a more narrow range preferred over a broader range.

[0270] In an array of mold bars the mold bars are aligned to each other with respect to their length, so the ends of the mold bars are aligned to each other, and each two adjacent mold bars in the array abut each other side along their length.

[0271] Thereby the mold bars in an array of mold bars form a rectangular shaped array of mold bars, the two sides of the rectangular array along its length are the respective sides, facing to the outside of the array, of the respective mold bars which are located on either side of the array, the two sides of the rectangular array along its width are the sides of the beginning and the end of the bars of the mold bars in the array, which are aligned to each other in a straight line! so the length of an array of mold bars is equal to the length of a mold bar of the array. Due to the mold bar start length and the mold bar end length the first and last mold pins are located at the respective distance from the respective sides of the rectangular array along its width; so the array of mold bars starts with the mold bar start length, also called the array start length, and ends with the mold bar end length, also called the array end length.

[0272] The mold bar width is larger than the width of a mold pin fixed to the bar of the mold bar. The width of the mold pin can also be referred to as the diameter of the mold pin. Preferably

[0273] • the mold bar width is at least 1.0075 times the width of the mold pin; and / or • the mold bar width is not more than 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, or 5 times the width of the mold pin, with a lower width preferred over a larger one.The width of a bar of a mold bar and therewith the mold bar width can be from 10 to 20 mm, from 10 to 18 mm, or from 10 to 16 mm, with a more narrow range preferred over a broader range.

[0274] Preferably, the mold bar width is larger than the bar thickness of the bar of the mold bar.

[0275] Preferably, the bar thickness of the bar of the mold bar is

[0276] • at least 4 mm! and / or

[0277] • from 4 to 10, from 4 to 9, from 4 to 8 mm, with a more narrow range preferred over a broader range.

[0278] Typical values of the bar thickness are 5, 6, 7, or 8 mm, preferably 6 or 7 mm, more preferably 7 mm.

[0279] The mold bar thickness is the bar thickness plus the length of the mold pins extending vertically upwards from the respective surface of the bar of the mold bar. The width of the array of mold bars is the sum of the widths of the mold bars of the array.

[0280] The shape and geometry of a mold pin is corresponding to the size and geometry of the intended hard capsule shell to be produced. Since hard capsule shells have a dome shaped ends on both sides in longitudinal direction of a hard capsule shell, also a mold pin has a dome shaped end; the dome shaped end has a geometry which corresponds to the dome shaped end of a cap or body, respectively.

[0281] Cap and body of a hard capsule shell consists essentially of the dome shaped end and a cylindrical part extending from the dome shaped end to the opening and ending with the rim of the opening of the cap or body, respectively, so also a mold pin has a respective cylindrical part starting from its dome shaped end and extending towards the bar of the mold bar to which the mold pin is attached, and which provides for the corresponding shape of the cylindrical part of the cap or body, respectively.

[0282] The length of a mold pin in the sense of this invention is the length of the mold pin from the surface of the bar, to which it is attached, to the end of the mold pin. Thelength of a mold pin is at least [(the length of the dome shaped end of the mold pin) plus (the length of the cylindrical part that starts from the dome shaped end and extends towards the bar of the mold bar)].

[0283] The length of the cylindrical part of a mold pin is at least the length of cylindrical part the cap or body, respectively of the hard capsule shell, that is to be produced. The length of a mold pin is at least the length of the cap or body, respectively of the hard capsule shell minus the thickness of the shell, that is to be produced.

[0284] In order to avoid contamination of the bar of the mold bar by the melt, when the mold pins are dipped into the melt, the length of the mold pin is usually larger than the length of the cap or body, respectively, that is to be produced. In a preferred embodiment, the length of the cylindrical part of the mold pin is larger than the corresponding cylindrical part of the cap or body to be produced.

[0285] The diameter of a mold pin in the sense of the invention refers to the diameter of the cylindrical part of the mold pin which provides of the respective cylindrical part of the cap or the body of the hard capsule shell. The diameter of the mold pin is equivalent to the inner diameter of the cylindrical part of the cap or the body of the hard capsule shell.

[0286] The length of a mold pin depends on the capsule size that is to be produced.

[0287] A typical length of a mold pin for a cap can be at least 7 mm for capsule size 5 or at least 13 mm for capsule size 000.

[0288] A typical length of a mold pin for a body can be at least 10 mm (for example for capsule size 5) or at least 23 mm (for example for size 000).

[0289] So the length of a mold pin for a cap can be at least 7 mm.

[0290] So the length of a mold pin for a body can be at least 10 mm.

[0291] Upper limits of the length of a mold pin can be 50 mm, 45 mm or 40 mm.

[0292] The diameter of a mold pin is given by and corresponds to the capsule size, that is to the inner diameter of the cap and the body, respectively, that is to be produced; a typical diameter of a mold pin can be in the range from 4 to 10 mm.

[0293] The direction along the length of a mold pin is the axial, also called longitudinal, direction of a mold pin. The direction along the diameter of the mold pin is thediametrical or radial direction of the mold pin. The direction of the diameter of the mold pin is perpendicular to the direction of the length of the mold pin.

[0294] • Mold bars which are to be removed from the production line are herein called old mold bars,

[0295] • an array of old mold bars is herein called old array,

[0296] • mold bars which are to be inserted into the production line are herein called new mold bars,

[0297] • an array of new mold bars is herein called new array.

[0298] Preferably, the gripper has at least two bar grippers, with the bar grippers as described herein, also with all their embodiments.

[0299] Each bar grippers is a means for gripping and releasing a, preferably at least one, more preferably one spacer bar.

[0300] The spacer bar can be a bar or a plate. A spacer bar is a bar used to provide a distance between two arrays stacked on top of each other. A spacer bar is preferably inserted into an array of mold bars between adjacent mold pins of a mold bar and in the inserted state extends over the upper end of the mold pins.

[0301] Spacer bars are bars having a spacer bar length, a spacer bar width and a spacer bar thickness, preferably

[0302] • with the spacer bar length being larger than the spacer bar width and larger than the spacer bar thickness; and / or

[0303] • with the spacer bar width being larger than the spacer bar thickness; and / or • with the spacer bar thickness being equal to or smaller, preferably smaller, than the distance between two adjacent mold pins on a mold bar.

[0304] The spacer bar thickness can be (the distance between two adjacent mold pins on a mold bar) minus at least 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, or 1 mm.

[0305] When the spacer bar thickness is smaller than the distance between two adjacent mold pins on a mold bar, then the insertion of a spacer bar into an array is easier, that is the accuracy of the positioning of the spacer bar by the gripper does not needto be as high as it would need to be in case that the thickness of the spacer bar equals the distance between two adjacent mold pins on a mold bar; instead tolerances in the various distances between two adjacent mold pins on a mold bar are less critical, also the danger of damaging mold pins by the insertion of a spacer bar into an array is reduced.

[0306] Preferably, when a spacer bar is inserted in an array of mold bars, it is inserted with • the direction of the spacer bar thickness being parallel to the direction of the length of the mold bars in the array, and

[0307] • the direction of the spacer bar width being parallel to the direction of the length of the mold pins in the array, and

[0308] • the direction of the spacer bar length being parallel to the direction of the width of the mold bars in the array.

[0309] Preferably, the spacer bars

[0310] • have a spacer bar length which essentially spans the width of the array of mold bars or is longer than the width of the array, preferably longer; and / or • have a minimum spacer bar width which, when inserted in an array, lets the spacer bars extend by a certain distance vertically over the top of the mold pins.

[0311] Preferably, the material of a spacer bar is a material which is stable enough against deformation by the weight of any arrays stacked consecutively on top of it, and which preferably also minimizes any risk of damage of mold pins when a spacer bar is inserted into an array. Typical materials are steel, preferably coated with a material which minimized the risk of said damage of mold pins, so which is preferably softer than the material of the mold pins, or fiber reinforced plastic.

[0312] In case of coated steel or fiber reinforced plastics, a touching of the mold pins by the spacer bar is not as critical with respect to a possible damage of the surface of the mold pins.In a preferred embodiment, a new array to be gripped by the gripper is provided in the first location as a top most array in a stack of a certain number of new arrays. So a stack of a certain number of new arrays is provided at the first location;

[0313] in the exchange step, the gripper grips the uppermost new array in said stack of new arrays, provided in the first location, for inserting it into the production line.

[0314] In a more preferable embodiment, a stack of a certain number of new arrays is provided at the first location with each new array containing at least two spacer bars and the new arrays are stacked upon each other in the stack with any upper new array in the stack resting on the spacer bars of the new array beneath it.

[0315] So in this more preferable embodiment, any new array provided at the first location in step [1] is an array containing at least two spacer bars.

[0316] When spacer bars are used in the method for any stacking of arrays upon each other, then

[0317] the exchange step comprises additionally the steps [i] and [ii] ■

[0318] [i] inserting spacer bars into an array with old mold bars;

[0319] [ii] taking any spacer bars, which are contained in the array with the new mold bars, out of this array.

[0320] Step [i] and [ii] are preferably done by the gripper according to the invention with at least two bar gripper.

[0321] Preferably, the gripper performs a combination of step [i] and step [ii] by gripping any spacer bars contained in an new array, that is in an array with the new mold bars which are to be inserted into the production line, and moves these spacer bars to an old array, that is in an array with the old mold bars which are to be removed from the production line, and inserts the spacer bars into this old array; the gripper performs this action during the exchange step in any suitable alignment with the steps [1], [2] and [3],Step [i] can be done before, during or after the removal of an array with old mold bars from the exchange location.

[0322] Preferably, step [i] is done in step [2];

[0323] in a more preferable embodiment, in step [2] the movable arm of the robot moves the gripper, which is gripping spacer bars by its bar grippers, to the exchange location, the gripper inserts the spacer bars into the old array of mold bars which is to be removed from the production line and which is provided by the production line in the exchange location, the gripper grips the old array by means of the slit frame and gripper bar, and the robot moves the gripper, which is gripping the old array now containing spacer bars, to the second location and places the old array in the second location, the gripper releases the old array in the second location.

[0324] Step [ii] can be done before, during or after the placement of an array with new mold bars in the exchange location.

[0325] Preferably, step [ii] is done in step [1] and / or between step [1] and step [2]; more preferably, after step [1] the robot moves the gripper to the first location, the gripper grips any spacer bars contained in the new array provided by step [1] by means of the bar grippers, and the robot continues into step [2] while gripping the spacer bars, that is the movable arm of the robot moves the gripper, which is gripping spacer bars, to the exchange location and continues with step [2] including step [i] as described in the more preferably embodiment above when step [i] is done in step [2],

[0326] In a preferred embodiment, the exchange step comprises the steps [1'], [2'], [3'] and [4'] instead of the steps [1], [2] and [3]:

[0327] [1'] a new array containing at least two spacer bars is provided at the first location;

[0328] [2'] the movable arm of a robot moves the gripper to the first location, the gripper grips the at least two spacer bars from the new array of new mold bars in the first location by means of the bar grippers, then the robot moves the gripper, gripping the at least two spacer bars, to the exchange location and inserts the spacer bars into the old array of mold bars which is to be removed from theproduction line and which is provided by the production line in the exchange location;

[0329] [3'] the gripper grips this old array in the exchange location, which contains the inserted spacer bars, by means of the slit frame and gripper bar, and the robot moves the gripper, gripping the old array, to the second location and places the old array in the second location, the gripper releases the old array in the second location;

[0330] [4'] the robot moves the gripper to the first location, the gripper grips the new array, which no longer contains spacer bars, and the robot moves the gripper, gripping the new array, to the exchange location and places the new array in the exchange location, the gripper releases the new array in the exchange location. Preferably, the release of the spacer bars from the gripper is done after their insertion in the array, which happens in step [2'], and before the moving of the gripper to the first location, which happens in step [4'].

[0331] The production line performs the arrangement step and the incorporation step automatically and repetitively, while the robot repeats the steps [1'], [2'], [3'] and [4'] in timely alignment with the performance of the production line of the arrangement step and the incorporation step.

[0332] Obviously, there are other ways of combining steps [1], [2] and [3] with steps [i] and [ii] than said steps [1'], [2'], [3'] and [4'], for example

[0333] • move an old array, which is provided by the production line in the exchange location and which does not yet contain spacer bars, from the exchange location to the second location by action of the gripper by means of the slit frame and the gripper bar;

[0334] • move spacer bars from a new array, which is provided in the first location and which contains these spacer bars, to this old array in the second location by action of the gripper bars of the gripper;move this new array, which now no longer contains spacer bars, from the first location to the exchange location by action of the gripper by means of the slit frame and the gripper bar.

