Systems and methods for measuring the temperature of glass during tube conversion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10773989-B2
Application number	US-201815928837-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 22, 2018
Priority date	Mar 24, 2017
Publication date	Sep 15, 2020
Grant date	Sep 15, 2020

Abstract

A system for producing articles from glass tube includes a converter having a base with a plurality of processing stations and a turret moveable relative to the base. The turret indexes a plurality of holders for holding the glass tubes successively through the processing stations. The system further includes a thermal imaging system that includes a thermal imager coupled to the turret for movement with the turret. The thermal imaging system may also include a mirror coupled to the thermal imager and positioned to reflect infrared light from one of the plurality of holders to the thermal imager. The thermal imaging system may measure one or more characteristics of the glass tube during the conversion process. Processes for controlling the converter using the thermal imaging system to measure one or more process variables are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for producing glass articles from glass tube comprising:
a converter comprising:
a base having a plurality of processing stations spaced apart in a circuit;
a turret moveable relative to the base, the turret having a plurality of holders extending from the turret towards the plurality of processing stations, the plurality of holders spaced apart from one another, wherein the turret is operable to index each of the plurality of holders into proximity with each of the plurality of processing stations in succession; and

a thermal imaging system comprising a thermal imager coupled to the turret for movement with the turret, wherein the thermal imager is positioned to capture infrared light emitted from the glass tube disposed in one of the plurality of holders.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the thermal imager is positioned to directly receive infrared light emitted by an outer surface of the glass tube.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the thermal imaging system further comprises at least one mirror oriented to reflect infrared light emitted from an inner surface of the glass tube to the thermal imager.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the at least one mirror comprises a stationary mirror coupled to the base and oriented to reflect infrared light emitted from an inner surface of the glass tube to the thermal imager.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a mirror coupled to the thermal imager and oriented to reflect infrared light from the glass tube to the thermal imager.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the mirror is oriented to reflect infrared light emitted from an outer surface of the glass tube to the thermal imager.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein a reflective surface of the mirror has a reflectance equal to or greater than 96% for light having wavelengths from 800 nanometers to 20 microns.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the reflective surface of the mirror comprises a gold coating.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the mirror comprises a quartz base having a gold coating.

10. The system of claim 5 , wherein the mirror is oriented to reflect infrared light emitted from an inner surface of the glass tube to the thermal imager.

11. The system of claim 5 , further comprising at least one supplemental mirror coupled to the thermal imager, wherein the mirror is oriented to reflect infrared light emitted from an outer surface of the glass tube to the thermal imager and the supplemental mirror is oriented to reflect infrared light emitted from an inner surface of the glass tube to the thermal imager.

12. The system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one stationary mirror positioned vertically below one of the plurality of processing stations, the stationary mirror positioned to reflect infrared light emitted from an inner surface of the glass tube to the thermal imager when the thermal imager is indexed into position at the one of the plurality of processing stations by the turret.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the thermal imager is an infrared camera configured to receive infrared light having wavelengths from 4 microns to 14 microns.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the thermal imager is an infrared camera configured to receive infrared light having wavelengths from 5 microns to 14 microns.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the turret is a main turret and the system further comprises a secondary turret.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the thermal imager is coupled to the main turret for rotation with the main turret.

17. The system of claim 15 , further comprising a loading turret in addition to the main turret and the secondary turret, wherein the loading turret is positioned above the main turret and rotatable relative to the main turret.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the thermal imaging system comprises a plurality of thermal imagers.

19. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a slip ring positioned above the turret and having a slip ring axis aligned with a central axis of the turret, the slip ring electrically coupling the thermal imager to a power source.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the slip ring operatively couples the thermal imager to a processor.

21. The system of claim 19 , wherein an inner ring of the slip ring comprises a central bore.

22. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a power source coupled to the turret for rotation with the turret, the power source electrically coupled to the thermal imager to provide power to the thermal imager.

23. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a wireless communication device coupled to the turret, wherein the wireless communication device communicatively couples the thermal imager to a processor.

24. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a cooling system comprising:
a cooling fluid supply;
a rotating union fluidly coupled to the cooling fluid supply and having a union axis aligned with a central axis of the turret; and
a supply conduit extending from the rotating union to the thermal imaging system.

25. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a cleaning system comprising at least one nozzle positioned to deliver a fluid to a lens of the thermal imager.

26. The system of claim 25 , wherein the thermal imaging system further comprises a mirror coupled to the thermal imager and oriented to reflect infrared light from glass tube positioned in one of the plurality of holders to the thermal imager, wherein the cleaning system further comprises at least one nozzle positioned to deliver a fluid to a reflective surface of the mirror.

27. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one processor communicatively coupled to the thermal imager;
at least one memory module communicatively coupled to the at least one processor; and
machine readable instructions stored in the at least one memory module that cause the thermal imaging system to perform at least the following when executed by the at least one processor:
receive thermal image information from the thermal imager;
process the thermal image information; and
determine a characteristic of a glass tube from the thermal image information.

28. The system of claim 27 , wherein the characteristic includes at least one of a temperature of the glass tube, a temperature gradient through a thickness of the glass tube, a viscosity of the glass tube, a viscosity gradient through the thickness of the glass tube, a dimension of the glass tube, a temperature profile of the glass tube, a temperature profile of the glass tube as a function of time, a centerline of the glass tube, or combinations thereof.

29. The system of claim 27 , further comprising machine readable instructions stored in the at least one memory module that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the thermal imaging system to determine a temperature of the glass tube from the thermal image information.

30. The system of claim 27 , further comprising machine readable instructions stored in the at least one memory module that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the thermal imaging system to determine a viscosity of the glass tube from the thermal image information.

31. The system of claim 27 , further comprising machine readable instructions stored in the at least one memory module that, when e

Assignees

• Corning Inc

Inventors

• Gaylo Keith Raymond
• Klingensmith Lewis Kirk
• Matusick Joseph Michael
• O'Malley Connor Thomas

Classifications

• G01N25/00

  Investigating or analyzing materials by the use of thermal means (G01N3/00 - G01N23/00 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01J5/48

  Thermography; Techniques using wholly visual means · CPC title

• G01B11/00

  Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques · CPC title

• C03B35/26

  Transporting of glass tubes or rods · CPC title

• C03B23/112 Primary

  Apparatus for conveying the tubes or rods in a curved path around a vertical axis through one or more forming stations · CPC title