Glass Container Hot Forming Length Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Glass container manufacturing faces challenges due to manufacturing tolerances in wall thickness and length, leading to excess mass and length issues, resulting in increased rejects and costs, particularly in the funnel-shaped end section and support shoulder, and previous methods fail to effectively compensate for these tolerances.

Innovation Solution

A method that involves determining the individual surface mass of glass container blanks to calculate the optimal total longitudinal extent of semi-finished products, allowing for hot forming without the need for cutting, thereby reducing manufacturing tolerances and eliminating excess mass and length, ensuring consistent and high-quality glass containers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If mechanical cutting is used to trim excess length from glass container blanks, then length tolerance is improved, but surface quality deteriorates due to glass particles and contamination

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelength toleranceVSAvoidsurface contamination
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The harmful mechanical cutting step is completely removed from the process. Instead of cutting to remove excess length, the invention extracts only the necessary amount of glass material during the blowing process itself, forming the final length directly without subsequent trimming operations, thereby eliminating surface contamination from cutting particles

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The mechanical cutting system is replaced with a controlled material deposition system during the blowing process. The glass material is deposited and formed to the exact required length through controlled blowing parameters, substituting post-forming mechanical removal with precise during-forming material placement

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Manufacturing precision

If excess mass is provided in glass container blanks to compensate for hot forming losses, then manufacturing tolerance is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to increased material waste

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedimensional toleranceVSAvoidmaterial efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention implements feedback control by measuring the actual glass material properties and hot forming behavior, then using this information to precisely control the blowing process parameters. This ensures that exactly the right amount of glass material is used, eliminating the need for excessive material provision while maintaining dimensional accuracy

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the process parameters during blowing (temperature, pressure, timing) to control material flow and deformation precisely. By optimizing these parameters, the process achieves accurate dimensional control without requiring excess material to compensate for variability, thereby improving material efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Manufacturing precision

If mechanical cutting is used to achieve precise length, then manufacturing precision is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to additional process steps and waste

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelength accuracyVSAvoidproduction cycle time
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention performs the length determination action preliminarily during the blowing process itself rather than as a subsequent cutting operation. The glass material is formed to the exact final length during the primary forming stage, eliminating the need for secondary length adjustment operations and reducing total production cycle time

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention merges the length control function with the primary forming operation. Instead of separate operations for forming and length adjustment, the blowing process simultaneously achieves both shape formation and precise length determination in one integrated operation, improving productivity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach enables the production of glass containers with significantly lower manufacturing tolerances and higher precision, reducing rejects and manufacturing time while maintaining high product quality and accuracy.

Implementation Method 1

the glass container blank is heated at least in sections to high temperature in a known manner and then shaped using a forming tool

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal heating: Heating

Implementation Method 2

shaped using a forming tool to define its shape

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPlastic deformation: Plasticity

Data Source

PatentEP3919452B1Method and system for manufacturing a glass container
Publication Date: 2024.03.06 GERRESHEIMER BUNDE
  • EP3919452B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3919452B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3919452B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The present invention relates to a method for producing a glass container, such as a glass syringe or a glass ampoule, with a shape-defined dispensing section and optionally a shape-defined counter-surface, from a glass container blank, wherein the areal mass of the glass container blank is determined indirectly or directly and the total longitudinal extent of the glass container to be produced is determined on the basis of the determined areal mass.