Method for laser-assisted reshaping of glass bodies

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10494288-B2
Application number	US-201715662392-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 28, 2017
Priority date	Jul 29, 2016
Publication date	Dec 3, 2019
Grant date	Dec 3, 2019

Abstract

A method is provided for reshaping a glass body rotating about its longitudinal axis. The method includes using a means for establishing a temperature profile, a radial forming tool and an axial forming tool. In the method, a first temperature profile is established and the glass body is reshaped by engaging the radial forming tool. Then a second temperature profile is established and the glass body is reshaped by engaging the axial forming tool.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for reshaping a glass body, comprising:
rotating the glass body about a longitudinal axis;
establishing, in the rotating glass body, a first temperature profile along the longitudinal axis;
reshaping, after establishing the first temperature profile, the rotating glass body by engaging a radial forming tool so that a shoulder is formed, wherein engaging the radial forming tool comprises moving the radial forming tool in a direction that is radial to the longitudinal axis;
ensuring, during the step of reshaping using the radial tool, that a base of an axial forming tool does not come into contact with the glass body;
establishing, in the rotating glass body, a second temperature profile along the longitudinal axis of the glass body that is different than the first temperature profile so that a second viscosity of glass in a region of the shoulder is at least 10 6 dPa s and at most 10 13 dPa s; and
reshaping, after establishing the second temperature profile, the rotating glass body by engaging the axial forming tool, wherein the engaging the axial forming tool comprises moving at least the base of the axial forming tool in a direction that is axial to the longitudinal axis.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of establishing the first and/or second temperature profile comprises irradiating the rotating glass body at least intermittently with laser radiation.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the step of establishing the first temperature profile comprises establishing the first temperature profile so that a first viscosity of the glass in any portion of a region from an end face of the glass body up to at least beyond a position of the shoulder is between 10 3 dPa s and 10 7.6 dPa s and drops to room temperature thereafter.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of establishing the first temperature profile comprises establishing the first temperature profile so that a first viscosity of the glass in any portion of a region from an end face of the glass body up to at least beyond a position of the shoulder is between 10 3 dPa s and 10 7.6 dPa s and drops to room temperature thereafter.

5. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising controlling the laser radiation so that deviations from the first and/or second temperature profile are minimized.

6. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the irradiating to establish the first and second temperature profiles comprise irradiating using a common laser.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of establishing the second temperature profile comprises establishing the first temperature profile so that a first viscosity of glass at any point in a region between an end face of the glass body and the region of the shoulder is between 10 3 dPa s and 10 7.6 dPa s and drops to room temperature thereafter.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the first viscosity is between 10 3 dPa s and 10 6 dPa s.

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the second viscosity is between at least 10 7.6 dPa s and at most 10 13 dPa s.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the radial forming tool comprises a pair of rolls that move in the direction that is radial to the longitudinal axis.

11. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising cooling the glass body from the first temperature profile before the step of reshaping after establishing the second temperature profile, wherein the cooling lasts at least 0.01 s and at most 5 s.

12. The method according to claim 11 , the cooling lasts between 0.2 s and 0.3 s.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the steps of rotating, establishing the first temperature profile, reshaping after establishing the first temperature profile, establishing the second temperature profile, and reshaping after establishing the second temperature profile take place at a common machine station.

14. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising no translational movement of the glass body between the steps of rotating, establishing the first temperature profile, reshaping after establishing the first temperature profile, establishing the second temperature profile, and reshaping after establishing the second temperature profile.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the glass body is glass tubing.

16. A method for reshaping a glass body, comprising:
rotating the glass body about a longitudinal axis, the glass body having an end face region, a shoulder region, and a location beyond the shoulder region;
heating the glass body from the end face region up to the location beyond the shoulder region to a first temperature profile;
reshaping the glass body to form a shoulder in the shoulder region after establishing the first temperature profile by moving a radial forming tool into contact with the glass body in a direction that is radial to the longitudinal axis;
ensuring, during the step of reshaping to form the shoulder, that a base of an axial forming tool does not come into contact with the glass body;
heating, after forming the shoulder, the glass body from the end face region to the shoulder region to a second temperature profile that is different than the first temperature profile; and
reshaping the glass body to form a neck after establishing the second temperature profile by moving the base of the axial forming tool into contact with an end face of the glass body in a direction that is axial to the longitudinal axis.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the radial forming tool remains in contact with the glass body during the step of reshaping the glass body to form the neck.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising cooling the glass body after reshaping the glass body to form the shoulder, but before heating the glass body to the second temperature profile.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising introducing a mandrel of the axial forming tool into the glass body before the step of reshaping the glass body to form the shoulder.

20. A method for reshaping a glass body, comprising:
rotating the glass body about a longitudinal axis;
establishing, in the rotating glass body, a first temperature profile along the longitudinal axis;
moving an axial forming tool in a direction that is axial to the longitudinal axis so that a mandrel of the axial forming tool is in an opening of the rotating glass body and so that a base of the axial forming tool is not in contact with an end face of the rotating glass body;
moving, after establishing the first temperature profile, a radial forming tool in a direction that is radial to the longitudinal axis into engagement with the rotating glass body so that a shoulder is formed in the rotating glass body without the end face coming into contact with the base;
establishing, in the rotating glass body, a second temperature profile along the longitudinal axis of the glass body that is different than the first temperature profile; and
moving, after establishing the second temperature profile, the base in the direction that is axial to the longitudinal axis into contact with the end face while the radial forming tool remains in contact with the rotating glass body so that a neck is formed in the rotating glass body.

Assignees

• Schott Ag

Inventors

• Hunzinger Bernhard
• Waschbuesch Michael
• Jud Xaver
• Segner Johannes

Classifications

• C03B23/043 Primary

  Heating devices specially adapted for re-forming tubes or rods in general, e.g. burners · CPC title

• Y02P40/57

  Improving the yield, e-g- reduction of reject rates · CPC title

• C03B23/095

  by rolling · CPC title

• C03B23/092

  by pressing · CPC title