Method of blow molding using a closed-loop oven system
AssigneeDiscma AG
InventorRichard Sieradzki
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A closed-loop method of heating a preform for a blow molding operation is provided. The method involves inspecting a preform upon entry into a system, heating the preform, measuring a preform temperature along its longitudinal axis and around its circumference, heating the preform again, measuring a preform temperature again along its longitudinal axis and around its circumference, comparing the second temperature measurement to a known, acceptable temperature measurement, and optimizing the heating step(s) to ensure subsequent optimization of the heating of subsequent preforms.
Claims20
A method for heating a preform, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a plurality of preforms suitable for blow molding:
- inspecting each preform to identify at least a material from which the preform is formed:
- heating each preform:
- measuring the temperature of at least a portion of each preform along its longitudinal axis and around its circumference:
- further heating each preform:
- further measuring the temperature of at least a portion of each preform along its longitudinal axis and around its circumference to generate a temperature profile:
- comparing the temperature profile from the further measuring step to a standard temperature profile of each of the plurality of preforms:
- and blow molding any preform that has an acceptable temperature profile based on the comparing step.
hod of claim 1, furthering comprising a step of optimizing the further heating step based on the comparison step to ensure subsequent preforms are heated to an acceptable temperature to minimize rejection or reheating thereof.
The method of claim 4, wherein the optimizing step is an adjustment of at least one of an intensity of a heating means during the heating or further heating step, a spin rate of each preform during the heating or further heating step, or a residence time of the preform during the heating or further heating step if the comparison.
A method for heating a preform, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a plurality of preforms suitable for blow molding:
- inspecting each preform to identify at least a material from which the preform is formed:
- heating each preform:
- measuring the temperature of at least a portion of each preform along its longitudinal axis and around its circumference:
- further heating each preform:
- further measuring the temperature of at least a portion of each preform along its longitudinal axis and around its circumference to generate a temperature profile:
- comparing the temperature profile from the further measuring step to a standard temperature profile of one of the plurality of preforms:
- and
- blow molding any preform that has an acceptable temperature profile based on the comparing step, recycling any preform that does not have an acceptable temperature profile based on the comparing step, or reheating any preform that does not have an acceptable temperature profile based on the comparing step.
A method for heating a preform, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a plurality of preforms suitable for blow molding;
- inspecting each preform to identify at least a material from which the preform is formed;
- heating each preform;
- measuring the temperature of at least a portion of each preform along its longitudinal axis and around its circumference;
- further heating each preform;
- further measuring the temperature of at least a portion of each preform along its longitudinal axis and around its circumference to generate a temperature profile;
- compiling the measured temperatures of the at least a portion of each preform during the further measuring step;
- converting the compiled measured temperatures into a three-dimensional thermal image representing the measured temperatures of the at least a portion of the preform;
- further converting the three-dimensional thermal image into a two-dimensional thermal image representing the portion of the preform measured along its longitudinal axis and around its circumference in the further measuring step;
- comparing the two-dimensional thermal image from the further converting step to a standard two-dimensional thermal image corresponding to one of the plurality of preforms;
- and
- blow molding any preform that has an acceptable temperature profile based on the comparing step, recycling any preform that does not have an acceptable temperature profile based on the comparing step, or reheating any preform that does not have an acceptable temperature profile based on the comparing step.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.