US 12,145,304 B2
Apparatus and method for heating plastic preforms with spatially resolved temperature detection
Jochen Forsthoevel, Regensburg (DE); Philipp Olenberg, Regensburg (DE); and Ulrich Lappe, Neutraubling (DE)
Assigned to KRONES AG, (DE)
Filed by KRONES AG, Neutraubling (DE)
Filed on Sep. 7, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/468,213.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2020 123 163.6 (DE), filed on Sep. 4, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0072758 A1, Mar. 10, 2022
Int. Cl. B29C 49/68 (2006.01); B29C 49/42 (2006.01); B29C 49/78 (2006.01); B29L 31/00 (2006.01)
CPC B29C 49/68 (2013.01) [B29C 49/4205 (2013.01); B29C 49/786 (2013.01); B29C 49/78 (2013.01); B29L 2031/7158 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for producing plastic containers, having a heating device configured to heat plastic preforms, wherein the heating device has a transport device configured to transport the plastic preforms individually along a predetermined transport path during heating, and at least one heating element configured to heat the plastic preforms during transport along the transport path, and a forming device configured to form the heated plastic preforms into plastic containers, wherein the forming device has a plurality of forming stations configured for forming the plastic preforms into plastic containers, wherein the forming device is arranged downstream of the heating device in the transport direction of the plastic preforms, wherein the heating device and/or the forming device has at least one control device configured to control the heating process and/or the forming process as a function of at least one property of the plastic preforms, wherein the apparatus has at least one temperature detection device arranged in a region of the heating device or between the heating device and the forming device and configured for detecting a temperature of the plastic preforms, and wherein at least one control device is configured to take into account in advance at least one variable value to influence the heating process and/or the forming process,
wherein
the apparatus has a processor device which, on the basis of the variable value is configured to determine a determination value which can be used by at least one of the control devices for control, and the processor device is configured to determine the determination value on the basis of a model, wherein
the apparatus has an assigning device configured to assign to each plastic preform fed to the heating device a specific forming station that forms this plastic preform, so that the forming process can be individually adapted to the individual plastic preform, and wherein
the apparatus is configured for identifying and/or marking certain plastic preforms in response to a detected temperature for a subsequent forming process, so that the apparatus assigns a future forming station to the certain plastic preforms, wherein this information is passed on to the control device which is configured to change a stretching speed, a pre-blowing duration or a pre-blowing time for the certain plastic preforms, wherein the change is done station-specifically for certain forming stations and the control device adapts the forming process for the certain plastic preforms.