Control Circuit for Container Cooling in Integrated Plants
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing container production processes in the food and beverage industry are logistically complex, expensive, and energy-intensive, with a poor carbon balance and susceptibility to temperature fluctuations that affect container stability and quality.
Innovation Solution
A plant and method that integrates preform production, container production, and treatment units, including a controllable cooling unit that cools containers based on control parameters from preform and container production units, optimizing energy efficiency and product stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If preforms are produced at one location, stored as bulk material, and transported to a container production plant at another location, then production flexibility is improved, but logistical complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines preform production and container production into a single integrated plant location, eliminating the need for separate production sites, bulk storage facilities, and transportation infrastructure. This merging resolves the technical contradiction by maintaining production flexibility through integrated control while eliminating the logistical complexity and costs associated with distributed production.
2Adaptability or versatility
If preforms are produced at one location and transported to another location for container production, then production flexibility is improved, but energy consumption and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges preform production and container production at the same location, eliminating transportation requirements and the associated energy consumption for moving preforms between facilities. This integration maintains production flexibility while dramatically reducing energy usage by removing the transportation and storage energy demands.
3Adaptability or versatility
If preforms are transported over long distances from production to container manufacturing, then production flexibility is improved, but carbon balance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates preform production and container manufacturing at the same facility, eliminating the need for long-distance transportation of preforms. This merger maintains production flexibility through integrated process control while eliminating carbon emissions associated with transporting preforms over long distances between separate production and containerization facilities.
4Manufacturing precision
If temperature control is applied during production processes, then product quality is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous cooling of containers from the moment they are formed through to the filling process, eliminating the need for re-heating and re-cooling cycles. This continuous temperature control maintains product quality by preventing temperature fluctuations while reducing energy consumption by eliminating redundant heating and cooling operations that would occur in discontinuous processes.
5Manufacturing precision
If containers are cooled to ensure stability and quality, then product quality is improved, but cooling energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous cooling of containers from formation through to filling, maintaining stable temperatures without the need for repeated cooling cycles. This continuous approach ensures container stability and quality while reducing cooling energy consumption by eliminating the energy waste associated with intermittent heating and re-cooling operations.
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
The integrated system reduces energy consumption, enhances container stability and quality, minimizes transport and storage costs, and improves production efficiency by automating cooling processes and reducing manual intervention.
Implementation Method 1
at least one cooling unit, in particular a controllable cooling unit, for cooling the containers produced in the container production unit
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure relates to a plant for producing and treating containers, comprising: a preform production machine for producing preforms, in particular an injection-molding machine; at least one container production unit for producing containers from the preforms; at least one container treatment unit, arranged downstream of the container production unit, for treating the containers produced in the container production unit; a cooling unit for cooling the containers produced in the container production unit, wherein the cooling unit is arranged downstream of the container production unit, and wherein the cooling unit is configured to cool the produced containers, in particular the bottoms of the produced containers, with a cooling medium as a function of control parameters of the preform production machine and/or as a function of control parameters of the container production unit and/or as a function of the container treatment unit.