System for treating and processing a primary packaging container
The present invention provides a system for treating primary container packaging comprising •—a main transportation unit ( 102 ) configured to transport a number of gripping units ( 108 ) mounted on independently motion controlled movers ( 106 ), each gripping unit ( 108 ) adapted for transporting an individual primary container, •—an adjacent transportation unit ( 104 ) configured to transport a number of tools ( 114 ) mounted on independently motion controlled movers ( 112 ), said tools configured to provide one or more primary container material components to the main transportation unit and/or performing packaging process operations to the primary containers present at said main transportation unit.
1 . A system for treating primary containers, the system comprising:
a main transportation unit configured to transport a number of container holding devices mounted on independently motion controlled movers, each container holding device adapted for transporting an individual primary container;
a plurality of adjacent transportation units each configured to transport a number of tools mounted on independently motion controlled movers, said tools configured to provide one or more primary container material components to primary containers transported by the main transportation unit and/or perform packaging process operations on the primary containers transported by said main transportation unit, wherein said adjacent transportation units are moveable relative to said main transportation unit; and
a control system enabling control of movement of the adjacent transportation units relative to the primary containers,
wherein the control system further enables control of the movement of the adjacent transportation units so that the adjacent transportation units simultaneously provide one or more primary container material components to said primary containers in assembly and/or simultaneously perform packaging process operations on said primary containers in assembly.
2 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein said main transportation unit and/or at least one of said adjacent transportation units is a closed loop unit.
3 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein said adjacent transportation units are 3-dimensionally moveable relative to said main transportation unit.
4 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the container holding devices and/or the tools are wirelessly controlled and/or wirelessly powered.
5 . The system according to claim 1 , comprising a control system enabling synchronization of a pace and pitch of the tools with a pace and pitch of the container holding devices of the main transportation unit.
6 . The system according to claim 3 , wherein the control system further enables control of 3-dimensional movement of the adjacent transportation units so that the adjacent transportation units simultaneously provide the one or more primary container material components to said primary containers in assembly and/or simultaneously perform the packaging process operations on said primary containers in assembly.
7 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein a mover of at least one of said adjacent transportation units supports only one tool, or supports several tools adapted differently for performing different operations dependent on the packaging process operations required, or wherein one tool may be is supported by several movers of at least one of said adjacent transportation units.
8 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein said number of tools are adapted for translating, positioning, off-setting, inclining, rotating, orienting, orientation sensing, labelling, coding, printing, inspecting, weighing, surface treating, heating, cooling, rinsing, cleaning, filling, capping, vibrating, illuminating, or measuring the primary containers in transit, or any combination thereof.
9 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein said container holding devices each comprises a container gripping unit.
10 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the main transportation unit and/or at least one of the adjacent transportation units is a magnetic driving surface and its respective independently motion controlled movers are levitating tiles.
11 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the container holding devices is adapted for moving a respective individual primary container relative to the tooling, including tools by inclining, tilting, or rotating the respective individual primary container along and/or around one or more of three orthogonal axes, and wherein the control system further enables synchronization of the tools with relative movement of the primary containers.
12 . The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a change-over station for loading and/or receiving and storing inactive tools and/or holding devices, and/or for adaptation or adjustment of tools and/or holding devices.
13 . A machine for treating a primary container, the machine comprising a system according to claim 1 .
14 . The machine according to claim 13 , wherein the main transportation unit is a continuous transportation unit.