Apparatus and a method for heating plastic preforms with decoupled transport devices

An apparatus for heating plastic preforms, comprising a first transport device that transports the plastic preforms in a separated manner, wherein said first transport device has a plurality of recesses for receiving the plastic preforms, comprising a second transport device that is adapted to take over the plastic preforms transported by the first transport device and to transport said plastic preforms along a predetermined transport path,

• wherein the second transport device has a plurality of holding elements for holding the plastic preforms, and comprising at least one heating device that heats the plastic preforms transported by the second transport device, wherein at least the first transport device is a circulating transport device,
• wherein
• a relative position of the recesses of the first transport device in the circulation direction of the first transport device relative to a position of the holding elements in respect of the transport path can be changed, and wherein the first transport device has a first drive device for driving the first transport device and the second transport device has a second drive device for driving the second transport device,
• wherein the apparatus comprises a further drive device for moving the holding elements in a longitudinal direction of the plastic preforms, and
• wherein an offset correction between the first drive device and the second drive device is carried out, in which an operator of the machine him/herself establishes correction parameters,
• wherein the correction parameter for another plastic preform could be input via an input means, so that the apparatus automatically adjust the offset between the first drive device and the second drive device, or
• the operator selects a respective recipe deposited in the machine, wherein in this recipe already correction parameters as well as further parameters such as respective preform neck parameters are deposited, wherein between a machine control and a servo control of the drive devices a processor device is arranged which determines a difference angle from the previous preforms and the new preform sizes, from which the machine can adjust itself to the new format in relation to the oven infeed.