Abstract: A force transducer, in particular a load cell, includes a spring body that deforms when loaded with a force or load to be measured. Two support parts, which are separated by a gap, are moved out of a position of rest. A capacitive displacement detector is used to detect the relative movement of the support parts, where the capacitor includes two electrode combs that are each held on one of the support parts and includes a multiplicity of electrode fingers. The electrode combs are configured designed and mounted on the two support parts such that the electrode fingers of the one electrode comb pass into the finger interspaces of the other electrode comb when the spring body is loaded so that the force transducer is resistant to overloading.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a marking device for marking containers, for example, in the food industry, with devices for receiving measured feature data of a container and/or one or more container configurations, where the measured feature data is determined by a measuring device, and where the measured feature data relates to at least one criterion of several criteria which the container and/or the one or more container configurations do not satisfy. Furthermore, the marking device includes devices for creating marking data based on the measured feature data, where the marking data can be created such that it is indicated which of the several criteria the container and/or the one or more container configurations do not satisfy, and devices for physically applying at least one marking on the container, where the at least one marking is based on the marking data. The disclosure further relates to a container handling device with the marking device and a method for marking containers using the marking device.

Abstract: A method for quality control of a stretch-blow-molded plastic container by inspecting its base, which method is easy to execute and is not highly susceptible to faults. Such inspection of the container bases includes determining quality features such as the surface area of an unstretched and/or only slightly stretched region of the base of the plastic container.

Abstract: A method for checking an inspection device for a product flow, where the proper functioning of the inspection device can be checked even without using test containers specially provided for such checking, and having a radiation detector for measuring an inspection radiation after interacting with the products in order to detect a characteristic test radiation, and a further check is made as to whether the detected test radiation fulfills a target requirement characteristic of proper functioning of the inspection device.

Abstract: A method for testing a monitoring device (20) of an automatic labeling machine (10) for containers (12) for correct functioning, in the case of which, a specially marked measuring container (14) is fed thereto, upon whose detection, a labeling process is discontinued at least for this measuring container (14), and the measuring container (14) provided with markings (16) is scanned by at least one optical sensing device (21) of the monitoring device (20).

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for producing and treating plastic containers (10), especially preforms (10), comprising at least one heating device (1) for heating the preforms (10) by means of at least one heat-emitting energy source, a downstream blow molding station (3) for expanding the heated preforms (10), and a conveying device (5) which conveys the preforms (10) along a travel path P through the heating device (1). The energy source (1) includes a gas-operated heating element.

Abstract: A method for testing a monitoring device (20) of an automatic labeling machine (10) for containers (12) for correct functioning, in the case of which, a specially marked measuring container (14) is fed thereto, upon whose detection, a labeling process is discontinued at least for this measuring container (14), and the measuring container (14) provided with markings (16) is scanned by at least one optical sensing device (21) of the monitoring device (20).

Abstract: A method for quality control of a stretch-blow-molded plastic container by inspecting its base, which method is easy to execute and is not highly susceptible to faults. Such inspection of the container bases includes determining quality features such as the surface area of an unstretched and/or only slightly stretched region of the base of the plastic container.

Abstract: An inspection machine (M) for checking particularly bottles (F) comprises a conveyor (T) for transporting the bottles along an arched path (2) and past at least one inspection device (A1-A4) associated with the arched path, and at least one illumination device (3) which is arranged below the arched path and shines light through the bottles from below and upward. The conveyor (T) presents a disk (1) which can be driven in rotation, and whose top side (9) presents a standing surface for the bottom (15) of each bottle to be transported, which stands directly on the surface, where the disk (1) is constructed so that it is transparent at least in some area.

Abstract: Memorized in an apparatus (10, 12, 14) for use in an industrial process, connectable to a central control unit (18) via a bus (16) for communicating data and control signals, is a software apparatus model (20, 22, 24) which contains a comprehensive mimic image of the apparatus including its parameters, functionality and sequence programs.

Abstract: Method of optical inspection of closures on containers in which the outer edge of a closure is illuminated obliquely from above over the full circumference, and a photograph of the top side of the closure is made perpendicularly from above, and this photograph is used to detect the outer edge of the mouth, which appears brighter, and to check on the position of the cover logo relative to this edge of the mouth either directly or indirectly, and a signal is generated in the event an unacceptable eccentricity is found.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for maintaining and managing a manufacturing facility with a plurality of field devices (F) that are connected to a guide system (L) via a data bus (D). The inventive method is characterized in that information of at least the field devices that are required for the maintenance and management of the manufacturing facility are electronically acquired across the entire life cycle of the respective field device and are stored via intranet or internet access in a central data bank that is accessible for selected users. The user inquires the maintenance or management criteria via intranet or internet access to the central data bank (Z). In this manner, all information required for the maintenance and management of the manufacturing facility are made available to selected users in a simple way.

Abstract: Method of optical inspection of closures on containers in which the outer edge of a closure is illuminated obliquely from above over the full circumference, and a photograph of the top side of the closure is made perpendicularly from above, and this photograph is used to detect the outer edge of the mouth, which appears brighter, and to check on the position of the cover logo relative to this edge of the mouth either directly or indirectly, and a signal is generated in the event an unacceptable eccentricity is found.

Abstract: The invention pertains to a method and an apparatus for the optical inspection of bottles in an inspection station comprising at least one camera for recording images of a bottle or a bottle part and at least one lighting unit which illuminates at least one bottle or a bottle part. The apparatus and the method are characterized by the fact that several inspection steps are provided in a single inspection station, said steps following one another as closely as possible.

Abstract: In a process for the optical inspection of at least partially transparent containers in an inspection area with an illuminating device and a camera for producing images to be evaluated, the degree of transparency of each container is determined, and a light field is configured for this specific container. The light intensity of the light field and/or the imaging sensitivity is adapted to the determined degree of transparency, and the traveling light field is shifted through the inspection area in synchrony with the container. The system for implementing the process has an LED light screen with a plurality of LEDs, which can be activated individually or in groups, and a device upstream of the inspection area for measuring the individual degree of transparency of each container. These components are connected to a control unit, which produces the traveling light field for each container and shifts it in synchrony with the container.

Abstract: In a process for the optical inspection of at least partially transparent containers in an inspection area with an illuminating device and a camera for producing images to be evaluated, the degree of transparency of each container is determined, and a light field is configured for this specific container. The light intensity of the light field and/or the imaging sensitivity is adapted to the determined degree of transparency, and the traveling light field is shifted through the inspection area in synchrony with the container. The system for implementing the process has an LED light screen with a plurality of LEDs, which can be activated individually or in groups, and a device upstream of the inspection area for measuring the individual degree of transparency of each container. These components are connected to a control unit, which produces the traveling light field for each container and shifts it in synchrony with the container.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for correlating first and second signals where sampling values of the signals are multiplied together and discrete values of the correlation function are determined. In one embodiment, the signals are sampled at different sampling frequencies such that one sampling frequency is a multiple of the other sampling frequency. A number of the respective last sampling values of the more fully sampled signal are stored and each sampling value of the more rapidly sampled signal is multiplied simultaneously by all of the stored sampling values of the more slowly sampled signal. The results of the multiplication are separately summed corresponding to equal time displacements between the multiplied sampling values. In a further preferred embodiment, a microcomputer is programmed for sampling the two signals with sampling frequencies having a ratio 1:k. The more slowly sampled signals are stored in an n stage register.