Methods for producing articles from a glass tube include securing a working end of the glass tube in a glass tube holder of a converter having a plurality of processing stations including a heating station and a forming station. An initial length of the glass tube includes a plurality of serial segments, each of the plurality of serial segments corresponding to one article and having an article number. The methods include heating the working end of the glass tube in the heating station, adjusting an amount of heating of the glass tube in the heating station based on the article number at the working end of the glass tube, and forming a feature of the article in the forming station. Adjusting the amount of heating based on the article number reduces variation in tube temperature, article dimensions, or both, from one article number to the next article number.

The present disclosure provides an apparatus and method for modifying the shape of a hollow structure. The method may comprise steps of providing a hollow structure having a cross-section with first and second diameters defining a first aspect ratio; heating at least a part of the hollow structure to at least its glass transition temperature, forming a malleable hollow structure; maintaining a positive pressure inside the malleable hollow structure to form a pressurized hollow structure; and pressing against a first side and an opposed second side of a heated part of the pressurized hollow structure, forming a hollow tabular structure having first and second opposed generally flat faces and a second aspect ratio greater than the first aspect ratio.

The present disclosure provides an apparatus and method for modifying the shape of a hollow structure. The method may comprise steps of providing a hollow structure having a cross-section with first and second diameters defining a first aspect ratio; heating at least a part of the hollow structure to at least its glass transition temperature, forming a malleable hollow structure; maintaining a positive pressure inside the malleable hollow structure to form a pressurized hollow structure; and pressing against a first side and an opposed second side of a heated part of the pressurized hollow structure, forming a hollow tabular structure having first and second opposed generally flat faces and a second aspect ratio greater than the first aspect ratio.

Known heating burners for producing a welded joint between components of quartz glass include a burner head in which at least one burner nozzle is formed, a burner-head cooling system for the temperature control of the burner head and a supply line connected to the burner nozzle for a fuel gas. Starting from this, to modify a heating burner in such a way that impurities in the weld seam between quartz-glass components to be connected are largely avoided, it is suggested that the burner head should include a base body of silver or of a silver-based alloy.

Methods for controlling a converter for converting glass tubes to glass articles include preparing condition sets including settings for a plurality of process parameters, operating the converter to produce glass articles, measuring attributes of the glass articles, operating the converter at each of the condition sets, associating each glass article with a condition set used to produce the glass article and the attributes measured, developing operational models from the attributes measured and the condition sets, determining run settings for each of the plurality of process parameters based on the operational models, and operating the converter with each of the process parameters set to the run settings determined from the operational models.

Methods for controlling a converter for converting glass tubes to glass articles include preparing condition sets including settings for a plurality of process parameters, operating the converter to produce glass articles, measuring attributes of the glass articles, operating the converter at each of the condition sets, associating each glass article with a condition set used to produce the glass article and the attributes measured, developing operational models from the attributes measured and the condition sets, determining run settings for each of the plurality of process parameters based on the operational models, and operating the converter with each of the process parameters set to the run settings determined from the operational models.

A method of manufacturing a tip for use with smokable substances. A tube is rotated while applying heat in a horizontal and vertical direction to an end of the tube. The heated end is squeezed with rollers and while a rotating t-shaped plug is inserted into the heated end of the tube. The rollers and t-shaped plug are removed and a scoring wheel is applied to the tube to create a scratch. Then heat is applied to the scratch. An end of the tube is clamped with a rotating chuck and water is sprayed at the scratch to create a thermal shock which separates the tube into two pieces. Heat is applied to a section of one end of the pieces. Tapered rollers are applied to the heated section to taper a diameter of the piece along the heated section.

A method of manufacturing a tip for use with smokable substances. A tube is rotated while applying heat in a horizontal and vertical direction to an end of the tube. The heated end is squeezed with rollers and while a rotating t-shaped plug is inserted into the heated end of the tube. The rollers and t-shaped plug are removed and a scoring wheel is applied to the tube to create a scratch. Then heat is applied to the scratch. An end of the tube is clamped with a rotating chuck and water is sprayed at the scratch to create a thermal shock which separates the tube into two pieces. Heat is applied to a section of one end of the pieces. Tapered rollers are applied to the heated section to taper a diameter of the piece along the heated section.

Methods for producing articles from a glass tube include securing a working end of the glass tube in a glass tube holder of a converter having a plurality of processing stations including a heating station and a forming station. An initial length of the glass tube includes a plurality of serial segments, each of the plurality of serial segments corresponding to one article and having an article number. The methods include heating the working end of the glass tube in the heating station, adjusting an amount of heating of the glass tube in the heating station based on the article number at the working end of the glass tube, and forming a feature of the article in the forming station. Adjusting the amount of heating based on the article number reduces variation in tube temperature, article dimensions, or both, from one article number to the next article number.

Methods for producing articles from a glass tube include securing a working end of the glass tube in a glass tube holder of a converter having a plurality of processing stations including a heating station and a forming station. An initial length of the glass tube includes a plurality of serial segments, each of the plurality of serial segments corresponding to one article and having an article number. The methods include heating the working end of the glass tube in the heating station, adjusting an amount of heating of the glass tube in the heating station based on the article number at the working end of the glass tube, and forming a feature of the article in the forming station. Adjusting the amount of heating based on the article number reduces variation in tube temperature, article dimensions, or both, from one article number to the next article number.