On-line Internal Siliconing of Pharmaceutical Glass Bottles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for internal siliconing of glass bottles for pharmaceutical use struggle to achieve a uniform silicone coating without creating unwanted silicone accumulations, leading to material waste and filling and inspection challenges.
Innovation Solution
An on-line apparatus and method that uses a siliconing station with a V-shaped support, an injection device, and an electronic control unit to precisely apply a mixture of liquid silicone and compressed air, ensuring uniform coating by controlling the silicone quantity through electromagnetic radiation and pneumatic valves, with excess silicone drained to prevent accumulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If internal siliconing is performed to coat the inner surface of glass bottles, then adhesion of pharmaceutical product is improved and metal oxide passage is reduced, but uniform coating is difficult to achieve and silicone accumulations occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a pneumatic injection device that introduces a controlled mixture of compressed air and liquid silicone into the bottle. The compressed air carries the silicone liquid uniformly across the inner surface, ensuring even distribution. The pneumatic system allows precise control of the coating process, preventing accumulations while achieving complete coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent controls the physical parameters of the silicone application process, including the ratio of compressed air to liquid silicone, the pressure of the pneumatic injection, and the temperature of the bottle surface. By optimizing these parameters, the system achieves uniform coating thickness without accumulations, resolving the contradiction between reliability and manufacturing precision.
2Reliability
If excess silicone is applied to ensure complete coverage, then no exposed parts remain, but point accumulations occur and raw material is wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates an electronic control unit that monitors the siliconing process in real-time. Sensors detect the coating uniformity and provide feedback to the control system, which adjusts the pneumatic injection parameters accordingly. This closed-loop control ensures complete coverage is achieved without applying excess silicone, preventing both accumulations and material waste.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies silicone in a controlled manner using pneumatic injection, delivering slightly more than the minimum required amount to ensure complete coverage. The excess is minimal and precisely controlled, allowing any minor over-application to be evenly distributed rather than forming accumulations, thus achieving complete coverage without significant material waste.
3Manufacturing precision
If manual or optical inspection is performed to detect silicone accumulations, then quality control is maintained, but productivity is reduced and inspection complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual inspection with an automated optical inspection system integrated into the production line. Optical sensors and cameras detect silicone accumulations in real-time without stopping production. This substitution maintains quality control while preserving productivity, as the automated system operates continuously without the delays associated with manual inspection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements continuous monitoring of the siliconing process through integrated sensors that track coating uniformity throughout production. This continuous detection system operates without interrupting the production flow, maintaining both quality control and high productivity by eliminating discrete inspection stops.
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
The method achieves a uniform, fine silicone layer inside glass bottles, minimizing waste and ensuring consistent coating thickness, thus improving filling and inspection processes.
Implementation Method 1
introducing into the bottle (2) by means of said injection device (11) a mixture (32) of liquid silicone (17) and compressed air (16)
Implementation Method 2
providing a drainage path out of the bottle (2) and through the same inlet opening (12) for the excess of silicone (17) and for the compressed air (16)
Implementation Method 3
emitter (23) designed to emit a beam (24) of electromagnetic radiation (24), for example visible light or IR or UV, through a side surface (25) of the bottle (2)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~4
Figure 3~5
AI summary
Apparatus (1) and method for on-line internal siliconing of glass bottles (2) including a baking station (8) for baking the siliconed bottles; wherein a siliconing station (7) includes a support (10) designed to selectively receive one bottle at a time, an injection device (11) facing towards an inlet opening (12) of the bottle, a mobile device (13) for selectively blocking the injector against the inlet opening of the bottle, a selective feeding device (15) for feeding filtered compressed air and liquid silicone to the injector, the injector being provided at the front, towards the support, with a drainage channel (20) communicating with the inlet opening of the bottle; an emitter (23) to send towards a sensor (26) and through the bottle on the support a beam of electromagnetic radiation; and a control unit (22) to selectively inject into the bottle a mixture of silicone and compressed air or compressed air only and to process an electrical signal emitted by the sensor to control the selective feeding device and/or a manipulator (30) to discard any defective bottles.