[0335] Preferably, with respect to the plurality of mold bars in a production campaign:

[0336] • all mold pins of a mold bar have the same shape and geometry; and / or

[0337] • all mold bars of a production campaign have

[0338] bars with the same shape and geometry, and / or

[0339] mold pins with the same shape and geometry, and / or

[0340] the same number of mold pins fixed to the bar, and / or

[0341] the mold pins fixed to the bar in the same geometry and arrangement. In a more preferred embodiment with respect to the plurality of mold bars in a production campaign:

[0342] • all mold pins of a mold bar have the same shape and geometry; and

[0343] • all mold bars of a production campaign have

[0344] bars with the same shape and geometry, and

[0345] mold pins with the same shape and geometry, and

[0346] the same number of mold pins fixed to the bar, and

[0347] the mold pins fixed to the bar in the same geometry and arrangement, so that all mold bars have the same size, shape and geometry; that is all mold bars are identical;

[0348] In said more preferred embodiment with respect to the plurality of mold bars in a production campaign, when the mold bars are arranged in an array of mold bars, all mold pins on the same position on the mold bars are aligned in a straight row in the direction of the width of the array. Thereby the spacer bar can be inserted in the array with the direction of the spacer bar length perpendicular to the direction of the mold bar length, that is with the direction of the spacer bar length parallel to the direction of the width of the array.

[0349] Preferably, all arrays of mold bars that are handled during an exchange of mold bars havethe same length, and

[0350] the same width, and, more preferably,

[0351] all mold bars in an array are identical.

[0352] The number of mold bars in an array of mold bars can be

[0353] • at least 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30, with a higher minimum number of said series being preferred over a lower one! and / or

[0354] • up to 100, 80, 60, 55, 50, or 45, with a lower maximum number of said series being preferred over a higher one!

[0355] any of the lower limit can be combined with any of the upper limit.

[0356] Any of said lower numbers of mold pins can be combined with any of said upper numbers of mold pins. For example, the number of mold pins can be from 10 to 100, from 15 to 80, from 20 to 60, from 25 to 55, from 30 to 50, or from 30 to 45.

[0357] Preferably, in an array of mold bars:

[0358] • the surfaces of the bars of the mold bars in an array of mold bars, which are defined by the bar length and the bar width and to which the mold pins are fixed, are aligned to each other with respect to the vertical direction, these surfaces are called the upper surface of the bars;

[0359] • likewise the respective surfaces opposite to the upper surfaces of the bars of the mold bars in an array of mold bars are horizontally aligned to each other with respect to vertical direction, these surfaces are called the bottom surface of the bars;

[0360] • these bottom surfaces of the bars constitute the side of the array that faces downwards in vertical direction, it is called the bottom of the array;

[0361] • the mold pins extend upwards from the bars and end with their dome shaped end;

[0362] • the dome shaped ends of the mold pins are called the top of the array.

[0363] Preferably,• any array contains the same number of mold bars! and / or

[0364] • all mold bars in an array are identical; and / or

[0365] • the mold bars of an array are arranged in the same way in any array of mold bars; and / or

[0366] • the mold bars in an array of mold bars are arranged with the direction of their length parallel to each other, and side by side abutting each other along their length, and with their ends aligned to each other, and with the ends of their mold pins facing upwards, thus forming a rectangular shaped array, with the sides of the array in the direction of the length of the array being the respective side of the respective outermost mold bars of the array; and / or • the length of an array is the length of a mold bar in the array, and the direction of the length of the array is the direction of the length of the mold bars in the array; and / or

[0367] • the width of the array is [(the width of one mold bar in the array) times (the number of mold bars in the array)], the direction of the width of the array is perpendicular to the direction of the length of the mold bars in the array, and with the ends of the mold bars aligned to each other and thereby forming a respective straight line which is the respective side of the array.

[0368] More preferably,

[0369] • any array contains the same number of mold bars; and

[0370] • all mold bars in an array are identical; and

[0371] • the mold bars of an array are arranged in the same way in any array of mold bars; and

[0372] • the mold bars in an array of mold bars are arranged with the direction of their length parallel to each other, and side by side abutting each other along their length, and with their ends aligned to each other, and with the ends of their mold pins facing upwards, thus forming a rectangular shaped array, with the sides of the array in the direction of the length of the array being the respective side of the respective outermost mold bars of the array; and• the length of an array is the length of a mold bar in the array, and the direction of the length of the array is the direction of the length of the mold bars in the array; and

[0373] • the width of the array is [(the width of one mold bar in the array) times (the number of mold bars in the array)], the direction of the width of the array is perpendicular to the direction of the length of the mold bars in the array, and with the ends of the mold bars aligned to each other and thereby forming a respective straight line which is the respective side of the array.

[0374] Preferably, a spacer bar has a rectangular cross section in the direction perpendicular to the direction of the spacer bar length; said rectangular cross section is at least essentially rectangular; the term essentially rectangular means that the corners and the edges of the spacer bar can be rounded or flattened (a flattened corner in the sense of the invention is a corner with a chamfer). Preferably, each of the six surfaces of the spacer bar is flat.

[0375] Preferably, the spacer bar is a bar with a cuboid shape.

[0376] Preferably, the spacer bar length is larger than the spacer bar width and is larger than the spacer bar thickness; and

[0377] the spacer bar width is larger than the spacer bar thickness; and

[0378] the spacer bar thickness is equal to or smaller than the distance between two adjacent mold pins on a mold bar.

[0379] A typical range for the spacer bar thickness can be from 2 to 10, from 3 to 8 mm, from 3 to 6 mm, with a more narrow range being preferred over a broader range. The spacer bar can be inserted in an array of mold bars with

[0380] • the direction of the spacer bar thickness being parallel to the direction of the length of the mold bars in the array, and

[0381] • the direction of the spacer bar length being parallel to the direction of the width of the mold bars in the array.

[0382] The spacer bar thickness can be smaller than the distance between two adjacent mold pins on a mold bar, thereby a spacer bar can easily be inserted between twoadjacent mold pins of a mold bar without touching the mold pins, thereby it possible that the spacer bar can easily be inserted in an array of mold bars without touching the mold pins.

[0383] So preferably, when a spacer bar is inserted in an array of mold bars, it is inserted in the array with the direction of the spacer bar length perpendicular to the direction of the mold bar length, that is with the direction of the spacer bar length parallel to the direction of the width of the array! and, in the embodiment where the spacer bar thickness is smaller than the distance between two adjacent mold pins on a mold bar, it can be inserted without touching the mold pins.

[0384] The spacer bar can be inserted at a position in the mold bar start length, at a position in the mold bar end length, or at a position between two adjacent of mold pins! preferably, the spacer bar is inserted a position between two adjacent of mold pins.

[0385] Preferably, the length of a spacer bar is larger than [(number of mold bars in an array - 1) times (mold bar width) plus (0.5 times mold bar width)];

[0386] more preferably, the length of a spacer bar is larger than [(number of mold bars in an array) times (mold bar width)].

[0387] Even more preferably, the length of the spacer bar is

[0388] • larger by at least 4, 5, 6, or 7 mm than [(number of mold bars in an array) times (mold bar width)], with a higher minimum value of said series being preferred over a lower one! and / or

[0389] • larger by up to 30, 25, 20, 18, 16, or 15 mm than [(number of mold bars in an array) times (mold bar width)], with a lower maximum value of said series being preferred over a higher one!

[0390] any of the lower limits can be combined with any of the upper limits.

[0391] Any of said lower lengths can be combined with any of said upper lengths. For example, the length of the spacer bar can be larger by from 4 to 30 mm, from 5 to 25 mm, from 6 to 20, from 7 to 18, from 7 to 16 or from 7 to 15 mm [(number of mold bars in an array) times (mold bar width)].The spacer bar width is larger than the length of the mold pins on a mold bar in an array of mold bars in which the spacer bar is inserted. Thereby the spacer bar, when inserted in an array, extends in vertical direction over the end of the mold pins in the array.

[0392] The spacer bar width can be at least 1.01, 1.05, 1.1, 1.15, or 1.2 times the length of a mold pin, with a higher factor being preferred over a lower one.

[0393] The distance, by which the spacer bar, when inserted in an array, extends vertically upwards over the end of the mold pins, is the difference [(spacer bar width) minus (length of mold pin)].

[0394] The spacer bar width can be

[0395] • at least 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, or 45 mm, with a higher minimum value of said series being preferred over a lower one! and / or

[0396] • up to 100, 90, 80, 70, or 60 mm, with a lower maximum value of said series being preferred over a higher one!

[0397] any of the lower limits can be combined with any of the upper limits. For example, the spacer bar width can be from 20 to 100 mm, from 25 to 90 mm, from 30 to 80 mm, from 35 to 70 mm, or from 40 to 60 mm.

[0398] The distance, by which the spacer bar, when inserted in an array, extends vertically upwards over the end of the mold pins, can be

[0399] • at least 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, or 16 mm, with a higher minimum value of said series being preferred over a lower minimum value! and / or

[0400] • up to 50, 45, 40, 35, 30, or 25 mm, with a lower maximum value of said series being preferred over a higher maximum value!

[0401] any of the lower limits can be combined with any of the upper limits. For example, said distance can be from 2 to 50 mm, from 4 to 45, from 6 to 40, from 8 to 35, from 10 to 30, from 12 to 25, from 14 to 25, or from 16 to 35 mm.

[0402] Preferably, the spacer bar is inserted centered with respect to its length in an array of mold bars such that the spacer bar• extends on both sides of the array by the same length, if the spacer bar length is larger than the width of the array! or

[0403] • aligns with both sides of the array with the outer rims of the array, if the spacer bar length is equal to the width of the array! or

[0404] • is positioned in the array with equal distance from its ends to the outer rims of the array, if the spacer bar length is smaller than the width of the array. When a spacer bar is inserted in an array of mold bars, it rests with one of the two sides of the spacer bar, which are defined by the spacer bar length and the spacer bar thickness, on the surface of the bars of the mold bars, this surface of the bars of the mold bar is the surface that is defined by the bar length and the bar width and is the surface of the bars to which the mold pins are fixed, it is called herein the upper surface of a bar of a mold bar! and the opposite side of said two sides of the spacer bar faces upwards and is located in vertical direction above the ends of the mold pins.

[0405] The spacer bars serve the purpose of making arrays of mold pins stackable upon each other without the mold pins of a lower array being touched by the bottom of an upper array stacked unto the lower array. For this purpose at least two spacer bars are inserted in an array of mold bars.

[0406] Preferably, at least one spacer bar is inserted between two mold pins at a distance, in the direction of the length of the mold bars, from one end of the mold bars, which is less than half of the length of the mold bars, while at least a second spacer bar is inserted between two mold pins at a distance, in the direction of the length of the mold bars, from the opposite end of the mold bars, which is less than half of the length of the mold bars.

[0407] Preferably,

[0408] • each of two spacer bars is inserted between a pair of adjacent mold pins which are at the same position in the row of mold pins when counted from the respective nearest end of the mold bar! and / or

[0409] • the position of the spacer bars in an array is the same for each array.So for example the first of two spacer bars is inserted between the first and second mold pins of the mold bars in an array, and the second of two spacer bars is inserted between the second last and last mold pin of the mold bars in an array, the position count of said mold pins being in direction of the length of the mold bars. That means one spacer bar is inserted in the pairs of mold pins being the first pair of the mold pins when viewed from one end of the mold bars, the other spacer bar is inserted between the first pairs of mold pins of the mold bars when viewed from the opposite end of the mold bars.

[0410] In another embodiment, in case of mold bars having 50 mold pins, the spacer bars are inserted between the 10thand 11thmold pins counted from the respective end of the mold bar.

[0411] As an example for a mold bar with mold pins for the production of capsules of size 0, the mold bar contains more than 25 mold pins and the spacer bars are inserted between the 5thand 6thmold pins counted from the respective end of the mold bar. So essentially the position of the spacer bars can change and can be adapted to serve the purpose, depending of the size of the capsules to be produced and there on the size of mold pins on the mold bars, on the number of mold pins on a mold bar, on the length of the mold bars. The purpose of the spacer bars is to facilitate a stacking of arrays on top of each other in a stack of arrays, so the distance of the spacer bars from each other in an array should be large enough and the location of the spacer bars from the end of the mold bars should not be too large, to provide for a stable support of an upper array resting on the spacer bars of a lower array, without the danger that an array resting on the spacer bars contained in the array below might tip or topple or shift but rests firmly on the spacer bars.

[0412] The sides of the at least two spacer bars, which, when the two spacer bars are inserted into an array of mold bars, face upwards in vertical direction, are the top sides of the spacer bars; this side is also called the top side of the array in a stack. By these means, that is by the described spacer bar length, spacer bar width and spacer bar thickness, and by the way and position of insertion of the spacer bars in the array, the spacer bars serve their purpose: in a stack of array, where at least twoarrays are stacked upon each other, the bottom side of an upper array in the stack of arrays rest on the top side of the adjacent lower arrays in the stack and the end of the mold pins of the lower array is not touch by the upper array.

