Systems for producing articles from glass tube include 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 systems further include a gas flow system or a suction system for producing a flow of gas through the glass tube during one or more heating, forming, separating or piercing operations. The flow of gas through the glass tube produced by the gas flow system or suction system may be sufficient to evacuate or purge volatile constituents of the glass from the glass tube and/or pierce a meniscus formed on the glass tube during separation, thereby reducing the Surface Hydrolytic Response (SHR) of the interior surface of the glass tube and articles made therefrom.

Systems for producing articles from glass tube include 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 systems further include a gas flow system or a suction system for producing a flow of gas through the glass tube during one or more heating, forming, separating or piercing operations. The flow of gas through the glass tube produced by the gas flow system or suction system may be sufficient to evacuate or purge volatile constituents of the glass from the glass tube and/or pierce a meniscus formed on the glass tube during separation, thereby reducing the Surface Hydrolytic Response (SHR) of the interior surface of the glass tube and articles made therefrom.

A molding tool, a method, and an apparatus for hot forming of glass are provided that provide glass products used for pharmaceutical packaging. The molding tool includes a forming mandrel for reshaping at least a portion of a heated region of a glass precursor. The mandrel has a temperature-stable core material and an alloying element. The core material is made of precious metals, in particular of platinum group elements, and the further alloying element is made of one of tungsten, zirconium, rhodium, molybdenum, and rhenium.

A molding tool, a method, and an apparatus for hot forming of glass are provided that provide glass products used for pharmaceutical packaging. The molding tool includes a forming mandrel for reshaping at least a portion of a heated region of a glass precursor. The mandrel has a temperature-stable core material and an alloying element. The core material is made of precious metals, in particular of platinum group elements, and the further alloying element is made of one of tungsten, zirconium, rhodium, molybdenum, and rhenium.

The invention relates to a method for producing glass tubes with a cross section of a noncircular form by reshaping. This method includes at least providing a glass tube, heating the glass tube, providing at least one reshaping tool, which has a forming body with a forming area for reshaping the heated glass tube, the forming body including at least one open-porous material, setting a gas pressure in the interior of the reshaping tool lower than 90 kPa, so that a negative pressure is produced on the forming area, and reshaping the heated glass tube by applying a compressive force perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the glass tube, the compressive force being generated by the reshaping tool and being applied to the outer surface of the glass tube, and the outer surface of the glass tube being fixed by the negative pressure.

The invention relates to a method for producing glass tubes with a cross section of a noncircular form by reshaping. This method includes at least providing a glass tube, heating the glass tube, providing at least one reshaping tool, which has a forming body with a forming area for reshaping the heated glass tube, the forming body including at least one open-porous material, setting a gas pressure in the interior of the reshaping tool lower than 90 kPa, so that a negative pressure is produced on the forming area, and reshaping the heated glass tube by applying a compressive force perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the glass tube, the compressive force being generated by the reshaping tool and being applied to the outer surface of the glass tube, and the outer surface of the glass tube being fixed by the negative pressure.

A hot-forming tool for producing glass containers is provided. The tool includes a forming roller, a holder, and a heat sink. The forming roller has a forming surface. The holder receives the forming roller with the forming roller rotatably mounted on the holder. The heat sink is directly or indirectly connected to the holder. The forming roller is in thermal contact with the heat sink and the heat sink has an internal cooler so that process heat can be transferred from the forming roller to the heat sink.

A vial for packing a substance to be smoked from the vial and a method of manufacturing the vial, the method of manufacturing including providing a glass vial, the glass vial having a first end portion and a second end portion connected by a tubular portion having a hollow interior, the first end portion being open and the second end portion being closed; applying heat to a section of the tubular portion to heat the section of the tubular portion; applying a pressure around the heated section of the tubular portion to collapse the section of the tubular portion into the hollow interior of the tubular portion; pressing the first end portion and the second end portion together until an exterior surface of the tubular portion surrounding the collapsed section is level with a remaining exterior surface of the tubular portion; and forming an opening in the second end portion.

A vial for packing a substance to be smoked from the vial and a method of manufacturing the vial, the method of manufacturing including providing a glass vial, the glass vial having a first end portion and a second end portion connected by a tubular portion having a hollow interior, the first end portion being open and the second end portion being closed; applying heat to a section of the tubular portion to heat the section of the tubular portion; applying a pressure around the heated section of the tubular portion to collapse the section of the tubular portion into the hollow interior of the tubular portion; pressing the first end portion and the second end portion together until an exterior surface of the tubular portion surrounding the collapsed section is level with a remaining exterior surface of the tubular portion; and forming an opening in the second end portion.

A method for producing glass vials, in particular pharmaceutical vials or pharmaceutical ampoules, from a glass tube is provided, the method including the following steps: (a) rotating the glass tube about a longitudinal axis thereof; (b) locally heating the glass tube from one side by means of at least one burner to at least the softening temperature of the glass; (c) reducing the diameter by pressing at least one forming body laterally against the heated region; and (d) separating the glass tube by means of a burner. A glass vial produced in such a way releases a reduced amount of alkali in accordance with ISO 4802 and has a decreased delamination tendency. Furthermore, in the hot-formed peripheral region, the alkali content is only slightly reduced when compared with the alkali content in the glass interior.