Blow Mold Sterilization via Extraction and Automated Change
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current blow molding processes face challenges in achieving complete sterilization of blow molds and long setup times due to manual mold changes, which can lead to contamination and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a movable and rotatable support system for blow molds, allowing for temporary removal and storage in a magazine device, facilitated by a changing robot, enables complete sterilization of blow molds and supports, and automates the mold change process within a sterile environment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If blow molds are sterilized while mounted on the mold support, then the sterilization process is simpler, but the sterilization is incomplete (rear spaces and counterpart faces cannot be sterilized)
Solution Approach 1:
The blow molds are temporarily removed from the mold support during the sterilization process. This extraction allows the sterilization system to access and treat previously inaccessible areas including the rear spaces of the blow molds and the counterpart faces on the mold support, achieving complete sterilization of all surfaces that come into contact during operation.
2Productivity
If manual mold change is performed, then the process is simpler to operate, but setup times are long and contamination risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs mold changes automatically without requiring manual intervention. The mold support is automatically repositioned, and the robot retrieves and installs the appropriate blow molds from storage, enabling the system to service itself during mold changes while maintaining sterile conditions and reducing setup time.
Solution Approach 2:
A robot serves as an intermediary between the mold support and the blow molds during the changing process. The robot automatically retrieves, transports, and installs the blow molds, eliminating the need for manual handling and reducing both setup time and contamination risk while maintaining operational simplicity through automated control.
3Volume of stationary object
If blow molds are stored outside the machine in a mold wagon, then storage space is freed up, but transport time and contamination risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The blow mold storage system is nested within or integrated to the mold support structure. The storage locations are positioned such that the robot can access them directly during the mold changing operation, eliminating the need for separate transport operations and reducing preparation time while maintaining compact machine dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The required blow molds are pre-positioned in storage locations adjacent to the mold support before the changing operation begins. This preliminary positioning allows the robot to immediately retrieve and install the correct molds without requiring transport from distant storage areas, reducing setup time while maintaining efficient space utilization.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a method for operating a device for shaping plastic preforms to form plastic containers, wherein the device has a movable support on which a plurality of shaping stations for shaping plastic preforms to form plastic containers are arranged, and these shaping stations each have blow molds that are suitable for and intended for molding the plastic preforms and are arranged at least indirectly on blow mold supports. The blow molds are kept at least temporarily in a magazine device, wherein this magazine device is suitable for and intended for receiving several sets of blow molds.