	US 12,186,965 B2
	Method for product guidance in a stretch blow molding and/or filling system, and stretch blow molding and/or filling system for bottles
Christof Will, Obertraubling (DE)
Assigned to KRONES AG, Neutraubling (DE)
Appl. No. 17/593,028
Filed by KRONES AG, Neutraubling (DE)
PCT Filed Feb. 10, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/053297 § 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 3, 2021, PCT Pub. No. WO2020/177982, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 10, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 102019203062.9 (DE), filed on Mar. 6, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0203597 A1, Jun. 30, 2022
Int. Cl. B29C 49/78 (2006.01); B29C 49/12 (2006.01); B29L 31/00 (2006.01)

CPC B29C 49/786 (2013.01) [B29C 49/12 (2013.01); B29C 49/78 (2013.01); B29L 2031/7158 (2013.01)]

20 Claims

1. A method for product guidance in a stretch blow molding system and/or filling system including a heating station, a stretch blow molding machine, and a filling machine, comprising:

measuring preform parameters of preforms provided for stretch blow molding in the stretch blow molding machine in an automated manner and storing the measured preform parameters as initial data for stretch blow molding,

measuring bottle parameters of bottles produced during the stretch blow molding and/or filled after the stretch blow molding with the filling machine, including determining, in an automated manner, machine error states of the heating station, the stretch blow molding machine, and/or the filling machine that occur during the stretch blow molding and/or filling process, and storing the measured bottle parameters and machine error states as results data of the stretch blow molding and/or filling, wherein results data for each bottle of the bottles is associated with initial data for a respective preform of the preforms used to generate that bottle,

calculating at least one lead-out criterion applicable in a downstream production for deciding whether or not to lead out faulty preforms or bottles based on a data analysis of the stored initial data and results data, and where a calculation of said at least one lead-out criterion is updated while taking into consideration initial data and results data acquired during a downstream production operation,

determining that said at least one lead-out criterion has been fulfilled,

in response to fulfilling said at least one lead-out criterion: leading, via one or more first lead-out devices of the stretch blow molding system and/or filling system, said preforms out upstream of the stretch blow molding machine including blow molds provided for this purpose; passing said preforms through said blow molds without stretch blow molding and subsequently leading out the preforms via one or more second lead-out devices positioned downstream of the stretch blow molding machine; or stretch blow molding said preforms with the stretch blow molding machine to form bottles and leading out the bottles produced prior to filling via a third lead-out device, and

in response to not fulfilling said at least one lead-out criterion for one or more further preforms, stretch blowing molding said one or more further preforms into one or more further bottles and filling said one or more further bottles with product.