Apparatus for forming plastic preforms into plastic containers with sterilizable aseptic valve

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.

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.