A method of operating a container filling plant for filling plastic containers with a filling material, the method comprising steps to minimize distortion of plastic containers to be filled and maximize throughput of plastic containers by controlling the temperature of a container to be filled, said container filling plant comprising:
- a controller arrangement disposed and configured to monitor and control said container filling plant and to regulate control valves controlling a flow of activation medium;
- a filling machine being configured and disposed to fill empty plastic containers with a filling material;
- a first moving arrangement being configured and disposed to move plastic containers to said filling machine;
- a closing machine being configured and disposed to close filled plastic containers;
- a second moving arrangement being configured and disposed to accept filled plastic containers from said filling machine and to move filled plastic containers out of said filling machine and to said closing machine;
- a rotary treatment machine being configured and disposed to treat plastic containers prior to filling;
- a third moving arrangement being configured and disposed to move plastic containers to said treatment machine;
- said first moving arrangement being configured and disposed to move treated plastic containers from said treatment machine to said filling machine;
- said treatment machine comprising at least one treatment device being configured and disposed to treat plastic containers upon the plastic containers being within said treatment machine;
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- said at least one treatment device comprising:
- a source of a treatment agent, which treatment agent is configured to be heated to treat the inside surface of a plastic container to be treated;
- a heater being configured and disposed to heat said treatment agent to a predetermined temperature, above a temperature of a container to be treated;
- a dispensing arrangement being configured to dispense heated treatment agent in a plastic container, which heated treatment agent is in sufficient amount and at a sufficient temperature to sufficiently coat the inside surface of the plastic container with condensed treatment agent to treat the plastic container, upon contact of said heated treatment agent on the inside surface of the container being treated;
- said dispensing arrangement also being configured to dispense a first and a second volume of heated activation medium in the plastic container, which heated activation medium is at a temperature sufficient to activate said condensed treatment agent;
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- a non-contact temperature measuring apparatus configured and disposed to sense a temperature, on or within the outer surface, of the plastic container being treated and to send said sensed temperature to said controller arrangement;
- said method comprising the steps of:
- moving a plastic container in said treatment machine to be treated;
- heating said treatment agent to a temperature greater than a temperature of the plastic container to be treated, said treatment agent comprising hydrogen peroxide;
- dispensing said heated treatment agent into the plastic container being treated in an amount sufficient to coat the inside surface of the plastic container with a sufficient amount of condensate of said treatment agent to treat the plastic container;
- condensing at least a portion of said treatment agent on the inside surface of the plastic container being treated and coating the inside surface of the plastic container being treated with a sufficient amount of condensate to sufficiently clean the container to increase the shelf life of contents of the filled container to a substantially predetermined shelf life;
- dispensing a first volume of heated activation medium, comprising sterilized air, at a first temperature into the plastic container being treated, said first temperature being sufficient to heat said treatment agent to a temperature sufficient to treat the plastic container and to heat the container to be filled to just below a predetermined container temperature, said predetermined container temperature being a temperature at which the plastic container being treated will distort outside of predetermined tolerances;
- sensing a temperature on or within the outer surface of the plastic container being treated with said non-contact temperature measuring apparatus;
- sending said sensed temperature to said controller arrangement;
- controlling said first temperature of heated activation medium being dispensed into the plastic container being treated to a temperature sufficient to heat said treatment agent to a temperature sufficient to treat the plastic container and heat the container to be filled to a temperature just below said predetermined container temperature;
- reducing said flow of heated activation medium in the plastic container being treated, upon or just before the container to be filled reaching said predetermined container temperature, by an amount sufficient to permit cooling, during rotation of the plastic container in said treatment machine;
- dispensing a second volume of heated activation medium, comprising sterilized air, at a second temperature into the already heated plastic container being treated;
- sensing a temperature on or within the outer surface of the plastic container being treated with said non-contact temperature measuring apparatus;
- sending said sensed temperature to said controller arrangement;
- controlling said second temperature of said second volume of heated activation medium being dispensed in the plastic container being treated to a temperature sufficient to heat said treatment agent to a temperature sufficient to treat the plastic container and heat the container to be filled to a temperature just below said predetermined container temperature, said second temperature of second volume of heated activation medium being lower than said first temperature of said first volume of activation medium and at essentially the same volume as said first volume of activation medium, said second temperature being sufficient to activate said treatment agent to finally clean the container being treated and increase the shelf life of contents of the filled container to a substantially predetermined shelf life and to keep the temperature of the plastic container being treated below the predetermined temperature at which the plastic container will distort outside of predetermined tolerances;
- moving the treated plastic container from said dispensing arrangement to said filling machine;
- filling the treated plastic container;
- moving the treated, filled plastic container to said closing machine;
- closing the treated, filled plastic container.