Sterile Receptacle Production via Segmented Aseptic Blowing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional aseptic bottling lines face challenges in maintaining sterilization performance and complexity due to the need for extensive sterilization of parison production, transport, and storage, leading to increased operating costs and complexity in maintaining sterility and prolonged cleaning times.
Innovation Solution
A method for producing sterile receptacles that integrates a moulding unit within the production apparatus, where parisons are sterilized and thermally conditioned in a transferring unit before forming, allowing for simultaneous thermal conditioning and sterilization, reducing the complexity of the aseptic blowing machine and simplifying maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If parison production, transport, and storage are sterilized using conventional aseptic bottling lines, then sterilization performance is improved, but operating costs and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the production line into distinct zones: a non-sterile parison production area and a sterile forming area separated by an air lock. This segmentation allows sterilization to be applied only where necessary (in the sterile zone), rather than requiring comprehensive sterilization of the entire production line, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining required sterilization performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the sterilization requirement from the parison production process and applies it separately at the forming stage. By using an air lock system, the sterile environment is created only in the forming area, separating the sterilization function from the general production flow. This extraction reduces the scope of sterilization needed while maintaining product safety.
2Reliability
If extensive sterilization is applied to parison production and transport, then sterilization performance is improved, but cleaning and sterilization times are lengthened
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary sterilization of the forming area and maintains sterility through the air lock system before parisons enter the sterile zone. By preparing the sterile environment in advance and controlling contamination at the boundary, the system avoids the need for repeated or extended sterilization cycles, thereby reducing total cleaning and sterilization time while maintaining required sterilization performance.
3Reliability
If parison moulding press is integrated within the aseptic line, then sterility control is improved, but volumes and surfaces to be sterilized increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the parison moulding press from the sterile zone and places it in a separate non-sterile production area. Only the essential forming area and air lock are maintained in sterile conditions. This extraction reduces the total volume and surface area requiring sterilization while maintaining sterility control where it is most critical for product safety.
4Reliability
If higher sterilization performance is maintained in all units, then decimal reductions are ensured, but operating costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies high sterilization performance locally only in the forming area and air lock where product contamination risk is highest. The parison production area operates under different (lower) hygiene standards. This localized application of quality control ensures required decimal reductions are achieved where critical while avoiding the excessive costs of applying the same high level of sterilization throughout the entire production line.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach shortens sterilization times, simplifies sterility maintenance, and reduces operating costs by controlling contamination during parison generation and delivery to the blowing machine, while facilitating easier maintenance of sterilization devices.
Implementation Method 1
which comprises at least one thermal conditioning device (230) configured to heat the tubular portion (4a) of the parisons (4)
Implementation Method 2
The parisons are sterilized in the receptacle forming unit using plasma
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
Method for producing a sterile receptacle, comprising the steps of: - obtaining a parison (4) by melting and moulding granules of thermoplastic material; - thermally conditioning the moulded parison (4) so that it has a predefined thermal profile adapted to allow forming by stretch-blowing; - sterilizing the moulded parison (4) during the thermal conditioning step of the parison (4); - obtaining the receptacle by stretch-blowing the parison (4).