[0413] By the described means each mold pin of a mold bar and each mold pin in an array of mold bars is not touched by anything, neither in a mold bar, nor in an array of mold bar, nor in a stack of arrays of mold bars. This serves the purpose of avoiding any damage of the mold pins.

[0414] The number of arrays in a stack can be

[0415] • at least 1, 2, 3, or 4, with a higher minimum number of said series preferred over a lower minimum number! and / or

[0416] • up to 20, 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, or 8, with a lower upper limit of said series preferred over a higher upper limit!

[0417] any of the lower limits can be combined with any of the upper limits. For example, the number of arrays in a stack can be from 1 to 20, from 2 to 18, from 3 to 16, from 4 to 14, from 4 to 12, from 4 to 10, or from 4 to 8. A typical range of the number of arrays in a stack is from 2 to 10.

[0418] The vertical direction within the meaning of the invention is

[0419] • with respect to the production line: the direction perpendicular to the surface of the production line!

[0420] • with respect to a mold bar: the direction parallel to the direction of the bar thickness and parallel to the direction of the length of the mold pins!

[0421] • with respect to an array of mold bars: the direction parallel to the direction of the bar thickness and parallel to the direction of the length of the mold pins. The horizontal direction within the meaning of the invention is

[0422] • with respect to the production line: the direction parallel to the direction of the length and parallel to the direction of the width of the surface of the production line!

[0423] • with respect to a mold bar: the direction parallel to the direction of the mold bar length and parallel to the direction of the mold bar width!• with respect to an array of mold bars: the direction parallel to the direction of the mold bar length, that is parallel to the length of the array, and parallel to the direction of the width of the array.

[0424] A flat position is a horizontal position.

[0425] In the arrangement step and in the incorporation step,

[0426] • the bars of the mold bars are horizontally aligned to each other with the mold pins extending upwards from the bars of the mold bars!

[0427] • each mold bar lies flat on the surface of the production line, the mold bar length extending horizontally and the mold pins extending vertically upward from the bars of the mold bars.

[0428] • an array is extending horizontally with respect to its length and width.

[0429] Preferably, while an array is handled by the gripper, the array is essentially extending horizontally with respect to its length and width, essentially horizontally meaning for example expect for a tilt which is described herein.

[0430] The array is provided by the production line in the exchange location in a flat position, except for a possible tilt, which is described herein.

[0431] Surface of the production line refers to the horizontally extending surface of the production line upon which an array in a flat position rests in the exchange location.

[0432] The gripper is operated by the robot via the movable arm of the robot.

[0433] Preferably, the robot is placed at a location, the robot location, and the actual place of the first location and the actual place of the second location relative to the exchange location and relative to the robot location are chosen such, that it allows the robot to handle arrays of mold bars, by means of the gripper on the movable arm of the robot, in the exchange location, in the first location and in a second location as well as in the transfer between these locations; more preferably without the robot having to be moved for any such handling.Preferably, if all old mold bars of a production campaign are to be exchanged against new mold bars, then the production line performs the arrangement step and the incorporation step automatically and repetitively, while the robot repeats the steps [1], [2] and [3] in timely alignment with the performance of the production line of the arrangement step and the incorporation step, until all mold bars which are to be exchanged are exchanged.

[0434] In an embodiment, when all mold bars of a production campaign are to be exchanged against new mold bars, then the plurality of mold bars, that the production line contains for a production campaign, is preferably a whole multiple of the number of mold bars contained in one array.

[0435] In the arrangement step and the incorporation step of the production line the mold bars and the array of mold bars lie flat; and all mold bars are in vertical direction aligned to each other. The mold bars and the array of mold bars lie horizontally on a respective surface of the exchange location of the production line. So the bottom of the mold bars, that is the bottom of the array, is on the same height as the production line. The bottom of the mold bars, that is the bottom of the array, may touch the surface of the production line, in particular the bottom of the array on the sides of the array defined by the width of the array, may touch the surface of the production line. This position of the array in the exchange location is called the flat position.

[0436] Therefore, in order to allow the slit of the slit frame of the gripper to be slid over the ends of the mold bars it is necessary that the ends of the mold bars are freely accessible by the gripper, in particular by the slit in the slit frame.

[0437] Freely accessible means in particular, that the bottom of the side of the array, onto which the slit has to slide, in particular the bottom of the array on one or both sides of the array defined by the width of the array, is freely accessible by the slit, i.e. has no longer contact with the surface of the production line.

[0438] To facilitate the gripping of the array by the gripper, in particular to facilitate the sliding of the slit over the ends of the mold bars, preferably at least the side of thearray with the ends of the mold bars, that is to be inserted into the slit, is lifted in vertical direction to a position above the surface of the exchange location so that the ends of the mold bars are freely accessibly by the slit in the slit frame and the slit can slide over the ends of the mold bars, preferably without the gripper touching the surface of the production line at the exchange location.

[0439] The lifting height, that is the height by which the bottom of the array is lifted above the surface of the production line, should be equal to or larger than, preferably larger than the length of the vertical distance from the lower side of the slit downwards to the bottom end of the slit frame; thereby the slit of the slit frame can slide over the end of the array without touching the surface of the production line. A lifting height can be

[0440] • at least 10, 15, or 20 mm, with a higher lifting height being preferred over a lower one; and / or

[0441] • from 10 to 100, 20 to 90, 20 to 80, 20 to 70, 20 to 60 mm, with a more narrow range being preferred over a wider one;

[0442] any of the lower limits can be combined with any of the upper limits.

[0443] The lifting is done by the production line. It is done automatically by the production line. It is done at the required point of time by the production line. For the lifting the production line has respective means. So the production line can have the array in the exchange location in a flat position, where the array is not lifted, but lying flat on the surface of the production line, and the production line can have the array in the lifted position. In the lifted position at least one side of the array is freely accessible by the slit of the slit frame of the gripper. Correspondingly the lifting means of the production line can move between two positions, the lifted position, where at least one side of an array in the exchange location is lifted above the surface of the production and thereby being freely accessible by the slit of the slit frame of the gripper, and the flat position, where an array lies flat on the surface of the production line.

[0444] So in a preferred embodiment of the method, the side of the array over which the slit slides, is lifted in the exchange location by the production line above the surface of the production line such that said side of the array is freely accessible to the slit.The lifting is done by the production line before the gripper grips the array in the exchange location.

[0445] The lifting of the side of the array can be done in various ways by the production line, essentially, the side of the array, over which the slit is to be slid, needs to be lifted. For example the array can be lifted as a whole while keeping the direction of the length and the width of the array in horizontal direction, or only the side of the array over which the slit is to be slid is lifted, preferably only the side of the array over which the slit is to be slid is lifted; in this preferred embodiment the opposite side of the array remains resting on the surface of the production line in the exchange location. The lifting can be done by any suitable means of the production line, for example by a movable bar, called a lifting bar, that is operated by the production line and that is located below the array in the exchange location. The lifting bar can have a rectangular cross section in the direction perpendicular to its length, and can be defined by a length, a width and a thickness, with the length being preferably larger than the width and preferably larger than the thickness. Preferably, the lifting bar has an essentially cuboid shape, essentially cuboid meaning for example except for any nose which may be present as described herein, and / or except for any rounding of flattening of edges. The length of the lifting bar extends in horizontal direction and the direction of the length of the lifting bar is perpendicular to the direction of the length of the array in the exchange location. In the preferred embodiment, that is when only the respective side of the array is lifted, the lifting is preferably done by said lifting bar.

[0446] Preferably, the length of the lifting bar is larger than {[(number of mold bars in the array) minus 1] times [mold bar width] plus [0.5 times mold bar width]};

[0447] more preferably, equal to or larger, even more preferably larger, than [(number of mold bars in the array ) times (mold bar width)];

[0448] especially equal to or larger, even more especially larger, than the width of an array. Preferably, the lifting bar is positioned, with respect to its length and the direction of its length, centered relative to the width of the array, when the array is located in the exchange location. Namely, the lifting bar is preferably positioned in theproduction line such that the length of lifting bar in perpendicular projection onto the width of the array is centered in the width of the array.

[0449] Preferably, the lifting bar is located beneath the array with respect to the length of the lifting bar such that it is centered with respect to the width of the array.

[0450] The lifting is effected by lifting the lifting bar upwards so that the side of the array that is to be lifted conies to rest on the lifting bar and is lifted upwards by the upward movement of the lifting bar.

[0451] In the preferred embodiment, when the lifting bar length is larger than the width of the array and when the lifting bar is located centered beneath the array with respected to its length relative to the width of the array, then both ends of the lifting bar extend horizontally beyond the sides of the array; preferably in this case both ends of the lifting bar have a nose extending upwards, which are located on the ends of the lifting bar and dimensioned such that, when the bar is lifted upwards and the end of the array rests on the horizontal side, which faces upwards, of lifting bar, the sides of the array facing towards the ends of the lifting bar abut the sides of the two noses facing each other in the direction of the length of the lifting bar. Preferably, the length of a nose extending in vertical direction upwards from the lifting bar is • at least 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 mm, with a higher value being preferred over a lower one; and / or

[0452] • equal to or larger than the bar thickness of the bar of the mold bar.

[0453] Preferably, both noses have dimensions, geometry and shape corresponding to each other; corresponding to each other means that, since they are located on opposite sides of the lifting bar, their dimensions, geometry and shape may be mirrored with respect to the direction of the length of the lifting bar.

[0454] By the noses the array, that is any mold bar in the array, is prevented from sliding off the lifting bar in the direction of the length of the lifting bar, that is in the direction of the width of the array.

[0455] With respect to the direction of the length of the array, the lifting bar is preferably located within the first half of the length of the array on the side of the array that is to be lifted and with a distance from this side of the array that is larger than thedepth of the slit. Thereby the slit can slide over the ends of the mold bars of the array without the slit frame touching the lifting bar.

[0456] So the production line can have the array in the exchange location in a flat position, that is with the array lying flat on the surface of the production line, that is without the array being lifted, and the production line can have the array in a lifted position, with at least the side of the array, over which the slit slides, being lifted such that this side of the array is freely accessible to the slit; the slit of the slit frame of the gripper can slide over this side of the array without touching the surface of the production line.

[0457] When the robot has to place an array, which is being gripped by its gripper, in the exchange location, then the production line preferably receives the array in the exchange location in a lifted position. So before the robot places and releases an array in the exchange location once the production line has operated its lifting means to the lifting position so that the array is received in the lifted position. For example, in the preferred embodiment, where the lifting is done only of one side of the array, for example by the described lifting bar, the production line raises the lifting bar to the lifted position and then the robot places and releases the array in the exchange location with the array being in the lifted position, thereby the slit of the slit frame of the gripper can slide from the side of the array without touching the surface of the production line. Once the gripper has released the array in the exchange location, the production line lowers the array from the lifted position to the flat position.

[0458] In the preferred embodiment, where the lifting is done only on one side of the array, for example by the described lifting bar, the array has a certain tilt against the horizontal direction of the surface of the production line in the lifted position; with one side of the array being lifted and the opposite side of the array still resting on the surface of the production line.

[0459] Preferably, the lifting height is not large enough to induce a sliding of an array in horizontal direction over the surface of the production line due to any such tilt, but rather the lifting height is kept small enough to satisfy both criteria^ firstly, thelifted side of the array is freely accessible by the slit of the slit frame of the gripper and the slit can slide over and from the side of the array without touching the production line, and secondly, the tilt of the array if so small so that no sliding of the array over the surface of the production line occurs.

[0460] So essentially, in an embodiment of the method, the production line provides the array in the exchange location in a flat position and then, in the exchange location, lifts the side of the array, over which the slit slides, vertically over the surface of the production line from a flat position to a lifted position before the gripper grips the array; and

[0461] the production line in the exchange location receives an array from the gripper with the side of the array, which is inserted in the slit, in a lifted position vertically above the surface of the production line, and lowers the side of the array from the lifted position to a flat position after the gripper has released the array.

[0462] A stack of arrays of mold bars contains a certain number of arrays stacked in vertical direction above each other. Preferably, the bottom of an upper array in the stack rests on the top side of the spacer bars in the array below said upper array. Preferably, the stack of arrays is contained in a rack, also called the array rack. Preferably, the rack has at its bottom a frame, called the bottom frame. The bottom frame is extending horizontally with its length and its width and has preferably a rectangular horizontal outer shape defined by length and by its width. Preferably, the length and the width of the upper side of the bottom frame of the rack is equal or larger than the length and the width of an array. Preferably, the lowest array in the stack array rests on the bottom frame with its length extending parallel to the length of the bottom frame and its width extending parallel to the width of the bottom frame. The bottom frame is constructed such that each mold bar in an array resting on the bottom frame is supported by the bottom frame. This can for example be realized with a bottom frame having at least two bars, called bottom bars, who have preferably the same length, and whose directions of their length are parallel to each other and in horizontal direction and which are aligned to each other with respect to their length, with a distance, perpendicular to their length, from eachother which is shorter than the length of the array and preferably longer than half of the length of the array. The length of the bottom bars is preferably at least as long as the width of the array. Preferably, the bottom bars are located in the bottom frame centered in horizontal direction with respect to the length of the bottom frame, that is with respect to the length of the array.

