Container Moulding Wheel Layout for Heat-Set Throughput
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing container production methods are either not compact enough, requiring separate work wheels for each processing step, or they have low throughput due to extended dwell times, particularly in heat-set processes for hot-fill applications.
Innovation Solution
A device and method utilizing a forming wheel with alternating processing stations and synchronized transfer wheels to efficiently process preforms into containers, allowing multiple treatments without separate work wheels, enhancing compactness and throughput.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate work wheels are used for each processing step, then processing reliability is improved, but device complexity increases and compactness is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple processing stations (forming station, heat-set station, cooling station) onto a single rotating work wheel, eliminating the need for separate synchronized work wheels for each processing step. This merging approach maintains processing reliability through centralized control while significantly reducing device complexity and improving compactness.
Solution Approach 2:
The single work wheel is designed to perform multiple functions by sequentially presenting preforms to different processing stations during its rotation. The work wheel serves as both the forming wheel and the heat-set wheel, and also facilitates transfer between stations, thereby reducing the need for multiple specialized wheels while maintaining reliable processing.
2Stability of the object's composition
If heat-set process is performed to increase heat stability, then container stability is improved, but production time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat-set process is integrated into the continuous rotation cycle of the single work wheel, eliminating idle transfer time between separate forming and heat-set wheels. The container undergoes heat-set treatment continuously during the wheel's rotation, maintaining heat stability while reducing overall production time through uninterrupted processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The forming process completes the container shape before the heat-set process begins, with the transition occurring automatically during the work wheel's rotation. This preliminary completion of forming allows the heat-set process to start immediately without waiting for transfer, thereby maintaining heat stability while minimizing time loss.
3Productivity
If multiple processing steps are performed on a single work wheel, then device compactness is improved and throughput increases, but synchronization complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system monitors the rotational position of the single work wheel and automatically coordinates the operation of all processing stations based on this feedback. Sensors detect the wheel's angular position and trigger corresponding actions at the forming, heat-set, and cooling stations, thereby managing synchronization complexity through real-time feedback control while maintaining high throughput.
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 solution enables compact and efficient production of containers with improved throughput by integrating multiple processing steps on a single forming wheel, reducing dwell time and increasing production efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
the preform is first heated in a known manner in a heating device to the temperature required for forming, also called thermal conditioning
Implementation Method 2
the outer mold against which the preform is expanded to form the container is heated to an elevated temperature, e.g., to temperatures above 80°C, and up to 160°C
Implementation Method 3
After completion of the forming process, the container is held against the hot mold walls within the closed mold for a certain period of time while maintaining an internal pressure, so that the container material recrystallizes
Implementation Method 4
the container material recrystallizes
Implementation Method 5
the preform is subjected to internal pressure, e.g., a gaseous pressure medium, such as compressed air, or a liquid pressure medium, such as the product being filled, and thereby expanded against the inner contour of a multi-part outer mold
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The invention relates to an apparatus (1) for producing containers (8) from preforms (6), which pass through the apparatus (1) in a conveying direction. The apparatus (1) has a first and second transfer wheel (2, 3), each with a plurality of handling devices (13) arranged distributed around the circumference thereof. The apparatus also has a moulding wheel (4) which is arranged, in the conveying direction, after the first transfer wheel (2) and before the second transfer wheel (3), and along which a plurality of first and a plurality of second processing stations (11, 12) are arranged distributed around the circumference, wherein the arrangement is alternating. The apparatus also has a bypass means (5) which is arranged between the first and the second transfer wheel (2, 3), and has at least one handling device (15); wherein said moulding and transfer wheels and the bypass means (2, 3, 4, 5) are designed to be driven synchronised with respect to one another, and the handling devices (13, 14) and processing stations (11, 12) are arranged distributed around the circumference on the moulding and transfer wheels and the bypass means (2, 3, 4, 5) in such a way that the first transfer wheel (2) only transfers workpieces (6) to the first moulding stations (11) that do not reach the first transfer wheel (2) from the bypass means (5), and it transfers workpieces (7) to the second moulding stations (12) if the workpieces (7) pass from the bypass means (5) onto the first transfer wheel (2), wherein the second transfer wheel (3) accepts workpieces (7, 8) from both the first and second processing stations (11, 12), and only transfers the workpieces (7) from the first processing station (11) to the bypass means (5), and wherein the bypass means (5) only transports workpieces (7) from the second to the first transfer wheel (3, 2) that have been removed from the first processing stations (11) by the second transfer wheel (3). The invention is characterised in that the first and second processing stations (11, 12) are each defined as moulding stations with multipart moulds (24a, 24b), wherein the moulds of the first and second processing stations (11, 12) differ, in that these enclose a different volume. The invention further relates to a method that can be implemented on such an apparatus.