An apparatus and method for manufacturing glass containers handles the containers individually after a hot forming process and annealing to prevent glass-to-glass contact. By handling the containers individually and preventing glass-to-glass contact damage to the containers in the form of checks and scratches is avoided. To prevent contact of the containers and damage arising from the contact, the equipment including conveyors, pushers, starwheels, shuttles, and transfer heads that move the glass containers through the apparatus maintains the glass containers in uniform spaced relationship at each stage of container processing until the containers are packaged.

An apparatus for inspecting containers includes a rotation device which is adapted to rotate the container about the axis of symmetry; a camera sensitive to said predetermined electromagnetic radiation and with the container located in the field of view thereof; a processing unit to control the rotation device to move the container at a first angular speed constant for a first time period; acquiring at least a first and a second series of images of a portion of the container in a rotation thereof through 360°; to identify defective areas having at least one characteristic different from the characteristics of adjacent areas, generating first and second maps of the defective areas; to compare the position of the defective areas of the maps; to establish that first impurities are present in the container or in the liquid contained in the container.

An inspection system having a light source, a mirror sensor, and an image sensor. The mirror assembly is aligned with the camera; the light is reflected from the container to the camera, and the camera creates multiple images of the container at a viewing angle. The multiple images are analyzed to detect defects.

A device and method tests preforms that are rotationally symmetrical with respect to an axis of rotation during their conveyance along a conveyance path. The device and method tests only a statistically relevant number of produced preforms, thus allowing substantial reduction in the constructive complexity required for aligning the preforms prior to being tested. A certain number of preforms that have not been correctly aligned are allowed to continue along the conveyance path without being tested.

An inspection apparatus includes a gripping device that grips a container filled with a liquid, a first illumination unit that emits light to the liquid from one end portion side of the container in a longitudinal direction, and a first illumination control unit that is allowed to control an incidence angle of the light emitted from the first illumination unit on the liquid to a freely selected angle, in which the first illumination unit and the first illumination control unit are disposed in the same direction as an imaging apparatus that acquires image data indicating a state of the liquid, as viewed from the container, and the incidence angle of the light emitted from the first illumination unit is made continuously controllable to the freely selected angle with an angle at which brightness in the container is most uniform as a reference.

The invention relates to a method for conveying in translation, in a transport zone, glass containers (2) held in a suspended position between two slide rails on which slides a counter-ring (7) arranged on each container which has a ring surface (8) defining the opening of the container, the method consisting of ensuring the movement in translation of the containers (2) by a bearing surface (18a) of at least one belt (18) driven in translation and exerting mechanical pressure on each ring surface (8) of the containers (2) to create a bond by adherence between each ring surface (8) of the containers and the bearing surface (18a) of the belt.

An integral system for automated and non-intrusive of cleaning and non-destructive inspection (ultrasonic volumetric testing and visual testing) to detect, characterize and monitor with precision the level of internal and external damage (Cracks, deformations, corrosion, erosion, etc.) that may be present in coke drums throughout their life cycle is disclosed. Embodiments are disclosed that enable a condition of a coke drum to be estimated in a reliable manner for their fitness for service from the results obtained from the automated inspection with the non-destructive methods of ultrasound and visual testing.

An integral system for automated and non-intrusive of cleaning and non-destructive inspection (ultrasonic volumetric testing and visual testing) to detect, characterize and monitor with precision the level of internal and external damage (Cracks, deformations, corrosion, erosion, etc.) that may be present in coke drums throughout their life cycle is disclosed. Embodiments are disclosed that enable a condition of a coke drum to be estimated in a reliable manner for their fitness for service from the results obtained from the automated inspection with the non-destructive methods of ultrasound and visual testing.

An apparatus and method for manufacturing glass containers handles the containers individually after a hot forming process and annealing to prevent glass-to-glass contact. By handling the containers individually and preventing glass-to-glass contact damage to the containers in the form of checks and scratches is avoided. To prevent contact of the containers and damage arising from the contact, the equipment including conveyors, pushers, starwheels, shuttles, and transfer heads that move the glass containers through the apparatus maintains the glass containers in uniform spaced relationship at each stage of container processing until the containers are packaged.

An apparatus and method for manufacturing glass containers handles the containers individually after a hot forming process and annealing to prevent glass-to-glass contact. By handling the containers individually and preventing glass-to-glass contact damage to the containers in the form of checks and scratches is avoided. To prevent contact of the containers and damage arising from the contact, the equipment including conveyors, pushers, starwheels, shuttles, and transfer heads that move the glass containers through the apparatus maintains the glass containers in uniform spaced relationship at each stage of container processing until the containers are packaged.