An apparatus and a method of actuating a parison plunger includes transforming linear force applied to a plunger extension into roto-translational motion of the plunger extension via a cam path between the plunger extension and a piston.

A device for manufacturing hollow glass article consists of a plurality of modular stations that, among other things, comprise blank molds and finish molds, wherein a housing is provided and can be displaced along a blank mold side in order to carry out at least control and servicing functions, and wherein said housing is formed by a key-like structure that is open in the direction of the blank mold side and serves as a carrier for at least one manipulation element consisting of multiple sections. On its free end, this manipulation element carries a tool or a device that is ready for use after it has reached the respective station. The shielding effect of the housing reliably protects an operator side against accidents due to inadvertent interventions in machine motion sequences.

A device for manufacturing hollow glass article consists of a plurality of modular stations that, among other things, comprise blank molds and finish molds, wherein a housing is provided and can be displaced along a blank mold side in order to carry out at least control and servicing functions, and wherein said housing is formed by a key-like structure that is open in the direction of the blank mold side and serves as a carrier for at least one manipulation element consisting of multiple sections. On its free end, this manipulation element carries a tool or a device that is ready for use after it has reached the respective station. The shielding effect of the housing reliably protects an operator side against accidents due to inadvertent interventions in machine motion sequences.

A method of producing an optical element includes: determining, as a reference mold set, a first mold set from among mold sets; determining a set temperature for the reference mold set; acquiring reference data by measuring, by a temperature measurement sensor, a temperature of the reference mold set; measuring, by the temperature measurement sensor, a temperature of a second mold set that is at least one of the mold sets other than the reference mold set; calculating a correction value based on a measurement result obtained by the measuring and on the reference data; determining a set temperature for the second mold set based on the set temperature for the reference mold set and on the correction value; and performing temperature control on the mold sets based on set temperatures determined for the respective mold sets to produce the optical elements.

A product conveyance apparatus includes an actuator, a movement portion, a first position detection portion, a second position detection portion, and a controller. The controller performs a process of causing the actuator not holding a product to move to a predetermined position, detecting the position of the actuator and storing the position as a first position, a process of causing the actuator to move on a basis of a movement instruction value and hold the product, causing the actuator holding the product to move to the predetermined position, detecting the position of the product held by the actuator, and storing the position as a second position, and a process of correcting and updating the movement instruction value on a basis of difference between the first position and the second position.

A product conveyance apparatus includes an actuator, a movement portion, a first position detection portion, a second position detection portion, and a controller. The controller performs a process of causing the actuator not holding a product to move to a predetermined position, detecting the position of the actuator and storing the position as a first position, a process of causing the actuator to move on a basis of a movement instruction value and hold the product, causing the actuator holding the product to move to the predetermined position, detecting the position of the product held by the actuator, and storing the position as a second position, and a process of correcting and updating the movement instruction value on a basis of difference between the first position and the second position.

An optical element manufacturing device includes a mold set including: a first shaping mold and a second shaping mold facing each other with a shaping-target material between the first and second shaping molds, and a sleeve located around the first and second shaping molds; and a plurality of stages on which the mold set is conveyed and which heat, press or cool the shaping-target material. The sleeve is conveyed to the stages in such a manner that a conveyance-direction front side of the mold set in an arrangement direction of the plurality of stages has a heat insulation portion with a heat insulation property that is higher than that on a conveyance-direction rear side of the mold set in order to reduce a temperature distribution in the shaping-target material.

An optical element manufacturing device includes a mold set including: a first shaping mold and a second shaping mold facing each other with a shaping-target material between the first and second shaping molds, and a sleeve located around the first and second shaping molds; and a plurality of stages on which the mold set is conveyed and which heat, press or cool the shaping-target material. The sleeve is conveyed to the stages in such a manner that a conveyance-direction front side of the mold set in an arrangement direction of the plurality of stages has a heat insulation portion with a heat insulation property that is higher than that on a conveyance-direction rear side of the mold set in order to reduce a temperature distribution in the shaping-target material.

The invention relates to a method for forming a glass item, in particular a three-dimensionally formed flat glass item, wherein the following steps are carried out: arranging a flat formation of glass, for example a flat glass pane of homogeneous thickness or a flat glass pane of inhomogeneous thickness or a preformed flat glass pane blank or liquid two-dimensionally spread glass, between a mould plunger and a melt of liquid metal, in particular tin; tempering of at least one part to be formed of the flat formation of glass to a forming temperature of the glass at which the glass has a viscosity in the range from 10 Pas to 106.5 Pas, preferably in the range from 10 Pas to 104 Pas and particularly preferably in the range from 10 Pas to 103 Pas; forming the flat formation of glass by moving the mould plunger and a surface of the molten metal towards each other, preferably by means of at least one linear movement, for example by means of a linear motor or servomotor, so that the flat formation of glass is pressurised either by the mould plunger on the one hand and by the molten metal on the other hand and is formed by the pressurisation on both sides and/or by suctioning and conforming the flat formation of glass onto the mould plunger; cooling the formed flat formation of glass to a handling temperature below the forming temperature at which the glass has a viscosity of ?107 Pas; and demoulding the cooled flat formation; as well as a device for carrying out the method and a use of a molten metal for carrying out the method.

The invention relates to a method for forming a glass item, in particular a three-dimensionally formed flat glass item, wherein the following steps are carried out: arranging a flat formation of glass, for example a flat glass pane of homogeneous thickness or a flat glass pane of inhomogeneous thickness or a preformed flat glass pane blank or liquid two-dimensionally spread glass, between a mould plunger and a melt of liquid metal, in particular tin; tempering of at least one part to be formed of the flat formation of glass to a forming temperature of the glass at which the glass has a viscosity in the range from 10 Pas to 106.5 Pas, preferably in the range from 10 Pas to 104 Pas and particularly preferably in the range from 10 Pas to 103 Pas; forming the flat formation of glass by moving the mould plunger and a surface of the molten metal towards each other, preferably by means of at least one linear movement, for example by means of a linear motor or servomotor, so that the flat formation of glass is pressurised either by the mould plunger on the one hand and by the molten metal on the other hand and is formed by the pressurisation on both sides and/or by suctioning and conforming the flat formation of glass onto the mould plunger; cooling the formed flat formation of glass to a handling temperature below the forming temperature at which the glass has a viscosity of ?107 Pas; and demoulding the cooled flat formation; as well as a device for carrying out the method and a use of a molten metal for carrying out the method.