[0463] The first array, which is the lowest array in a stack, is resting on the bottom frame. The array is preferably placed on the bottom frame with the length and the width of the array in alignment with the length and the width of the bottom frame. The first array is placed on the bottom frame with the width and length of the array being in horizontal orientation, that is flatly.

[0464] When the bottom frame has said two bottom bars, then the bottom of the first array preferably rests on these bottom bars. The direction of the width of the array is parallel to the direction of the length of the two bottom bars, and the direction of the length of the array is perpendicular to the direction of the length of the two bottom bars. Thereby each mold bar of the array rests on the two bottom bars.

[0465] The arrays, preferably each array containing the at least two spacer bars, are stacked upon each other. The next array is placed in the first array, that is it is preferably placed on the top sides of the spacer bars which are in the first array. The third array then is placed on the spacer bars of the second array and so on.

[0466] Each array is placed in the same horizontal direction and position with respect to its width and length in the rack. Thereby the directions of the length of the spacer bars in each array is parallel to each other.

[0467] All arrays are stacked upon each other in vertical alignment.

[0468] The rack has on each of two sides, which are opposite to each other and which extend parallel to the direction of the length of the array, that is which preferably extend also parallel to the direction of the length of the bottom frame, at least two bars, called side bars, which are attached to the bottom frame and which extend in vertical direction from the bottom frame.Preferably, the horizontal distance between the two side bars on one side of the bottom frame is shorter than the length of the array and preferably longer than half of the length of the array.

[0469] Preferably, the length of the distance between the two sides of two side bars on each side of the rack, which face each other and which are opposing each other, is equal or larger than the width of an array! more preferably, said length is essentially equal to the width of the array, with essentially meaning that the robot can still stack the array between the side bars without friction between an array and the side bars, and that the side bars serve as horizontal barrier against a possible uncontrolled horizontal shifting of the arrays in the direction of the width of the array, when the stack of arrays is moved and for example centrifugal or accelerating or decelerating forces act upon the stack due to the movement.

[0470] In a preferred embodiment, the length of a spacer bar is larger than [(number of mold bar) times (mold bar width)], thereby a spacer bar extends over the sides of the array, and the spacer bar is inserted centered in an array of mold bars such that the spacer bar extends on both sides of the array by the same length.

[0471] Preferably, the two side bars on one side of the bottom frame are located in horizontal direction along the length of the bottom frame at such positions that at least two spacer bars, preferably the two outer most spacer bars (outer most meaning located nearest to the sides of the array), in an array, are in contact with the side bars.

[0472] For example in case of two spacer bars of an array being in contact with the side bars, the two side bars on the same side of the rack have a distance from each other and a horizontal position along the length of the bottom frame which is corresponding to the distance and position of the two spacers bars in the array in the direction of the length of the array.

[0473] So each extending end of a spacer bar has a corresponding side bar at a corresponding position.Corresponding, in particular corresponding position, means that the position of each side bar, horizontally in the direction of the length of the bottom frame, with respect to the respective horizontal position of corresponding spacer bar is such, that a vertical side of the side bar abuts a vertical side of the extending part of the corresponding spacer bar.

[0474] Preferably, with regard to the two side bars and the corresponding two extending ends of the spacer bars on one side of an array,

[0475] • either the two vertical sides of the extending ends of the spacer bars, which do not face each other, but which face into opposite directions, abut each the respective vertical side of the corresponding side bar; thereby the two side bars extend vertically along the vertical side of the extending ends of the spacer bars of the arrays stacked vertically upon each other, said vertical side facing horizontally towards the closest end of the array, this is a preferred embodiment; or

[0476] • the vertical sides of the extending ends of the spacer bars, which face each other, abut each corresponding side bar.

[0477] By these means the stack of arrays can be moved while the arrays in the stack are being prevented from an uncontrolled horizontal shifting:

[0478] • in the direction parallel to the width of the array, by the side bars, and

[0479] • in the direction parallel to the length of array, by the spacer bars abutting the sides bars.

[0480] In a preferred embodiment, old arrays are received in the second location in a rack; with the rack as described herein, also with all its embodiment.

[0481] So the robot places old arrays in the second location into a rack; the old arrays are stacked by the robot in the rack on top of each other; with the stacking as described herein, also with all its embodiments.

[0482] So essentially, in an embodiment of the method, any stack of arrays in the first and in the second location is contained in a rack, at least any array in a stack, uponwhich a next array is stacked, contains the at least two spacer bars, a rack has on each of two sides which oppose each other at least two vertical side bars, the two spacer bars in any array extend over the sides of the array, at least a part of a spacer bar of each of the two spacer bars extending over the side of an array in the stack in the rack abuts with one of side bars of the rack, the abutting is in the horizontal direction which is perpendicular to the length of the spacer bars! preferably, the vertical sides of the two spacer bars which face into the opposite direction of each other on one side of the array and which extend from the side of the array are the sides which abut the side bars.

[0483] Preferably, in the second location aside from the production line, which is provided for receiving the old arrays which are to be removed from the production line, a rack is provided for receiving the old arrays which are to be removed from the production line!

[0484] with the rack preferably as defined herein, also with all its embodiments.

[0485] The gripper is attached to the end of a movable arm of a robot.

[0486] Preferably, the gripper is attached with the gripper frame to the end of the arm of the robot.

[0487] Preferably, the gripper is movably attached to the end of the arm of the robot, preferably a possible movement of the gripper and / or the gripper frame is

[0488] • a rotation of the gripper and / or the gripper frame around an imaginary vertical axis running through the gripper frame; and / or

[0489] • a tilting of the gripper and / or the gripper frame around an imaginary horizontal axis running parallel to the direction of the slit frame; and / or

[0490] • a tilting of the gripper and / or the gripper frame around an imaginary horizontal axis running perpendicular to the direction of the slit frame.

[0491] Preferably, any movement of the gripper, of the slit frame, of the gripper bar and of the bar grippers can be operated by the robot independently from any other suchmovement; such movements can be operated by the robot both consecutively and simultaneously.

[0492] The sliding of the slit over the beginning of the bars of the mold bars in the array along the width of the array, is effected by a movement of the slit relative to the beginning of the bars of the mold bars, by a movement of the bars of the mold bars relative to the slit, or a combination thereof.

[0493] Preferably, the slit is moved relative to the beginning of the mold bars.

[0494] This movement of the slit can be provided for by a movement of the slit frame relative to the gripper frame, while the gripper frame is not moved, by a movement of the gripper frame, while the slit frame is not moved relative to the gripper frame; or by a combination thereof.

[0495] Preferably, the slit is slid over the end of the mold bars by a combination of two movements Ml and M2:

[0496] Ml the slit frame is moved relative to the gripper frame with a tilting movement,

[0497] M2 the gripper frame is moved with a linear movement while the slit frame is not moved relative to the gripper frame;

[0498] the two movements Ml and M2 can be done consecutively or simultaneously, preferably, first Ml is done and thereafter M2 is done.

[0499] For the purpose of clarity and unambiguousness of the following description of the gripping of an array by the gripper, the abutting ends of the mold bars in an array on the one side of the array, over which the slit of the slit frame of the gripper is slid, provide for the array start length, that is provide for the side of the array over which the slit is slid; the direction of this side of the array is the direction of the width of the array.

[0500] The gripper grips an array of mold bars. For the purpose of gripping an array of mold bars the robot performs the following actions {10} to {17}:{10} the gripper is moved by the robot horizontally over the array, which is to be gripped, in a vertical distance from the upper side of the array such that the gripper does not touch the array!

[0501] {11} the gripper is positioned by the robot such that the direction of the slit frame, and therewith of the gripper bar, is parallel to the direction of the width of the array!

[0502] {12} the gripper is positioned by the robot such that the slit frame is close to one side of the array, this side being the side with the array start length, the gripper bar is close to the opposite side of the array, that is close to the side with the array end length, these sides of the array being the sides in the direction of the width of the array!

[0503] {13} the gripper and / or the slit frame is positioned such that the slit frame does not overlap with the mold bars in the array in the direction of the length of the array!

[0504] {14} the gripper and / or the gripper bar is positioned such that the gripper bar does not overlap with the last mold pin in the direction of the length of the array, which is opposite to the side of the array which is close to the slit frame, and that the gripper bar overlaps with the array end length or does not even overlap with the mold bars in the direction of the length of the array!

[0505] {15} the gripper is lowered vertically such that the slit of the slit frame of the gripper is on the same level as the ends of the mold bars so that the slit can be slid over the ends of the mold bars, that is it can be slid over the side of the array which is provided for by the abutting ends of the mold bars!

[0506] {16} the slit of the slit frame is slid over the ends of the mold bars, that is it is slid over the side of the array which is provided for by the abutting ends of the mold bars!

[0507] {17} the side of the gripper bar that faces the slit frame is moved towards the mold pins such that the side of the gripper bar that faces the slit frame abuts the last row of mold pins in the array, this last row is formed of the respective last mold pin on each mold bar before the mold bar end length, said last row ofmold pins having the direction parallel to the direction of the width of the array.

[0508] The actions {10} to {17} are done at the appropriate point of time with respect to each other.

[0509] Any of the actions {10} to {17} can be done separately.

[0510] Some of the actions {10} to {17} can be done simultaneously.

[0511] For example

[0512] • actions {10} to {14} can be done separately or simultaneously in any combination.

[0513] • actions {16} and {17} can be done separately or simultaneously.

[0514] Any movement of the slit can be done

[0515] • by moving the gripper as a whole; and / or

[0516] • by moving the slit frame.

[0517] Any movement of the gripper bar can be done

[0518] • by moving the gripper as a whole; and / or

[0519] • by moving the gripper bar.

[0520] So the gripping of an array by the gripper is effected essentially by one of two means, which is the sliding of the slit over the beginning of the bars of the mold bars in the array along the width of the array, the sliding is done in the direction of the length of the array, that is in the direction of the length of the mold bars in the array.

[0521] The other means of the two means is that the side of the gripper bar facing the slit frame abuts with the first row of mold pins in the direction of the width of the array. The first of the two means, that is the sliding of the slit over the end of the mold bars, serves the purpose that the array is lifted and moved when the gripper is lifted and moved.

[0522] The second of the two means, that is the abutting of the gripper bar and the row for the first mold pins, serves two purposes Pl and P2:• the purpose Pl of fixing the array of mold bars in the slit, that is of avoiding that the array slides out of the slit, when the array is moved while being gripped by the gripper!

[0523] • the purpose P2 of fixing the array while the slit is slid over the beginning of the bars of mold bars, that is an avoiding any pushing aside of the array by the movement of the slit while it should slide over the beginning of the mold bars.

[0524] The purpose Pl of this second means may not be required in case that the gripper is moved slowly enough so that a movement of the array in the slit does not happen, which can happen, e.g., by accelerating, decelerating or centrifugal forces caused by the movement of the gripper and / or by any change of the movement of the gripper, so in case that the gripper is to be moved respectively fast, so that such forces can occur, then the second means is required.

[0525] The release of the array from the gripper is essentially effected by moving the slit away from the array after the array has been placed by the robot in its target location.

[0526] The gripping of an array by the gripper, when effected by both described means, provides for an efficient and fast gripping of an array by the gripper, for a save moving of the array by the robot while being gripped by the gripper without the danger of an accidental sliding of the array out of the slit while being moved, and for an efficient and fast release of the array when place in its target location.

[0527] The gripper bar width should be such that it serves its purpose, that is assisting in gripping the array, that is assisting in the actual gripping of the array itself and the ensuing holding of the gripped array!

[0528] essentially avoiding a slipping of the array out of the slit, when the gripper grips and moves an array! typical values can be from 5 to 100, 10 to 90, 20 to 80, or 30 to 70 mm, with a more narrow range being preferred over a wider one.

[0529] The gripper bar thickness is essentially adjusted to suit its purpose, so it should be thick enough to have the required mechanical stability! there should be nodeformation caused by its use. A typical thickness can be from 2 to 10, 2 to 8, 2 to 6 mm, with a more narrow range being preferred over a wider one.

