Extrusion Head Gas Sampling for Sterile Container Filling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for producing and filling containers, particularly for pharmaceutical or diagnostic purposes, struggle to ensure safe and economical operation while maintaining the required clean room class of the hose interior, and lack effective means for continuous monitoring and control of process gas quality.
Innovation Solution
The device incorporates exhaust gas ducts and additional process gas feeds to allow for continuous analysis of process gas quality and temperature control within the hose, enabling precise regulation of gas flow and temperature, and includes vacuum-generating devices for stable hose formation and guide, with the option to introduce different gases for stability and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If process gas is introduced into the hose interior to stabilize the guide and protect against germ penetration, then the clean room class and sterility are improved, but continuous monitoring and measurement of gas quality becomes difficult without interrupting production
Solution Approach 1:
A sampling device is introduced as an intermediary element that extracts process gas from the hose interior through the extrusion head without interrupting the production process. This mediator enables continuous quality monitoring while maintaining the sterile environment and production continuity.
Solution Approach 2:
The extrusion head is designed to integrate both extrusion and gas sampling functions. The sampling device utilizes the existing structure of the extrusion head to access the hose interior, allowing the system to monitor its own process gas quality autonomously without external intervention or production interruption.
2Stability of the object's composition
If additional process gas feeds are introduced to increase gas quantity for better hose stabilization, then the hose forming stability is improved, but the device complexity and number of components increase
Solution Approach 1:
The extrusion head is designed as a multi-functional component that serves both as the extrusion device and as the entry point for multiple process gas feeds. By routing all gas feeds through this single universal component, the system achieves better hose stabilization without proportionally increasing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple process gas feeds are merged and routed through a common sampling device and extrusion head structure. This consolidation allows multiple gas sources to work together for enhanced hose stability while sharing common infrastructure, thereby reducing the net increase in device complexity.
3Measurement precision
If process gas sampling is implemented to enable continuous analysis, then the measurement of clean room class is improved, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The extrusion head serves dual functions as both the extrusion device and the sampling device entry point. This multi-functionality allows continuous gas sampling and analysis capability to be integrated into the existing extrusion structure without adding separate dedicated sampling infrastructure, thereby minimizing the increase in device complexity.
4Stability of the object's composition
If vacuum-generating devices are connected to exhaust gas ducts for regulated gas extraction, then the hose guide stability is improved, but the device complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The vacuum-generating devices enable dynamic adjustment of gas flow parameters (flow rate, pressure, velocity) to optimize hose guide stability. By changing these parameters as needed during production, the system achieves stable hose guidance while allowing for energy optimization based on actual process requirements rather than operating at constant high energy levels.
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 configuration ensures safe and economical container production by maintaining clean room standards, allows continuous monitoring of gas quality, and enhances production efficiency through precise gas flow control and temperature adjustment, reducing the risk of contamination and improving sealing quality.
Implementation Method 1
a vacuum-generating device can be connected to at least one of the exhaust gas ducts, which vacuum-generating device permits the regulated extraction of process gas
Implementation Method 2
process gas used as supporting air, which is introduced into the interior of the hose to stabilize the guide of the free hose section
Implementation Method 3
the process gas used as supporting air, which is introduced into the interior of the hose to stabilize the guide of the free hose section between the extrusion head and the mold, is sterile air
Data Source
AI summary
In a device for producing and filling container products, at least one hose (19) of plasticized plastic material can be extruded into an opened mold (7), starting from an extrusion head (13) along a hose guide. By at least one filling mandrel (1), which at least in one functional position extends through the extrusion head (13), a filling material can be introduced into the relevant container. At least one process gas feeder device (21, 23) can be used to bring a process gas into the interior of the hose (19). The process gas feeder device (21, 23) has a guide duct (21) extending inside the extrusion head (13) along the outside of the filling mandrel (1). At least part of the process gas introduced is discharged through the extrusion head (13) along at least one predeterminable exhaust gas duct (35), which is separated from the relevant guide duct (21).