Blow Molding Heating Device with Integrated UV Sterilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for sterilizing blow-molded containers and their preforms in blow molding machines face challenges in ensuring complete sterility, particularly due to recontamination risks and inefficiencies in sterilization processes, including uncontrolled escape of sterilizing agents and high equipment requirements.
Innovation Solution
The method involves using a blow molding machine equipped with a heating device and radiation sources, specifically UV emitters, to sterilize both the preforms and carrying devices within the machine, ensuring thorough exposure to sterilizing radiation and maintaining sterility through the use of a housing with a suction device for chemical sterilizing agents like hydrogen peroxide, even during non-operational cycles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sterilization is performed using hydrogen peroxide or chemical agents after blow-molding, then container sterility is achieved, but additional processing steps and equipment are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the sterilization function with the existing blow-molding process by integrating radiation sources into the heating device. The heating device simultaneously performs both heating/tempering and sterilization functions, eliminating the need for separate sterilization equipment and processing steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating device is designed to serve multiple functions: it heats the preform to the required temperature for blow-molding and simultaneously sterilizes both the preform and the carrying device using radiation sources. This multi-functional approach reduces overall system complexity.
2Reliability
If radiation sources are used to sterilize preforms, then sterilization effectiveness is improved, but recontamination risks from carrying devices remain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the radiation sterilization function to cover both the preform and the carrying device simultaneously. The carrying device is designed to be exposed to radiation during the sterilization process, ensuring it is also sterilized and cannot cause recontamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The sterilization process using radiation sources is continuous and maintains sterility throughout the blow-molding process. The heating device with integrated radiation sources operates continuously to ensure both preform and carrying device remain sterile from sterilization through to container formation.
3Reliability
If separate sterilization stations are used, then sterilization thoroughness is improved, but processing time and throughput are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the sterilization function into the existing heating device that is already part of the blow-molding process. By integrating radiation sources into the heating device, the sterilization step is performed simultaneously with the heating step, eliminating the need for separate sterilization stations and maintaining high throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
The sterilization using radiation sources is performed preliminarily during the heating phase, before the blow-molding operation. This preliminary sterilization ensures that both preform and carrying device are sterile before container formation begins, maintaining thorough sterilization without adding post-processing steps.
4Reliability
If sterilizing agents are used, then sterilization is achieved, but uncontrolled escape and new contamination may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces chemical sterilizing agents with radiation sources (such as UV or other electromagnetic radiation) for sterilization. This substitution eliminates the problems associated with chemical agents, including uncontrolled escape and potential new contamination, while maintaining effective sterilization through a different physical mechanism.
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 ensures reliable and complete sterilization of preforms and carrying devices, reducing recontamination risks and improving throughput by maintaining sterility throughout the blow molding process, including during startup and idle periods.
Implementation Method 1
a preform made of a thermoplastic material is first guided through a heating device by means of a carrying device and heated in the heating device
Implementation Method 2
the preform is exposed to sterilizing radiation at least in certain areas
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method for producing blow-molded containers (2), which are sterile at least in some areas, in a blow-molding machine. A preform (1) made of a thermoplastic material is first guided through a heating device (24) by means of a supporting device (33), heated in the heating device (24), and then supplied with a pressurized fluid, and the preform (1) is supplied with a sterilizing radiation at least in some areas. The method is characterized in that at least one radiation source (51, 53, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59) for the sterilizing radiation is arranged in the heating device (24) in a stationary manner at a distance to the preform (1), and the radiation direction of at least one of the at least one radiation sources (51, 53, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59) is oriented towards the opening region (21) of the preform (1) and/or towards the supporting device (33). The invention further relates to a blow-molding machine for producing blow-molded containers (2) which are sterile at least some areas, to a heating device (24), and to a heating box (30).