[0530] A release of an array from the gripper is effected by the robot after having placed the array in the desired position. Then the robot moves the slit frame such that the slit slides off from the array. This movement can be accompanied by a movement of the gripper bar, preferably by a movement of the gripper bar such that the gripper bar no longer abuts the mold pins. These two movements, the one of the slit and the one of the gripper bar, can be done simultaneously or consecutively in any order.

[0531] The gripper grips the at least two spacer bars with its bar grippers.

[0532] For the purpose of gripping the spacer bars the robot performs any the following actions {20} to {26} as required:

[0533] {20} the gripper is moved by the robot over the array, which contains the spacer bars to be gripped, in a vertical distance from the upper side of the array such that the gripper does not touch the array and the spacer bars;

[0534] {21} the gripper is positioned by the robot such that the direction of the bar gripper bars is parallel to the direction of the length of the spacer bars;

[0535] {22} the gripper and / or the bar grippers are positioned by the robot such that each bar gripper is located above the respective spacer bar which any bar gripper has to grip;

[0536] {23} the position of the gripper and / or of the bar grippers and / or of the bar gripper bars is adjusted and positioned by the robot such that the sides of the bar gripper bars of each bar gripper, that face each other, have a distance from each other which is greater than the thickness of a spacer bar;

[0537] {24} the gripper and / or each bar gripper and / or each bar gripper bar is positioned such that the bar gripper bars of a bar gripper do not overlap with the respective spacer bar in horizontal direction perpendicular to the length of the respective spacer bar, preferably the bar grippers and / or the bar gripper bars of a bar gripper are positioned centered over the spacer bars, centered inhorizontal direction perpendicular to the direction of the length of the respective spacer bar;

[0538] {25} the gripper is lowered vertically such that in vertical direction the position of the top of the spacer bar is higher than the height of the bottom side of the bar gripper bars;

[0539] {26} the bar gripper bars are moved relative to each other such that the spacer bars are gripped.

[0540] Any of the actions {20} to {26} can be done consecutively and separately; some of the actions {20} to {26} can be done simultaneously.

[0541] For the purpose of releasing a spacer bar that is being gripped by the bar gripper the robot moves the bar gripper bars relative to each other such that the spacer bar is released.

[0542] The gripping of an array of mold bars, as described in details in the actions {10} to {17}, and the gripping of the spacer bars, as described in details in the actions {20} to {26}, by the gripper can be done consecutively and / or or simultaneously, depending on when the steps [1], [2] and [3] and the steps [i] and [ii] are done; that is how the steps [1], [2] and [3] are aligned with the steps [i] and [ii].

[0543] With the gripper according to the invention the handling and exchange of a multitude of mold bars can be done in an efficient, timely, fast and reproducible manner which reduces, or even eliminates down times of the production line, ensures safe handling and movement of considerable weights of steels, i.e. of the mold bars, from one location to another. The exchange of mold bars between production campaigns can even be done in timely alignment with a running production line, even without slowing done the speed of the performance of the production line. So any downtime of the production line, which was so far required for an exchange of mold bars, is reduced. Furthermore the amount of required manual labor and therewith the number of personnel involved is noticeably reduced;the new mold bars can be provided as stacks of arrays and the exchanged mold bars can be received as stacks of arrays, whereas the insertion of the new mold bars into the production line and the extraction of old mold bars from the production line can be done fully automatically by a robot that works the gripper according to the invention in the method according to the invention. Obviously, safety and health risks and issues arising from a manual handling by operators of tons of steel in form of mold bars are clearly reduced.

[0544] The sliding of the mold bars into the slit provides for a lifting of the array without the need of a clamping or clamping force, for example a horizontal clamping, of the array, for example between two bars; that means that the force with which the gripper bar is abutting the array is only required in a size that avoids a horizontal sliding of the array out of the slit and is not required in a size which would be needed for a vertical fixing of the array and for a lifting of its weight while being lifted.

[0545] The vertical fixation of the array and the lifting of its weight is simply realized by the insertion of an edge of the mold bars into the slit, no active exertion of a force in vertical direction for fixing the mold bars in the slit is required while they are being lifted.

[0546] If the height of the slit is larger than the height of the bars of the mold bars, then a canting actually holds the mold bar in the slit while the array is being lifted by the gripper.

[0547] The term "wedging" is an alternative term for the term "canting" for the described way how the mold bars are held in the slit in case the height of the slit is larger than the height of the bars of the mold bars.

[0548] Such a canting of the mold bar in the slit does not require an active exertion of a force but happens automatically by gravitational force when the array in the slit is lifted.Thereby the only active exertion of a vertical force is the one for the actual lifting of the weight of the array, but no active exertion of a vertical force is required for any fixation and gripping in vertical direction of the array by the gripper.

[0549] The provision of bar grippers attached to the gripper frame allows for the use of the same gripper both for gripping and moving arrays and for the preparation of the stacking of arrays, that is for the insertion of spacer bars into and their removal from arrays. Also this provides for a timely and efficient exchange of mold bars between production campaigns; no special device for the insertion of spacer bars into and their removal from arrays is required. For example, the insertion of the spacer bars into an array in the exchange location, which needs to be removed from the production line, can be done right before of even, at least partly, simultaneously with the gripping of the array.

[0550] Further subject of the invention is a system for the production of hard capsule shells comprises the following features :

[0551] • a gripper for gripping and releasing an array of mold bars, the mold bars being used in a production line for the production of hard capsule shells, a mold bar comprising mold pins with a shape which corresponds to the shape of the hard capsule shell to be produced; and

[0552] • at least one such array of mold bars;

[0553] wherein

[0554] a mold bar comprises two elements, a bar and mold pins;

[0555] the mold pins are fixed to the bar;

[0556] the bar is a bar with a rectangular cross section in the direction perpendicular to the direction of its length;

[0557] the mold pins are fixed to the bar in a straight row with any two mold pins adjacent to each other being separated from each other by a certain distance and with the mold pins protruding vertically upwards from the surface of the bars and with the end of the mold pins pointing upwards;in the array of mold bars the mold bars are aligned to each other with respect to their length, so the ends of the mold bars are aligned to each other, and each two adjacent mold bars in the array abut each other side along their length;

[0558] the mold bars in the array of mold bars form a rectangular shaped array of mold bars, the two sides of the rectangular array along its length are the respective sides, facing to the outside of the array, of the respective mold bars which are located on either side of the array, the two sides of the rectangular array along its width are the sides of the beginning and the end of the bars of the mold bars in the array, which are aligned to each other in a straight line; so the length of the array of mold bars is equal to the length of a mold bar of the array;

[0559] with the gripper, a mold bar and the array of mold bars as defined herein, also with all their possible embodiments.

[0560] In the invention, formulations like:

[0561] • "with a higher amount (or number) being preferred over a lower amount (or number"

[0562] • "with a lower limit being preferred over a higher limit"

[0563] • "with a narrower range being preferred over a broader range"

[0564] or the like are simply used for the purpose of simplifying the text at the respective instances, so for example:

[0565] the formulation

[0566] • at least 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, or 45 mm, with a higher minimum value hems' preferred over a lower minimum value,' and / or

[0567] • up to 100, 90, 80, 70, or 60 mm, with a lower maximum value being preferred over a higher maxim um value,

[0568] is equivalent to the formulation

[0569] • at least 20, preferably 25, more preferably 30, even more preferably 35, especially 40, or more especially 45 mm,' and / or• up to 100, preferably 90, more preferably 80, even more preferably 70, or especially 60 mm,

[0570] and mutatis mutandis in case of similar formulations used herein.

[0571] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0572] Figure 1 shows a top view of the production line (1) with the exchange location (1- 3), the robot (4) with the arm (4-1) of the robot and the gripper (5), the first location (7) with an array (3) of mold bars (2) containing spacer bars (6), and the second location (8) with an array (3) of mold bars (2) containing spacer bars (6); also shown is a part (1-1) of the production line guiding individual mold bars and a part (1'2) of the production line guiding arrays of mold bar.

[0573] Figure 2 shows a top view of an array (3) of mold bars (2) with two spacer bars (6) inserted.

[0574] Figure 3 shows a top view of a mold bar (2) with its mold pins (2-1).

[0575] Figure 4 shows a side view of a mold bar (2) with its mold pins (2-1).

[0576] Figure 5 shows a front view of the gripper (5) without an array (3) of mold bars (2).

[0577] Figure 6 shows a front view of the gripper (5) gripping an array (3) of mold bars (2).

[0578] Figure 7 shows a side view of the side of the gripper (5) with the slit frame (5-2). Figure 8 shows a side view of the side of the gripper (5) with the gripper bar (5-4). Figure 9 shows a perspective view of the bottom side of the gripper (5).

[0579] Figure 10 shows a side view of the exchange location (1-3) of the production line (1) with an array (3) of mold bars (2) lying flat in the exchange location (1- 3).

[0580] Figure 11 shows a side view of the exchange location (3) of the production line (1) with an array (3, 3'5) of mold bars being in the lifted position and being gripped by the gripper (5).Figure 12 shows a perspective view of the top of a rack (9) with a stack of arrays (3) of mold bars (2) containing two arrays (3) of mold bars (2).

[0581] Figure 13 shows an enlarged side view of the slit (5-3).

[0582] Figure 14 shows an enlarged side view of the slit (5-3) with a slit angle (5-3-4).

[0583] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION WITH REFERENCE TO THE FIGURES

[0584] The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the enclosed figures. Same components and arrangements are denoted in the figures by the same reference numerals and the respective description may be omitted in order to avoid redundancies. The drawings are not true to scale.

[0585] Figure 1 illustrates a top view of a production line (1) for the production of hard capsule shells with the exchange location (1-3), the robot (4) with the arm (4-1) of the robot and the gripper (5), the first location (7) aside from the production line (1) with an array (3) of mold bars (2) containing spacer bars (6), it is a new array (3'1) of mold bars (2) to be placed into the production line (1), and the second location (8) aside from the production line (1) with an array (3) of mold bars (2) containing spacer bars (6), it is an old array (3'3) of mold bars (2) having been removed from the production line (1). The gripper (5) is illustrated hovering over the array (3, 3'2) which is provided by the production line in the exchange location (1'3). The robot (4) is located at a location, the robot location, which allows the robot (4) to handle arrays (3) of mold bars (2), by means of the gripper (5) on the movable arm (4-1) of the robot (4), in the exchange location (1'3), in the first location (7) and in a second location (8) as well as in the transfer between these locations, without the robot (4) having to be moved for any such handling.

[0586] Also shown is a part (1-1) of the production line guiding individual mold bars (2), two individual mold bars (2) out of the plurality of mold bars (2), which the production line (1) contains! the production line (1) moves the mold bars (2) consecutively and in a cycle repeatedly through the production line (1), the two individual mold bars (2) are shown consecutively one after the other, the direction ofmovement of the individual mold bars (2) in the part (1'1) of the production line is in one of the two possible directions, in Figure 1 either to the right or to the left of Figure 1, depending on the type of installation of the production line (1). Also shown is a part (1-2) of the production line guiding arrays of mold bar, three arrays are shown. Both the individual mold bars (2) and the mold bars (2) arranged in an array are shown containing mold pins (2-1).

[0587] The array (3) in the exchange location (1-3) is illustrated to be an old array (3-2) containing old mold bars (2) which are to be exchanged against new mold bars (2), but, obviously, the array (3) in the exchange location (1'3) could also be a new array (3) with new mold bars (2) to be inserted into the production line and which just has been placed by the robot (4) with the gripper (5) in the exchange location (1-3).

[0588] The mold bars (2) in the arrays (3) of mold bars (2) shown in Figure 1 have been arranged by automatic action of the production line (1) into the arrays (3); the arrays (3) in Figure 1 are shown containing an exemplary number of 10 mold bars (2) in each array (3).

[0589] Figure 1 illustrates the provision by the production line (1) of an old array (3, 3'2) in the exchange location (1-3); the exchange of old mold bars (2) in the production line (1) against new mold bars (2) is effected by an exchange of an old array (3, 3-2) containing old mold bars (2) to be removed from the production line (1), which is provided by the production line (1) in the exchange location (1'3), against a new array (3) containing new mold bars (2) to be inserted into the production line (1), the exchange of these two arrays (3) is effected by the robot (4) that has the movable arm (4- 1) ending in the gripper (5) for gripping and releasing an array (3) of mold bars (2).

[0590] With respect to the assignment in Figure 1 of the first location (7) being the location which is farther away from the robot (4) location compared to the second location (8) being the location which is closer to the robot (4) location, this assignment is arbitrary; it could as well be the other way around. Essentially, the robot (4) is located in such a location, and the three locations, that is the first location (7), the second location (8) and the exchange location (1-3), are located relative to each other and to the location of the robot (4) in such a way, that the robot (4) can reach withthe gripper (5) attached to the arm (4- 1) of the robot all three locations without any need of moving the robot (4).

