Abstract: A planar drive apparatus includes at least one mover and a drive table. The mover has an outer shell, the drive table has a planar drive surface, and the mover can be electromagnetically coupled to the drive surface and can be moved in a floating state parallel to the drive surface. The drive table has a cleaning region including a cleaning device for cleaning at least a part of the outer shell of the mover. The mover can be brought into the cleaning region by electromagnetic drive of the drive surface. The cleaning device has at least one additional cleaning unit which is arranged on or above the drive surface and which is configured to clean a side surface and/or a top side of the mover.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for treating formed parts with high-energy electron beams. The electron beams are guided by two opposite stationary or displaceable electron discharge windows onto the formed part and bounding a process space for the formed part. A transport device is present for the formed part, by which the formed part can be guided through the process space to the electron discharge windows disposed substantially vertically perpendicular to the transport direction. A channel is disposed in the process space for transporting the formed part and largely shielded against the X-ray radiation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for treating the surfaces of containers or objects in which the inner surfaces to be treated are exposed to functionalizing plasma during a process step, and/or to coating plasma during a further process step. The functionalizing plasma and the coating plasma are preferably produced by a plasma source which is located inside or outside the containers or objects.

Abstract: A method and device for sterilizing containers in which a plasma treatment is executed through excitation of an electromagnetic oscillation so that the plasma is excited in a vacuum in the vicinity of the container regions to be sterilized. Between arrival and discharge, the container regions to be sterilized are moved closer to the oscillation-generating device in the chamber, with continuous movement of the container and/or of the oscillation-generating device for one or more predetermined time intervals in such a way that a plasma is excited in these regions inside and/or outside the container. The chamber is provided with a transport apparatus inside it, which produces an essentially rotating motion of the container during the transport from the arrival to the discharge in the chamber.

Abstract: The invention is an apparatus for closing containers, preferably pharmaceutical containers. The apparatus includes a closing device which surrounds a closing element of the container. The closing device is provided with a magnetic mechanism, such as an electromagnetic coil, which generates a magnetic force and thereby deforms the closure element. The deformation of the closure element closes and seals the opening of the container. The closing device is designed such that the closing device applies the magnetic force to only a part of the closure element, for example, the edge of the closure element.

Abstract: An apparatus for transporting cylindrical objects, in particular containers, has at least two shafts that rotate in the same direction, axially perpendicular to the transporting direction of the objects. While being transported, the objects come to rest with their cylindrical wall on one shaft and with one face end on an adjacent shaft. By means of the axial spacing and/or the respective diameters of the shafts a predeterminable angular position of the objects to the plane of the axes of the shafts and an intrinsic rotation of the objects can be effected.

Abstract: An apparatus for transporting cylindrical objects, in particular containers, has at least two shafts that rotate in the same direction, axially perpendicular to the transporting direction of the objects. While being transported, the objects come to rest with their cylindrical wall on one shaft and with one face end on an adjacent shaft. By means of the axial spacing and/or the respective diameters of the shafts a predeterminable angular position of the objects to the plane of the axes of the shafts and an intrinsic rotation of the objects can be effected.

Abstract: A method and device for sterilizing containers in which a plasma treatment is executed through excitation of an electromagnetic oscillation so that the plasma is excited in a vacuum in the vicinity of the container regions to be sterilized. Between arrival and discharge, the container regions to be sterilized are moved closer to the oscillation-generating device in the chamber, with continuous movement of the container and/or of the oscillation-generating device for one or more predetermined time intervals in such a way that a plasma is excited in these regions inside and/or outside the container. The chamber is provided with a transport apparatus inside it, which produces an essentially rotating motion of the container during the transport from the arrival to the discharge in the chamber.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for sterilization, depyrogenization and/or annealing of containers and their closing elements (12) is proposed, in which in at least one method step, in a low-pressure chamber or vacuum chamber (4), a plasma treatment is performed jointly or separately for the containers and the closing elements (12) before the containers are filled, by means of excitation of an electromagnetic oscillation. The regions of the closing element or closing elements (12) and containers that are to be sterilized, depyrogenized and/or annealed are made to approach the oscillation-generating apparatus (15; 48) by means of a suitable conveyor device for one or more predetermined periods of time.

Abstract: A method for applying wear protection layers including the steps of depositing a wear protection matrix with the aid of a PECVD method, and incorporating optically functional inclusions in the form of particles or intermediate layers with the aid of a PVD process. The chemistry of the inclusion is influenced by the process gas of the PECVD deposition and/or the matrix layer. In an example embodiment of the present invention, the optical functionality consists in UV protection of plastics by dispersion, absorption, or reflection of the UV component of the light.

Abstract: A combination wear protection film for components made of substrates susceptible to wear is described. The film has a wear-resistant surface film that contains one or more of the elements carbon, nitrogen, or boron, the proportion of this element—or, if more than one of these elements is present, the sum of the proportions of the elements present—is at least 30% by atomic weight, preferably at least 40% by atomic weight; and a support film, located between a substrate and the surface film and made of a plasma polymer, that exhibits a quasi-continuous transition in modulus of elasticity and optionally in hardness from a value of a base film to a value of the surface film. A method for producing a wear protection film of this kind, and objects equipped with the wear protection film is also described.

Abstract: In the process for coating the elastomeric rubber wiper a vaporous coating material is generated and activated by a plasma and/or laser; a protective coating is formed on a rubber wiper surface by exposing it to the vaporous coating material by CVD and/or PVD methods and process parameters for the coating process are controlled so that the protective coating includes at least three coating layers and has a total thickness of from 200 nm to 2 &mgr;m. The coating layers include at least one thicker softer elastic coating layer with elastomeric properties similar to those of the rubber wiper and other thinner harder coating layers having wear-resistant properties. The other thinner harder coating layers have respective hardness increasing from an inner most one to an outermost one of the other thinner harder coating layers.