Thermoplastic Container Molding Drying Gas Nozzle
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for producing thermoplastic containers are inefficient due to production downtime and increased costs associated with manual or device-assisted drying of molding units, which can be wetted by liquids during the stretching process, leading to disruptions and production losses.
Innovation Solution
A device with transfer units equipped with nozzles for releasing a drying gas stream to dry the interior areas of mold inserts during operation, allowing for continuous production and shared use of a single drying device across multiple molding units, reducing downtime and costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If manual drying of molding units is performed to prevent liquid interference, then the molding quality is improved, but production downtime increases and cost efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The molding unit performs its own drying function through an integrated drying device with nozzles that spray drying gas directly onto the molding surfaces. This eliminates the need for separate manual drying operations while maintaining molding quality, allowing the system to service itself without stopping production.
Solution Approach 2:
The drying device is positioned to dry the molding surfaces before the next preform is inserted. By performing drying in advance during the cycle between container removal and preform insertion, the system ensures surfaces are dry and ready for the next molding operation without causing production downtime.
2Reliability
If a cleaning device is assigned to each molding unit for drying, then the drying effectiveness is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
A single drying device with multiple nozzles serves multiple molding units by moving along the array of molds. The drying device performs the drying function for different molding units at different times during the production cycle, eliminating the need for dedicated drying devices at each molding unit while maintaining drying effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The drying device is designed to be movable rather than stationary, allowing it to traverse between multiple molding units. This dynamic positioning enables one drying device to service multiple molds sequentially, reducing the total number of drying devices required while ensuring each mold receives adequate drying attention.
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 solution enables continuous operation by ensuring mold inserts are dry before accepting preforms, reducing production downtime and costs by allowing only the affected unit to be stopped for drying, while other units can continue producing, and utilizing a centralized drying system for all units.
Implementation Method 1
A stream of drying gas can be released from the nozzle towards the molding unit, in particular towards at least a partial area of the chamber-forming interior areas of the mold inserts
Implementation Method 2
at least one of the multiple transfer units has a drying device with at least one nozzle connected to the transfer unit for releasing a drying gas stream for drying at least a partial area of the chamber-forming interior areas of the mold inserts
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a
Figure 2b
AI summary
The invention relates to a device for producing containers (46) by shaping preforms (44) made of a thermoplastic material. The device (10) has a plurality of mold units (12), each of which has at least two mold inserts (14) and a plurality of transfer units (16) that can be moved at least in a transfer region (48) in order to remove the container (46) or preform (44) from the mold unit (12), wherein the mold inserts (14) are arranged within the transfer region (48) in an open position in order to transfer a container (46) or preform (44), and when arranged outside of the transfer region (48) in a closed position, the mold inserts form a chamber for molding the container (46) out of a preform. At least one transfer unit of the plurality of transfer units (16) has a drying device with at least one nozzle (18) that is connected to the transfer unit (16) in order to discharge a drying gas flow (58) for drying at least one sub-region of inner regions (20) of the mold inserts (14) arranged in the transfer region (48), said inner regions forming the chamber. The invention thus provides an improved device (10) and an improved method with which costs are reduced.