A glass tube element having a hollow cylindrical section with a shell having an outer diameter is provided. A first ratio is a difference value to a mean value. The difference value is a difference of a minimal and maximal value of the outer diameter. The mean value is a mean of the minimal and maximal values. A sub-section having a start, an end, and a distance of 1 meter measured along a straight line from the start to the end and intersecting with a center axis of the sub-section at the start and the end. The sub-section having, for every point of the center axis, a shortest distance to the straight line. A second ratio of a specific distance to 1 meter, the specific distance being defined as a largest of all shortest distances. A product of the first and second ratio is smaller than 4×10.sup.−6.

A wide area forming device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a mold unit in which an object to be formed is received, and a main chamber having an upper block press the mold unit to form the object to be formed, and a lower block supporting the mold unit.

A glass product stress evaluation system is provided. The glass product stress evaluation system includes a background light source to selectively transmit light of different wavelengths and illuminates a glass product. An imaging device is mounted in proximity to the glass product and develops digitally encoded representations of internal annealing stresses formed within the glass product. The imaging device converts the digitally encoded internal stress representations into digital signals. A plurality of optical devices provides a converging view of the glass product. A plurality of filters is mounted in proximity to the plurality of optical devices and selectively transmits light of different wavelengths to the optical devices, thereby transforming detected imaged stresses in the glass product into visible colors. A processing unit receives the digital images from the imaging device and converts the digital images into visible images. The digital images can be classified into annealing grades.

Systems and methods for drawing high aspect ratio metallic glass-based materials are provided. Methods of drawing a high aspect ratio metallic glass-based material are premised on stably drawing high aspect ratio metallic glass-based material from a preform metallic glass-based composition, accounting for the relationships between: the desired formation of an amorphous structure that is substantially homogenous along the majority of the length of the drawn high aspect ratio material; the desired final geometry of the drawn high aspect ratio material; the nature of the force that is used to draw the molten metallic glass-based composition; the velocity at which the high aspect ratio material is drawn; the viscosity profile of the material along its length as it is being drawn; and/or the effect of temperature on the metallic glass-based material. A precise thermal treatment is imposed along the forming length of the drawn material so as to enable a steady state drawing process, the precise thermal treatment being based on: the desire to develop a substantially same amorphous structure along the length of the drawn material; the desired final geometry for the drawn material; the nature of the force used to draw the material; the velocity at which the material is being drawn; and/or the thermal treatment's impact on the viscosity profile of the material along its length as it is being drawn.

Systems and methods for drawing high aspect ratio metallic glass-based materials are provided. Methods of drawing a high aspect ratio metallic glass-based material are premised on stably drawing high aspect ratio metallic glass-based material from a preform metallic glass-based composition, accounting for the relationships between: the desired formation of an amorphous structure that is substantially homogenous along the majority of the length of the drawn high aspect ratio material; the desired final geometry of the drawn high aspect ratio material; the nature of the force that is used to draw the molten metallic glass-based composition; the velocity at which the high aspect ratio material is drawn; the viscosity profile of the material along its length as it is being drawn; and/or the effect of temperature on the metallic glass-based material. A precise thermal treatment is imposed along the forming length of the drawn material so as to enable a steady state drawing process, the precise thermal treatment being based on: the desire to develop a substantially same amorphous structure along the length of the drawn material; the desired final geometry for the drawn material; the nature of the force used to draw the material; the velocity at which the material is being drawn; and/or the thermal treatment's impact on the viscosity profile of the material along its length as it is being drawn.

The present disclosure provides a thermoforming method and a thermoforming device for a glass product. The method comprises the following steps of: providing a thermoforming mold, wherein the thermoforming mold comprises a lower mold and an upper mold arranged above the lower mold and matched therewith, and providing a mold opening component; a pressurizing process, wherein a glass sheet placed in the thermoforming mold and at a softening point temperature and above is hot-pressed to form a glass product; a cooling process, wherein the glass product placed in the thermoforming mold is cooled, and when the temperature of the glass product drops to a glass point transformation temperature and below, the upper mold is opened by the mold opening component so that the upper mold is separated from the lower mold; and taking the glass product out when the temperature of the glass product in the thermoforming mold drops to a room temperature. The thermoforming method improves the molding quality of the glass product and enhances the manufacturing yield of the glass product.

The present disclosure provides a thermoforming method and a thermoforming device for a glass product. The method comprises the following steps of: providing a thermoforming mold, wherein the thermoforming mold comprises a lower mold and an upper mold arranged above the lower mold and matched therewith, and providing a mold opening component; a pressurizing process, wherein a glass sheet placed in the thermoforming mold and at a softening point temperature and above is hot-pressed to form a glass product; a cooling process, wherein the glass product placed in the thermoforming mold is cooled, and when the temperature of the glass product drops to a glass point transformation temperature and below, the upper mold is opened by the mold opening component so that the upper mold is separated from the lower mold; and taking the glass product out when the temperature of the glass product in the thermoforming mold drops to a room temperature. The thermoforming method improves the molding quality of the glass product and enhances the manufacturing yield of the glass product.

The invention relates to a method for measuring the wall thickness of hollow glass articles (2) in a hollow glass production system, wherein the IR radiation emitted by each hollow glass article (2) exiting the hot end of a glass forming machine is detected at least in areas mapped by a function (10), the same hollow glass article (2), after having passed through an annealing lehr, being measured in the circumferential direction with respect to a wall thickness distribution, and the detected wall thickness distribution being mapped by a function (18). Using correlation methods, it is checked whether the progression of the function (10) is contained in the function (18), wherein if so, measured values of the wall thickness can be associated with the measured values of the IR radiation at the hot end, so that the wall thickness distribution of the hollow glass article is already known at the hot end and implementable for monitoring purposes.

A method and device for the continuous heat treatment of pharmaceutical glass containers are provided. The method includes continuously conveying glass containers from an entry region to an exit region via a conveying installation having a separating plate made from an electrically conductive material, the separating plate being positioned above and/or below the conveying installation; heating the glass containers to a maximum temperature in a heating zone after passing the entry region; cooling the glass containers in a first cooling zone after passing the heating zone and before passing the exit region at a first cooling rate, wherein the separating plate separates the glass containers from heating installations in the heating zone and/or temperature changing installations in the first cooling zone; and controlling the heating installations and/or the temperature changing installations to inductively heat the separating plate in the heating zone and/or the first cooling zone.

A method and device for the continuous heat treatment of pharmaceutical glass containers are provided. The method includes continuously conveying glass containers from an entry region to an exit region via a conveying installation having a separating plate made from an electrically conductive material, the separating plate being positioned above and/or below the conveying installation; heating the glass containers to a maximum temperature in a heating zone after passing the entry region; cooling the glass containers in a first cooling zone after passing the heating zone and before passing the exit region at a first cooling rate, wherein the separating plate separates the glass containers from heating installations in the heating zone and/or temperature changing installations in the first cooling zone; and controlling the heating installations and/or the temperature changing installations to inductively heat the separating plate in the heating zone and/or the first cooling zone.