Method of treating plastics material containers with reduction of time during the synchronization of parts of the plant

An apparatus for the treatment of plastics material pre-forms, comprising:

• a conveying device configured to convey the plastics material pre-forms along a pre-set conveying path;
• a heating device configured to heat the plastics material pre-forms during said conveying;
• a shaping device arranged downstream of the heating device, the shaping device being configured to shape the heated plastics material pre-forms into plastics material containers;
• a filling device configured to fill the plastics material containers with a liquid, the heating device, the shaping device, and the filling device being synchronized with one another in a working operation of the apparatus;
• a regulating loop which performs a check as to whether synchronization between the heating device and the filling device has already occurred;
• and
• a blocking device arranged upstream of the heating device in the conveying direction of the plastics material pre-forms, the blocking device being structured and arranged to interrupt a supply of the plastics material pre-forms to the heating device in the event of an occurrence of an error state in the shaping device or the filling device arranged downstream of the heating device, the blocking device being controllably operated such that the blocking device can release the supply of the plastics material pre-forms to the heating device again at a point in time before the heating device and the shaping device or the filling device, arranged downstream of the heating device, are synchronized again.

A method of treating plastics material pre-forms, comprising:

• conveying plastics material pre-forms by a conveying device;
• heating the plastics material pre-forms, during said conveying step, by a heating device;
• treating the plastics material pre-forms, after said heating step, by a further treatment device in a further pre-set manner, the heating device and the further treatment device being operated in a synchronized manner at least for a time;
• interrupting a supply of the plastics material pre-forms to the heating device by a blocking device in the event of an error state occurring in said further treatment device arranged downstream of the heating device;
• performing, by a regulating loop, a check as to whether synchronization between the heating device and the further treatment device;
• whereupon, upon non-synchronization being identified based on the check, re-synchronizing, chronologically after the occurrence of the error state, the further treatment device with the heating device during a pre-set synchronization period;
• and
• permitting again, at a start of or during the synchronization period, the supply of the plastics material pre-forms to the heating device.

A method of treating plastics material pre-forms, comprising:

• conveying plastics material pre-forms by a conveying device;
• heating the plastics material pre-forms, during said conveying step, by a heating device;
• and
• treating the plastics material pre-forms, after said heating step, by a further treatment device in a further pre-set manner, the heating device and the further treatment device being operated in a synchronized manner at least for a time,
• wherein in the event of an error state occurring in said further treatment device downstream of the heating device, a supply of the plastics material pre-forms to the heating device is interrupted by a blocking device,
• wherein chronologically after the occurrence of the error state, a check of synchronization between the heating device and the further treatment device is performed by a regulating loop, such that, when the check indicates non-synchronization, the further treatment device is brought into synchronism again with the heating device during a pre-set synchronization period, and
• measuring time elapsed while blocking, via the blocking device, delivery of the supply of the plastics materials pre-forms to the heating device, to yield measured time;
• determining a duration of the synchronization time TSync;
• comparing the measured time to the duration of the synchronization time, to yield a comparison;
• and
• when the measured time exceeds the synchronization time, opening the blocking device such that the delivery of the supply of the plastics materials pre-forms to the heating device is reinitiated
• wherein the supply of the plastics material pre-forms to the heating device is permitted again, according to the check, during the synchronization period or at the start of the synchronization.