Apparatus for forming plastic preforms into plastic containers with sterilizable aseptic valve
An apparatus for forming plastic preforms into plastic containers, has a plurality of forming stations each having application devices that apply the plastic preforms with a flowable and gaseous medium for their expansion. The apparatus has at least one first compressed air reservoir configured to store compressed air at a first predefined pressure. Each forming station has a valve arrangement with a plurality of valve devices configured to apply the plastic preforms with at least two pressures, wherein at least one of the valve devices is a pneumatically-controlled valve device. This valve device has a working chamber for receiving gaseous medium, used to act upon the plastic preforms, and a valve piston that can be moved between at least two positions. The valve device further has a control chamber that can be applied with a gaseous control medium for moving the valve piston.
1 . An apparatus for forming plastic preforms into plastic containers, having a transport device that transports the plastic preforms along a predefined transport path, wherein the transport device has a transport carrier on which a plurality of forming stations for forming the plastic preforms are provided, wherein the forming stations in each case have application devices configured to apply the plastic preforms with a flowable medium for their expansion, and wherein the apparatus has at least one first compressed air reservoir that is configured to provide compressed air at a first predefined pressure, and each forming station has a valve arrangement with a plurality of valve devices configured to apply the plastic preforms with at least two pressures, wherein at least one of the valve devices is a pneumatically-controlled valve device,
wherein
the valve device has an aseptic working chamber configured for receiving the gaseous medium, used to act upon the plastic preforms, and a valve piston configured to be movable between at least two positions, and the valve device further has a non-aseptic control chamber configured to be applied with a gaseous control medium for moving the valve piston,
wherein
at least one transition region is arranged between the aseptic working chamber and the non-aseptic control chamber,
wherein
the transition region acts as a gray room which separates the aseptic working chamber from the non-aseptic control chamber,
wherein
the non-aseptic control chamber is sealed off from the transition region by at least one first sealing device, and/or the transition region is sealed off from the aseptic working chamber with at least one second sealing device, and
wherein
the first sealing device, which seals off the non-aseptic control chamber from the transition region, is configured such that it never contacts an aseptic region of the aseptic working chamber.
2 . The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein
the working chamber and/or the transition region can be sterilized.
3 . The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein
the transition region is configured to act as a compression spring for pretensioning the piston device.
4 . The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein
the valve arrangement and/or the valve device has at least one sensor device.
5 . The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein
the valve device is designed without a bellows.
6 . The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein
the apparatus has a clean room within which the plastic preforms to be formed are transported.
7 . The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein
a control pressure for actuating the valve device is lower than a pressure of the gaseous medium for expanding the plastic preforms.
8 . The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein
the apparatus has a second compressed air reservoir that is configured to provide compressed air at a second predefined pressure, wherein such second pressure is higher than the first pressure.
9 . The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein
the apparatus is configured to be operated both in a working mode, in which the plastic preforms are formed, and in a sterilization mode, in which the apparatus and/or the valve device is sterilized.
10 . The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein
the apparatus has a third compressed air reservoir that is configured to provide compressed air at a third predefined pressure, wherein this third pressure preferably is greater than the first pressure and is less than the second pressure.
11 . The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein
the pressure in the transition region is lower than in the working region.
12 . The apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein
the working chamber and/or the transition region are sterilized by a flowable sterilization medium selected from hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid.
13 . The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein
a pressure of the working air/gaseous medium is greater than 5 bar.
14 . The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein
a pressure of the control air/gaseous control medium is greater than 1 bar.
15 . A method for forming plastic preforms into plastic containers, wherein a transport device transports the plastic preforms along a predefined transport path, wherein the transport device has a transport carrier on which a plurality of forming stations for forming the plastic preforms are arranged, wherein the forming stations in each case have application devices that apply the plastic preforms with a flowable medium for their expansion, and wherein the apparatus has at least one first compressed air reservoir that provides compressed air at a first predefined pressure, and each forming station has a valve arrangement with a plurality of valve devices in order to apply the plastic preforms with the at least two pressures, wherein at least one of the valve devices is pneumatically controlled,
wherein
the valve device has an aseptic working chamber that receives the gaseous medium, used to act upon the plastic preforms, and a valve piston that can be moved between at least two positions, and the valve device further has a non-aseptic control chamber that can be applied with a gaseous control medium for moving the valve piston, and wherein a transition region is arranged between the aseptic working chamber and the non-aseptic control chamber, wherein the transition region acts as a gray room which separates the aseptic working chamber from the non-aseptic control chamber,
wherein
the non-aseptic control chamber is sealed off from the transition region by at least one first sealing device, and/or the transition region is sealed off from the aseptic working chamber with at least one second sealing device, and
wherein
the first sealing device, which seals off the non-aseptic control chamber from the transition region, is configured such that it never contacts an aseptic region of the aseptic working chamber.
16 . A method for operating a forming device for forming plastic preforms into plastic containers,
comprising providing a pneumatically controlled valve device, wherein the valve device has an aseptic working chamber for receiving the gaseous medium, used to act upon the plastic preforms, and a valve piston that can be moved between at least two positions, and the valve device further has a non-aseptic control chamber that can be applied with a gaseous control medium for moving the valve piston,
wherein
a transition region is arranged between the aseptic working chamber and the non-aseptic control chamber, wherein the transition region acts as a gray room which separates the aseptic working chamber from the non-aseptic control chamber;
wherein
the non-aseptic control chamber is sealed off from the transition region by at least one first sealing device, and/or the transition region is sealed off from the aseptic working chamber with at least one second sealing device,
wherein
the first sealing device, which seals off the non-aseptic control chamber from the transition region, is configured such that it never contacts an aseptic region of the aseptic working chamber; and
controlling operation of the forming device using said valve device.