[0591] Figure 2 shows a top view of an array (3) of mold bars (2) with two spacer bars (6) inserted. The illustrated array (3) contains 10 mold bars (2) aligned side by side. Also illustrated is the mold bar start length (2-3), which is also the array start length (3'6), and the mold bar end length (2-4), which is also the array end length (3'7). Each mold bar (2) is shown with its bar (2-1) and with 10 mold pins (2-1) in a straight row. Two spacer bars (6) are illustrated inserted into the array (3), one spacer bar (6) is inserted between the second and third mold pin (2-1), counted from the array start length (3'6), the other spacer bar is inserted between the third and second last mold pins (2-1). In the illustrated embodiment, the spacer bar (6) is inserted in an array (3) of mold bars (2) with

[0592] • the direction of the spacer bar thickness being parallel to the direction of the length of the mold bars (2) in the array (3), and

[0593] • the direction of the spacer bar length being parallel to the direction of the width of the mold bars (2) in the array (3).

[0594] Each of two spacer bars (6) is inserted between a pair of adjacent mold pins (2-1) which are at the same position in the row of mold pins (2-1) when counted from the respective nearest end of the mold bar (2), shown is an embodiment of insertion between the second and third mold pin (2-1).

[0595] The spacer bar thickness is smaller than the distance between two adjacent mold pins (2-1) on a mold bar (2), and each spacer bars (6) are inserted between two adjacent mold pins (2-1) of a mold bar (2) without touching the mold pins (2-1), thereby each spacer bars (6) is inserted in an array (3) of mold bars (2) without touching the mold pins (2-1).

[0596] The spacer bars have a spacer bar length which is longer than the width of the array; each spacer bar (6) is inserted centered with respect to its length in an array (3) of mold bars (2) such that each spacer bar (6) extends on both sides of the array (3) by the same length.Figure 3 shows a top view of a mold bar (2) with its bar (2-2) and mold pins (2-1) in a straight row fixed to the bar (2-2); Figure 3 shows an exemplary number of 10 mold pins (2-1). The mold pins (2-1) are fixed to the bar (2-2) in a straight row with any two mold pins (2-1) adjacent to each other being separated from each other by a certain distance. Also illustrated are the mold bar start length (2-3) and the mold bar end length (2-4); that is when viewed along its length then the bar (2-2) of the mold bar (2) extends before the first mold pin (2-1) with a certain length, called the mold bar start length (2-3), and the bar (2-2) of the mold bar (2) extends after the last mold pin (2-1) with a certain length, called the mold bar end length (2-4).

[0597] Figure 4 shows a side view of a mold bar (2) with its bar (2-2) and mold pins (2-1) in a straight row fixed to the bar (2-2); Figure 4 shows an exemplary number of 10 mold pins (2-1); the thickness (2-2-1) of the bar (2-2) of the mold bar (2), the dome shaped end of mold pin (2-1-1) and cylindrical part of mold pin (2-1-2) are illustrated and schematically illustrate a shape which corresponds to the shape of the hard capsule shell to be produced. Also illustrated are the mold bar start length (2-3) and the mold bar end length (2-4). The mold pins (2-1) are fixed to the bar (2-2) in a straight row with any two mold pins (2-1) adjacent to each other being separated from each other by a certain distance and with the mold pins (2-1) protruding vertically upwards from the surface of the bars (2-2) and with the end of the mold pins (2-1) pointing upwards.

[0598] Figure 3 and Figure 4 together show that the bar (2-2) is a bar with a rectangular cross section in the direction perpendicular to the direction of its length.

[0599] Figure 1 in combination with Figure 2, Figure 3 and Figure 4 also show the embodiment wherein

[0600] • all mold pins (2-1) of a mold bar (2) have the same shape and geometry;

[0601] • all mold bars (2) of a production campaign have

[0602] bars (2-2) with the same shape and geometry,mold pins (2-1) with the same shape and geometry,

[0603] the same number of mold pins (2-1) fixed to the bar (2-2), they are fixed to the upper surface of the bar (2-2), an embodiment with 10 mold pins (2-1) is illustrated,

[0604] the mold pins (2-1) fixed to the bar (2-2) in the same geometry and arrangement!

[0605] • any array (3) contains the same number of mold bars (2), an embodiment with 10 mold bars (2) is illustrated,;

[0606] • all mold bars (2) in an array (3) are identical;

[0607] • the mold bars (2) of an array (3) are arranged in the same way in any array (3) of mold bars (2);

[0608] • the mold bars (2) in an array (3) of mold bars (2) are arranged with the direction of their length parallel to each other, and side by side abutting each other along their length, and with their ends aligned to each other, and with the ends of their mold pins (2-1) facing upwards, thus forming a rectangular shaped array (3), with the sides of the array (3) in the direction of the length of the array (3) being the respective side of the respective outermost mold bars (2) of the array (3);

[0609] • the length of an array (3) is the length of a mold bar (2) in the array (3), and the direction of the length of the array (3) is the direction of the length of the mold bars (2) in the array (3);

[0610] • the width of the array (3) is [(the width of one mold bar (2) in the array (3)) times (the number of mold bars (2) in the array (3))], the direction of the width of the array (3) is perpendicular to the direction of the length of the mold bars (2) in the array (3), and with the ends of the mold bars (2) aligned to each other and thereby forming a respective straight line which is the respective side of the array (3).

[0611] Each mold pin (2-1) is fixed in the direction of the mold bar length at a distance from the next mold pin (2-1) so that the mold pins (2-1) to not touch each other, all themold pins (2-1) of a mold bar (2) are fixed at equal distance from each other along the direction of the mold bar length.

[0612] The mold bar width is larger than the width of a mold pin (2-1) fixed to the bar (2-2) of the mold bar (2).

[0613] Figure 5 shows a front view of one embodiment of the gripper (5) according to the invention attached to the arm (4-1) of the robot without an array (3) of mold bars (2). The gripper (5) has a gripper frame (5-1), a slit frame (5-2) and a bar gripper (5-3). The slit frame (5-2) with the slit (5'3) is arranged on one side of the gripper (5) and the gripper bar (5'4) is arranged on the opposite side of the gripper (5). In particular, the slit frame (5-2) and the gripper bar (5-4) both are attached to the gripper frame (5-1); the slit frame (5-2) having the slit (5'3) on the side of the slit frame (5-2) facing horizontally towards the gripper bar (5'4). The slit (5'3) extends in the slit frame (5- 2) in horizontal direction in the direction of the length of the slit frame (5'2). The open side of the slit faces towards the gripper bar (5-4). The slit frame (5-2) and the gripper bar (5'4) protrude over the bottom side of the gripper frame (5'1) downwards. The slit (5-3) is positioned in the slit frame (5'2) at a position below the bottom side of the gripper frame (5-1), the slit (5-3) is in the lower section of the slit frame (5-2) while the slit frame (5-2) is attached to the gripper frame (5-1) in the upper section of the slit frame (5'2).

[0614] In the embodiment shown in Figure 5, the protrusion of the gripper bar (5'4) downwards over the gripper frame (5'1) is smaller than the distance in vertical direction from the bottom side of the gripper frame (5'1) to the upper side of the slit (5'3) of the slit frame (5'2). Figure 5 shows the direction of the gripper bar width extending in vertical direction.

[0615] In the depicted embodiment of Figure 5, the gripper (5) comprises two bar grippers (5-5). On the bottom side of the gripper frame (5.1) two bar grippers (5-5), each with two bar gripper bars (5-5-1), are shown. The slit frame (5-2) is illustrated in a tilted position. Also shown is the surface of the side of the gripper bar (5-4), which faces towards the slit frame (5-2) and which is defined by the length and the width of thegripper bar (5'4), being at least partly coated with a layer made of an elastic material (5-4-1).

[0616] Figure 5 shows

[0617] • the arm of the robot (4- 1) attached to the gripper frame (5- 1);

[0618] • the slit frame (5-2) movably attached to the gripper frame (5-1);

[0619] • the gripper bar (5'3) movably attached to the gripper frame (5'1), horizontally opposite of the slit frame (5-2), so that the slit frame (5-2) and the gripper bar (5-4) face each other;

[0620] • two bar grippers (5'5) attached to the bottom side of the gripper frame.

[0621] Figure 6 illustrates an embodiment how the gripper (5) grips an array (3), the ends of the mold bars (2) have slid and are well slid into the slit (5-3) and on the other side of the array (3) the mold pins (2-1) in the first row of mold pins (2-1) abut the gripper bar (5'4).

[0622] Figure 6 shows a front view of the gripper (5) attached to the arm (4-1) of the robot and gripping an array (3) of mold bars (2), and as in Figure 5, on one side of the gripper (5) is the slit frame (5'2) with the slit (5'3), on the opposite side the gripper bar (5-4) illustrated; both are attached to the gripper frame (5-1). On the bottom side of the gripper frame (5.1) two bar grippers (5'5), each with two bar gripper bars (5-5-1), are shown. The mold bars (2) in the array (3) contain the exemplary number of 19 mold pins (2-1). The bars (2-2) of the mold bars (2) of the array (3) are inserted in the slit (5'3), while the gripper bar (5'4) abuts the molds pins (2-1), which are outermost on the side of the array (3) which is on the side of the gripper bar (5'4). Figure 6 illustrates an embodiment wherein the distance in vertical direction downwards from the bottom side of the gripper frame (5'1) to the upper side of the slit (5'3) is larger than the length of a mold pin (2-1).

[0623] The slit frame (5-2) is movably attached to the gripper frame (5-1), this is illustrated by a tilting movement of the slit frame (5'2) relative to the grippe frame (5'1) as illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 in comparison; in Figure 6 the slit frame (5'2) assumesa rather vertical position while gripping the array (3), whereas in Figure 5, where the gripper (5) is shown without an array (3), the slit frame (5'2) is illustrated in a tilted position. The tilting movement of the slit frame (5'2) is towards and / or away from the gripper bar (5'4).

[0624] Figures 5 and 6 in comparison also show an embodiment where the gripper bar (5'4) is movably attached to the gripper frame (5'1), this is illustrated by a horizontal movement of the gripper bar (5'4) relative to the grippe frame (5-1) as illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 in comparison! in Figure 6 the gripper bar (5'4) abuts the mold pins (2-1) while gripping the array (3), the position of the gripper bar (5'4) in horizontal direction is closer to the slit frame (5'2), so the relative distance between the slit frame (5'2) and gripper bar (5'4) is smaller than in Figure 5, whereas in Figure 5, where the gripper (5) is shown without an array (3), the position of the gripper bar (5'4) in horizontal direction is further away from the slit frame (5'2), so the relative distance between the slit frame (5'2) and gripper bar (5'4) is larger than in Figure 6. The gripper bar (5'4) moves horizontally in the direction perpendicular to the direction of the gripper bar length. The movement of the gripper bar (5'4) is a relative movement of the gripper bar (5'4) towards and / or away from the slit frame (5-2). The movement of the gripper bar can be done between two end points of the movement, illustrated is a distance between the two end points of the movement from each other of a length which is larger than the depth (5-3'8) (depicted in Figure 13) of the slit (5'3) in the slit frame (5'2).

[0625] Figure 7 shows a side view of the side of the gripper (5) with the slit frame (5'2), the gripper (5) is attached to the arm (4-1) of the robot and with the slit frame (5'2) attached to the gripper frame (5'1).

[0626] Figure 8 shows a side view of the side of the gripper (5) with the gripper bar (5'4), the gripper (5) is attached to the arm (4-1) of the robot! the gripper bar (5'4) is attached to the gripper frame (5'1); the gripper bar does not extend in vertical direction as far downwards as the slit frame (5'2), so the distance in verticaldirection from the bottom side of the gripper frame (5'1) downwards to the bottom side of the gripper bar (5'4) is smaller than the distance in vertical direction from the bottom side of the gripper frame (5-1) to the upper side of the slit (5-3), therefore the bottom of the slit frame (5-2) with the slit (5'3) can be seen in the side view. Therefore also Figure 8 illustrates the slit frame (5-2) being a frame providing said slit (5'3) in its lower section.

[0627] Figure 8 also illustrates the direction of the gripper bar length being horizontal and parallel to the direction of the length of the slit frame (5-2).

[0628] Figure 5 together with Figure 8 illustrates a gripper bar (5'4) with the shape of a bar, which has, perpendicular to the direction of it length, a rectangular cross section. Figure 8 shows a gripper bar (5'4) with a gripper bar length that is equal to the length of the slit (5-3) in the slit frame. The gripper bar (5'4) is positioned at the gripper frame such that the length of gripper bar in perpendicular projection onto the slit of the slit frame is centered in the length of the slit frame.

