A glass molding tool is provided that includes a forming mandrel, a method for forming glass, and to an apparatus for hot forming of glass. The glass products obtained in this way may be used as pharmaceutical packaging. The forming mandrel reshapes at least a portion of a heated region of a glass precursor. The mandrel includes a heat-resistant core material and a diffusion layer that is in contact with the glass precursor during reshaping.

Methods for producing glass articles from laminated glass tubing include introducing the glass tubing to a converter. The glass tubing includes a core layer under tensile stress, an outer clad layer under, and an inner clad layer. The methods include forming a feature the glass article at a working end of the laminated glass tubing and separating a glass article from the working end of the laminated glass tubing, which may expose the core layer under tensile stress at the working end of the glass tubing. The method further comprises remediating the exposed portion of the core layer by completely enclosing the core layer in a clad layer. Systems for re-cladding the exposed portion of the core layer as well as glass articles made using the systems and methods are also disclosed.

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.

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.

Methods for producing glass articles from laminated glass tubing include introducing the glass tubing to a converter. The glass tubing includes a core layer under tensile stress, an outer clad layer under, and an inner clad layer. The methods include forming a feature the glass article at a working end of the laminated glass tubing and separating a glass article from the working end of the laminated glass tubing, which may expose the core layer under tensile stress at the working end of the glass tubing. The method further comprises remediating the exposed portion of the core layer by completely enclosing the core layer in a clad layer. Systems for re-cladding the exposed portion of the core layer as well as glass articles made using the systems and methods are also disclosed.

A method for shaping the mouth of a hollow precursor made of glass is provided, as well as glass produced thereby. The method includes heating the mouth of the hollow precursor; introducing a mandrel along a first direction into the mouth while the hollow precursor is rotating; and pressing shaping rollers along a second direction on an outside of the mouth while the hollow precursor is rotating with the mandrel in the mouth. The first and second directions are perpendicular to one another. The method can include moving the mandrel along second and/or third directions together or separate from expanding the mandrel along the second and third directions.

A tip for being attached to a wrapper containing a smokable substance. The tip includes a tube having a generally cylindrical shape, having two ends each forming an opening at opposite ends of said tube. The openings are fluidly connected to each other by a chamber between the two ends, the chamber and said two ends being axially aligned. A first one of the two ends has a t-shaped opening and a second one of the two ends has a circular opening. The second end has an outside diameter less than an outside diameter of the first end. A method for making the tip is also described.

An assembly for packaging a cosmetic product, comprising a glass bottle extending between a bottom and a neck, and a wiping member, wherein the bottle is made of drawn glass and wherein the neck has an annular groove in the outer surface of the neck and also an annular bulge on the inner surface of the neck, wherein the annular bulge cooperates with a groove in the wiping member in order to ensure that the wiping member is fastened inside the neck by snap-fastening.

Methods for providing feedback control of converters for converting glass tubes to glass articles include a model predictive control framework. The methods include operating the converter, providing target values for attributes of the glass articles or glass tubes, measuring the attributes for the glass articles and glass tubes, conditioning the measurement data to remove outlier data points and calculating statistics representative of the measured attributes, and determine updated settings for one or more process parameters from the previous settings, the statistical properties, and the target values, where the updated settings are those that minimize an objective control function for the converter. The methods further include adjusting the process parameters to the updated settings. The model predictive control framework enables feedback control of the converter that compensates for disturbances that act on the process.

Methods for providing feedback control of converters for converting glass tubes to glass articles include a model predictive control framework. The methods include operating the converter, providing target values for attributes of the glass articles or glass tubes, measuring the attributes for the glass articles and glass tubes, conditioning the measurement data to remove outlier data points and calculating statistics representative of the measured attributes, and determine updated settings for one or more process parameters from the previous settings, the statistical properties, and the target values, where the updated settings are those that minimize an objective control function for the converter. The methods further include adjusting the process parameters to the updated settings. The model predictive control framework enables feedback control of the converter that compensates for disturbances that act on the process.