[0629] Figure 9 shows a perspective view of the bottom side of the gripper (5); the gripper bar (5-4) and the slit frame (5-2) are attached on opposite sides of the gripper frame (5-1); on the bottom side of the gripper frame (5-1) two bar grippers (5-5), each with two bar gripper bars (5-5-1), are shown attached to the bottom side of the gripper frame (5-1). The two bar grippers (5-5) are essentially identical to each other with respect to shape, geometry and function; and the bar grippers (5'5) are attached to the bottom side of the gripper frame (5-1) between the slit frame (5-2) and the gripper bar (5'4). The bar grippers (5'5) are be realized with two bars (5-5-1), the bar gripper bars (5-5-1), which are attached to the lower side of the gripper frame (5-1); so in this case each bar gripper (5'5) comprises two bar gripper bars (5-5-1) which serve as means for gripping a bar. The two bar gripper bars (5-5-1) of each bar gripper (5'5) are aligned to each other with respected to their length; each bar gripper bar (5'5- 1) has, in the direction perpendicular to the direction of its length, a rectangular cross section. All four bar gripper bars have the same thickness; the two vertical sides of the two bar gripper bars of each bar gripper, which face horizontallyeach other, and which are the sides which effect, by the movement of the bar gripper bars relative to each other, the gripping and the releasing of a spacer bar, have the same geometry.

[0630] Figure 9 illustrates the gripper frame with a rectangular shape in horizontal direction.

[0631] Figure 9 also illustrates an embodiment wherein the length of the slit frame (5-2) and the length of the slit (5-3) are identical, thereby the slit (5-3) is open in direction to its length on both sides of the slit frame (5-2).

[0632] Figure 10 shows a side view of part (1-2) of the production line (1) guiding arrays (3) of mold bars (2), shown are 2 arrays (3) of mold bars (2), each array contains mold bars (2) with the exemplary number of 19 mold pins (2-1). One array (3'4) is located in the exchange location (1'3) of the production line (1) with the array (3'4) of mold bars lying flat in the exchange location (1-3); the second array (3) shown is on the left side of the array (3) in the exchange location (1-3). If the production line provides and moves the arrays (3) to be exchanged in the direction from the left side of the figure to the right side of the figure, then the left array (3) shown in the figure is an old array (3'2) of mold bars to be removed from the production line, the right array (3) shown in the figure in the exchange location (1'3) can be either an old array (3'2) of mold bars to be removed from the production line, that is what is shown in the figure, but it could also be a new array (3) that is being placed into the exchange location (1-3) by the robot (4).

[0633] Figure 11 shows a side view of part (1-2) of the production line (1) guiding arrays (3) of mold bars (2), shown are 2 arrays (3) of mold bars (2), each array contains mold bars (2) with the exemplary number of 19 mold pins (2-1). One array (3, 3'5) is located in the exchange location (1-3) of the production line (1) with one side of the array (3, 3'5) of mold bars being in the lifted position vertically over the surface of the production line (1); the array (3) being gripped by the gripper (5); the second array (3) shown is on the left side of the array (3) in the exchange location (1-3). If the production line provides and moves the arrays (3) to be exchanged in thedirection from the left side of the figure to the right side of the figure, then the left array (3) which is shown is an old array (3'2) of mold bars to be removed from the production line! the right array (3) shown in the figure in the exchange location (1-3), which is being gripped be the gripper (5), can be either an old array (3-2) of mold bars to be removed from the production line, that is what is shown in the figure, but it could also be a new array (3) that is being placed into the exchange location (1-3) by the robot (4).

[0634] The gripper (5) is shown with the gripper frame (5'1), the slit frame (5'2), the slit (5- 3) with the array (3, 3'5) inserted in the slit (5'3), the gripper bar (5'4) abuts the mold pins (2-1), two bar grippers (5'5) with each two bar gripper bars (5-5-1). The lifting bar (1'4) is in the lifted position, the array (3, 3'5) rests with its lifted side on the lifting bar (1'4), the lifting bar is shown with a nose which extends upwards over the height of the bar (2-2) of the mold bars (2) in the array (3, 3'5), thereby the part of the bar (2-2) of the mold bar (2) behind the nose is covered from view. Also indicated is the angle of the tilt (1-3-1), which both the array (3, 3-5) and the gripper (5) have when the array (3, 3'5) is gripper by the gripper (5) in the lifted position. By the lifting in vertical direction of the side of the array (3) with the ends of the mold bars (2), that is inserted into the slit (5'3), to a position above the surface of the exchange location (1-3), the ends of the mold bars (2) became freely accessibly by the slit (5'3) in the slit frame (5'2) and the slit (5'3) could slide over the ends of the mold bars (2) without the gripper (5) touching the surface of the production line (1) at the exchange location (1-3).

[0635] The right array (3) shown in figure 11 could also be a new array (3) which is about to be placed into the exchange location (1-3) by the gripper (5).

[0636] Figure 10 and Figure 11 illustrates the embodiment wherein in the array (3) of mold bars (2):

[0637] • the surfaces of the bars (2-2) of the mold bars (2) in an array (3) of mold bars (2), which are defined by the bar length and the bar width and to which the mold pins (2-1) are fixed, are aligned to each other with respect to the vertical direction, these surfaces are called the upper surface of the bars (2-2);• likewise the respective surfaces opposite to the upper surfaces of the bars (2- 2) of the mold bars (2) in an array (3) of mold bars (2) are horizontally aligned to each other with respect to vertical direction, these surfaces are called the bottom surface of the bars (2-2);

[0638] • these bottom surfaces of the bars (2-2) constitute the side of the array (3) that faces downwards in vertical direction, it is called the bottom of the array (3);

[0639] • the mold pins (2-1) extend upwards from the bars (2-2) and end with their dome shaped end (2-1-1);

[0640] • the dome shaped ends (2-1-1) of the mold pins (2-1) is called the top of the array (3).

[0641] Thereby only the first mold bar (2) of the array (3) is visible in the side views of Figure 10 and Figure 11, this first mod bar (2) of the array (3) covers the other mold bars (2) of the array (3) behind said first mold bar (2) from the view.

[0642] Figure 12 shows a perspective view of the top of a rack (9) with a stack of arrays (3) of mold bars (2) containing two arrays (3) of mold bars (2). Two spacer bars (6) are illustrated inserted in the uppermost array (3), they extend over the sides of the array (3). Also shown are the bottom frame (9-1) of the rack (9) and two vertical side bars (9-2) on one side of the rack, each abutting the respective spacer bar (6) of the two spacer bars (6) in the array (3). Each spacer bar (6) abuts its side bar (9-2) on the side of the side bar (9-2) which opposes the respective side of the other side bar (9'2). The abutting is in the horizontal direction which is perpendicular to the length of the spacer bars (6); the vertical sides of the two spacer bars (6) which face into the opposite direction of each other on one side of the array (3) and which extend from the side of the array (3) are the sides which abut the side bars (9-2).

[0643] Such a stack of new arrays (3) can be provided at the first location (7); in the exchange step, the gripper (5) grips the uppermost new array (3) in said stack of new arrays (3), provided in the first location (7), for inserting it into the production line (1).Old arrays (3) can be received are received in the second location (8) in such a rack (9).

[0644] At least any array (3) in a stack, upon which a next array is stacked, contains the at least two spacer bars (6).

[0645] Figure 13 shows a an enlarged side view of the slit (5-3) in the slit frame (5-2) of one embodiment of the gripper! shown are the slit height (5-3-1), lower slit bevel (5-3'2), the upper slit bevel (5-3'3), the lower side (5'3'5) of the slit, upper side (5'3'6) of the slit, the closed vertical side (5-3-7) of the slit and the depth of the slit (5-3-8). The cross section of the slit (5'3) has the shape of a rectangle,

[0646] Figure 14 shows a an enlarged side view of another embodiment of the slit (5'3) in the slit frame (5'2); shown are the slit height (5'3'1), lower slit chamfer (5'3'2) and the upper slit chamfer (5-3-3); the direction of the length of the lower side (5-3-5) of the slit (5-3) is parallel to the direction of the length of the upper side (5-3-6) of the slit (5'3), and the direction of the length of the closed side (5'3'7) of the slit (5'3) is perpendicular to the direction of the length of the lower side (5'3'5) of the slit, in this embodiment the cross section of the slit (5'3) has the shape of a rectangle! the slit (5-3) has a slit angle (5-3-4), so the lower side (5-3-5) of the slit (5'3) and upper side (5'3'6) of the slit (5'3) have the slit angle (5'3'4) against the horizontal direction; the closed side (5-3-7) of the slit (5-3) has the slit angle (5-3-4) against the vertical direction. Also the depth of the slit (5'3'8) is shown.

[0647] In a cross section of the slit (5'3) in direction perpendicular to the direction of its length,

[0648] • the shape of the outer end of the upper side (5'3'6) of the slit (5-3), that is of the connection between the outer end of the upper side (5-3-6) of the slit (5-3) and the connecting side of the slit frame (5-2), namely the end of the upper side of the slit at the open side of the slit, has the contour of an upper slit chamfer (5-3-3); and

[0649] • the shape of the outer end of the lower side (5'3'5) of the slit (5'3), that is of the connection between the outer end of the lower side (5'3'5) of the slit (5-3)and the connecting side of the slit frame (5-2), namely the end of the lower side of the sht at the open side of the slit, has the contour of an lower slit chamfer (5-3-2).

[0650] In both embodiments of the slit shown in Figure 13 and Figure 14, the length of the lower side (5-3-5) of the slit (5-3) is longer than the length of the upper side (5-3-6) of the slit (5-3). The depth (5-3-8) of the sht (5-3) is the length of the part of the lower side (5-3-5) of the sht (5-3) which extends from the closed vertical side of the slit (5-3) to the edge of the beginning of the lower slit chamfer (5-3-2).

[0651] Figure 1, Figure 6 and Figure 11 illustrate a system for the production of hard capsule shells comprising:

[0652] • the gripper (5) for gripping and releasing an array (3) of mold bars (2), the mold bars (2) being used in a production line (1) for the production of hard capsule shells, a mold bar (2) comprising mold pins (2-1) with a shape which corresponds to the shape of the hard capsule shell to be produced; and

[0653] • at least one such array (3) of mold bars (2).

[0654] LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0655] 1 production line

[0656] 1-1 part of the production line (1) guiding individual mold bars (2)

[0657] 1-2 part of the production line (1) guiding arrays of mold bars (2)

[0658] 1-3 exchange location

[0659] 1-3-1 tilt

[0660] 1-4 lifting bar

[0661] 2 mold bar

[0662] 2-1 mold pin

[0663] 2-1-1 dome shaped end of mold pin

[0664] 2-1-2 cylindrical part of mold pin

[0665] 2-2 bar of a mold bar

[0666] 2-2-1 thickness of the bar (2-2) of the mold bar (2)2-3 mold bar start length

[0667] 2-4 mold bar end length

[0668] 3 array of mold bars (2)

[0669] 3-1 new array (3) of mold bars (2) to be placed into the production line (1) 3'2 old array (3) of mold bars (2) to be removed from the production line (1) 3'3 old array (3) of mold bars (2) having been removed from the production line (1)

[0670] 3-4 array (3) of mold bars (2) in the exchange location (1'3) in the flat position 3'5 array (3) of mold bars (2) in the exchange location (1'3) in the lifted position, gripped by the gripper (5)

[0671] 3'6 array start length

[0672] 3'7 array end length

[0673] 4 robot

[0674] 4- 1 arm of the robot (4)

[0675] 5 gripper

[0676] 5'1 gripper frame

[0677] 5'2 slit frame

[0678] 5'3 slit

[0679] 5-3-1 slit height

[0680] 5-3'2 lower slit chamfer

[0681] 5-3'3 upper slit chamfer

[0682] 5-3'4 slit angle

[0683] 5-3'5 lower side of the slit

[0684] 5-3-6 upper side of the slit

[0685] 5-3'7 closed vertical side of the slit

[0686] 5-3-8 depth of the slit

[0687] 5-4 gripper bar

[0688] 5-4-1 elastic material

[0689] 5'5 bar gripper

[0690] 5-5-1 bar gripper bar

[0691] 6 spacer bar7 first location 8 second location 9 rack

[0692] 9-1 bottom frame 9-2 side bar

Claims

1. CLAIMS1. A gripper (5) for gripping and releasing an array (3) of mold bars (2), the mold bars (2) being used in a production line (1) for the production of hard capsule shells, a mold bar (2) comprising mold pins (2-1) with a shape which corresponds to the shape of the hard capsule shell to be produced;the gripper (5) comprising a gripper frame (5'1), a slit frame (5'2) with a slit (5'3) and a gripper bar (5-4);the slit frame (5-2) and the gripper bar (5-4) being attached to the gripper frame (5- 1) and protruding over the bottom side of the gripper frame (5'1) in vertical direction downwards;the slit frame (5-2) and / or the gripper bar (5'4) being movably attached to the gripper frame (5'1);the slit frame (5-2) having a length and a height;the direction of the length of the slit frame (5'2) being in horizontal direction; the direction of the height of the slit frame (5'2) being in vertical direction;the gripper bar (5'4) being defined by a gripper bar length, a gripper bar width and a gripper bar thickness,the direction of the gripper bar width extending in vertical direction;the direction of the gripper bar length being horizontal and parallel to the direction of the length of the slit frame (5-2);the slit frame (5-2) having the slit (5'3) on the side of the slit frame (5-2) facing horizontally towards the gripper bar (5'4) and the slit extending in the slit frame (5- 2) in horizontal direction in the direction of the length of the slit frame (5'2);the open side of the sht (5'3) facing horizontally towards the gripper bar (5'4),the protrusion of the gripper bar (5'4) downwards over the gripper frame (5'1) being equal to or smaller than the distance in vertical direction from the bottom side of the gripper frame (5'1) to the upper side of the slit (5-3) of the slit frame (5-2).

2. The gripper (5) according to claim 1, whereinthe gripper (5) has at least two bar grippers (5-5), each bar gripper (5-5) can grip and release a bar.

3. The gripper (5) according to claim 1 or 2, whereinthe depth (5-3-8) of the slit (5-3) of the slit frame (5-2) of the gripper (5) is• at least 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9 mm, with a higher minimum value being preferred over a lower one; and / or• not more than 60, 50, 40, 30, or 20 mm, with a lower values being preferred over a higher value; and / or• from 5 to 60, 5 to 50, 5 to 50, 5 to 40, 5 to 30, or 5 to 20 mm, with a more narrow range being preferred over a wider one.

4. The gripper (5) according to one or more of claims 1 to 3, whereinthe height (5-3-1) of the slit (5-3) is• at least 4 mm; and / or• not more than 11 mm.

5. The gripper (5) according to one or more of claims 1 to 4, whereinthe distance between the slit frame (5-2) and the gripper bar (5-4) is• at least 200, 300, 400, 450, or 500 mm, with a larger distance being preferred over a smaller one; and / or• not more than 900, 800, 700, 650, or 600 mm, with a smaller distance being preferred over a larger one; and / orfrom 200 to 900 mm, from 300 to 800 mm, from 400 to 700 mm, from 450 to 650 mm or from 500 to 600 mm, with a more narrow range preferred over a broader range.

6. The gripper (5) according to one or more of claims 1 to 5, whereinthe surface of the side of the gripper bar, which faces towards the slit frame and which is defined by the length and the width of the gripper bar, is at least partly coated with a layer made of an elastic material.

7. A method for exchanging mold bars (2) in a production line (1) for the production of hard capsule shells!wherein the mold bars (2) contained in the production line (1), called old mold bars (2), are arranged in arrays (3) of mold bars (2), called old arrays (3-2), by the production line (1), each old array (3'2) in the production line (1) is automatically exchanged in the production line (1) against an array (3) of new mold bars, called new array (3), this automatic exchange is done by a robot (4) with a gripper (5); the gripper (5) being a gripper as defined in one or more of claims 1 to 6.

8. The method according to claim 7, having the features :the production line (1) contains and handles automatically a plurality of mold bars (2) in a production campaign, moving the mold bars (2) consecutively and in a cycle repeatedly through the production line (1);a mold bar (2) comprises two elements, a bar (2-2) and mold pins (2-1);the mold pins (2-1) are fixed to the bar (2-2);the bar (2-2) of the mold bar (2) is a bar with a rectangular cross section in the direction perpendicular to the direction of its length!the mold pins (2-1) are fixed to the bar (2-2) in a straight row with any two mold pins (2-1) adjacent to each other being separated from each other by a certaindistance and with the mold pins (2-1) protruding vertically upwards from the surface of the bars (2-2) and with the end of the mold pins (2-1) pointing upwards!the method comprises an arrangement step and an exchange step,in the arrangement step, the production line (1) arranges a defined number of mold bars (2) out of the plurality of mold bars (2) contained in the production line (1) in a production campaign into an array (3) of mold bars (2), called old array (3), this arranging is done by automatic action of the production line (1), the production line (1) provides this old array (3) in a designated location of the production line (1), said designated location is called the exchange location (1-3),the exchange of old mold bars (2) in the production line (1) against new mold bars (2) is effected by an exchange of an old array (3) containing old mold bars (2) to be removed from the production line (1), which is provided by the production line (1) in the exchange location (1-3), against a new array (3) containing new mold bars (2) to be inserted into the production line (1), the exchange of these two arrays (3) is effected by a robot (4) that has a movable arm (4-1) ending in the gripper (5) for gripping and releasing an array (3) of mold bars (2);a first location (7) aside from the production line (1) is provided where the new array (3) is provided!a second location (8) aside from the production line (1) is provided for receiving the old arrays (3);the exchange step comprises the steps [1], [2] and [3]:[1] a new array (3) is provided at the first location (7);[2] the movable arm (4-1) of the robot (4) moves the gripper (5) to the exchange location (1'3), the gripper (5) grips the old array (3) of mold bars (2) which is tobe removed from the production line (1) and which is provided by the production line (1) in the exchange location (1'3), and the robot (4) moves the gripper (5), which is gripping the old array (3), to the second location (8) and places the old array (3) in the second location (8), the gripper (5) releases the old array (3) in the second location (8);[3] the robot (4) moves the gripper (5) to the first location (7), the gripper (5) grips the new array (3) and the robot (4) moves the gripper (5) gripping the new array (3) to the exchange location (1-3) and places the new array (3) in the exchange location (1-3), the gripper (5) releases the new array (3) in the exchange location (1-3);the production line (1) incorporates in an incorporation step the mold bars (2) from the new array (3) from the exchange location into the cycle through the production line (1) in an automatic manner;the production line (1) performs the arrangement step and the incorporation step automatically and repetitively, while the robot (4) repeats the steps [1], [2] and [3] in timely alignment with the performance of the production line (1) of the arrangement step and the incorporation step.

9. The method according to claim 8, whereinwith respect to the plurality of mold bars (2) in a production campaign:• all mold pins (2-1) of a mold bar (2) have the same shape and geometry;and / or• all mold bars (2) of a production campaign havebars (2-2) with the same shape and geometry, and / ormold pins (2-1) with the same shape and geometry, and / orthe same number of mold pins (2-1) fixed to the bar (2-2), and / or the mold pins (2-1) fixed to the bar (2-2) in the same geometry and arrangement.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, whereinpreferably,• any array (3) contains the same number of mold bars (2); and / or• all mold bars (2) in an array (3) are identical; and / or• the mold bars (2) of an array (3) are arranged in the same way in any array (3) of mold bars (2); and / or• the mold bars (2) in an array (3) of mold bars (2) are arranged with the direction of their length parallel to each other, and side by side abutting each other along their length, and with their ends aligned to each other, and with the ends of their mold pins (2-1) facing upwards, thus forming a rectangular shaped array (3), with the sides of the array (3) in the direction of the length of the array (3) being the respective side of the respective outermost mold bars (2) of the array (3); and / or• the length of an array (3) is the length of a mold bar (2) in the array (3), and the direction of the length of the array (3) is the direction of the length of the mold bars (2) in the array (3); and / or• the width of the array (3) is [(the width of one mold bar (2) in the array (3)) times (the number of mold bars (2) in the array (3))], the direction of the width of the array (3) is perpendicular to the direction of the length of the mold bars (2) in the array (3), and with the ends of the mold bars (2) aligned to each other and thereby forming a respective straight line which is the respective side of the array (3).

11. The method according to one or more of claims 8 to 10, whereinthe distance between two adjacent mold pins (2-1) fixed to the bar (2-2) is• at least 1, 2, 3 or 4 mm, with a larger minimum distance preferred over a smaller one; and / or• up to 50, 40, 30, or 20 mm, with a smaller maximum distance preferred over a larger one;and / orat least 2, 10, 20, or 25 mold pins (2-1) are fixed to a bar (2-2), with a higher number being preferred over a lower one! and / orup to 100, 90, 80, 70, or 60 mold pins (2-1) can be fixed to a bar (2-2), with a lower number being preferred over a higher one.

12. The method according to one or more of claims 8 to 11, whereinwhen viewed along its length then the bar (2-2) of the mold bar (2) extends before the first mold pin (2-1) with a certain length, called the mold bar start length (2-3), and the bar (2-2) of the mold bar (2) extends after the last mold pin (2-1) with a certain length, called the mold bar end length (2-4).

13. The method according to one or more of claims 8 to 12, whereinthe bar thickness (2-2-1) of the bar (2-2) of the mold bar (2) is• at least 4 mm! and / or• from 4 to 10, from 4 to 9, from 4 to 8 mm, with a more narrow range preferred over a broader range.

14. The method according to one or more of claims 8 to 13, whereinthe number of mold bars (2) in an array (3) of mold bars (2) is• at least 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30, with a higher minimum number being preferred over a lower one! and / or• up to 100, 80, 60, 55, 50, or 45, with a lower maximum number being preferred over a higher one.

15. The method according to one or more of claims 8 to 14, whereinthe production line (1) provides the array (3) in the exchange location (1'3) in a flat position and then, in the exchange location (1'3), lifts the side of the array (3), over which the slit (5'3) slides, vertically over the surface of the production line (1) from a flat position to a lifted position before the gripper (5) grips the array (3); andthe production line (1) in the exchange location (1'3) receives an array (3) from the gripper (5) with the side of the array (3), which is inserted in the slit (5'3), in a lifted position vertically above the surface of the production line (1), and lowers the side of the array (3) from the lifted position to a flat position after the gripper (5) has released the array (3).

16. The method according to one or more of claims 8 to 15, whereina stack of a certain number of new arrays (3) is provided at the first location (7); in the exchange step, the gripper (5) grips the uppermost new array (3) in said stack of new arrays (3), provided in the first location (7), for inserting it into the production line (1).

17. The method according to one or more of claims 8 to 16, whereinold arrays (3) are received in the second location (8) in a rack (9).

18. The method according to claim 16 or 17, whereinany stack of arrays (3) in the first and in the second location (8) is contained in a rack (9), at least any array (3) in a stack, upon which a next array is stacked, contains the at least two spacer bars (6), a rack (9) has on each of two sides which oppose each other at least two vertical side bars (9-2), the two spacer bars (6) in any array (3) extend over the sides of the array (3), at least a part of a spacer bar (6) of each of the two spacer bars (6) extending over the side of an array (3) in the stack in the rack (9) abuts with one of side bars (9-2) of the rack (9), the abutting is in the horizontal direction which is perpendicular to the length of the spacer bars (6); preferably, the vertical sides of the two spacer bars (6) which face into the opposite direction of each other on one side of the array (3) and which extend from the side of the array (3) are the sides which abut the side bars (9-2).

19. A system for the production of hard capsule shells comprising:• a gripper (5) for gripping and releasing an array (3) of mold bars (2), the mold bars (2) being used in a production line (1) for the production of hard capsuleshells, a mold bar (2) comprising mold pins (2-1) with a shape which corresponds to the shape of the hard capsule shell to be produced; and• at least one such array (3) of mold bars (2);with the gripper (5) being a gripper as defined in one of more of claims 1 to 6.

20. The system according to claim 19 comprising the following features^• a gripper (5) for gripping and releasing an array (3) of mold bars (2), the mold bars (2) being used in a production line (1) for the production of hard capsule shells, a mold bar (2) comprising mold pins (2-1) with a shape which corresponds to the shape of the hard capsule shell to be produced; and• at least one such array (3) of mold bars (2);whereina mold bar (2) comprises two elements, a bar (2-2) and mold pins (2-1);the mold pins (2-1) are fixed to the bar (2-2);the bar (2-2) is a bar with a rectangular cross section in the direction perpendicular to the direction of its length;the mold pins (2-1) are fixed to the bar (2-2) in a straight row with any two mold pins (2-1) adjacent to each other being separated from each other by a certain distance and with the mold pins (2-1) protruding vertically upwards from the surface of the bars (2-2) and with the end of the mold pins (2-1) pointing upwards;in the array (3) of mold bars (2) the mold bars (2) are aligned to each other with respect to their length, so the ends of the mold bars (2) are aligned to each other, and each two adjacent mold bars (2) in the array (3) abut each other side along their length;the mold bars (2) in the array (3) of mold bars (2) form a rectangular shaped array (3) of mold bars (2), the two sides of the rectangular array (3) along its length are the respective sides, facing to the outside of the array (3), of the respective mold bars (2) which are located on either side of the array (3), the two sides of the rectangular array (3) along its width are the sides of the beginning and the end of the bars (2-2)of the mold bars in the array (3), which are aligned to each other in a straight line! so the length of the array (3) of mold bars (2) is equal to the length of a mold bar (2) of the array (3).

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