A glass container that includes a base defining a hole, and methods of manufacturing and using the glass container, is disclosed. The glass container is manufactured by providing the container and cutting a hole in a wall of the container. The hole may be cut into the wall by any technique in which glass material is separated from the wall including by mechanical shearing, thermal energy, and/or fluid impingement. To use the glass container, a deformable blow-out plug may be inserted into the hole to fluidly seal the hole, a liquid beverage may be introduced into the container, a closure may be coupled to the container to close the container and provide a pressurizable package, and thereafter the package may be internally pressurized by introducing a pressurizing gas into the package.

A method of forming a strengthened glass article is provided. The method includes providing a strengthened glass article. The strengthened glass article is in the form of a container including a sidewall having an exterior surface and an interior surface that encloses an interior volume. The sidewall has an exterior strengthened surface layer that includes the exterior surface, an interior strengthened surface layer that includes the interior surface and a central layer between the exterior strengthened surface layer and the interior strengthened surface layer that is under a tensile stress. A laser-induced intended line of separation is formed in the central layer at a predetermined depth between the exterior strengthened surface layer and the interior strengthened surface layer by irradiating the sidewall with a laser without separating the glass article.

A method of forming a strengthened glass article is provided. The method includes providing a strengthened glass article. The strengthened glass article is in the form of a container including a sidewall having an exterior surface and an interior surface that encloses an interior volume. The sidewall has an exterior strengthened surface layer that includes the exterior surface, an interior strengthened surface layer that includes the interior surface and a central layer between the exterior strengthened surface layer and the interior strengthened surface layer that is under a tensile stress. A laser-induced intended line of separation is formed in the central layer at a predetermined depth between the exterior strengthened surface layer and the interior strengthened surface layer by irradiating the sidewall with a laser without separating the glass article.

A glass bottle cutter based on electric heating comprises a base. A rotary bracket and a heating and cutting seat are disposed at two ends of an upper surface of the base respectively. A motor is disposed in the rotary bracket, and a rotating shaft of the motor is disposed outside the rotary bracket and is provided with a support plate. An adhesive pad allowing the bottom of a glass bottle to cling thereto is disposed on a surface of the support plate. A heating tube is disposed on an upper surface of the heating and cutting seat. The base is provided with a power access port and an internal circuit mainboard. The motor, the heating tube and the power access port are all electrically connected to the circuit mainboard.

A glass bottle cutter based on electric heating comprises a base. A rotary bracket and a heating and cutting seat are disposed at two ends of an upper surface of the base respectively. A motor is disposed in the rotary bracket, and a rotating shaft of the motor is disposed outside the rotary bracket and is provided with a support plate. An adhesive pad allowing the bottom of a glass bottle to cling thereto is disposed on a surface of the support plate. A heating tube is disposed on an upper surface of the heating and cutting seat. The base is provided with a power access port and an internal circuit mainboard. The motor, the heating tube and the power access port are all electrically connected to the circuit mainboard.

A bundle includes five or more cut elongated glass elements. Each cut elongated glass element includes a first end, a cylindrical portion, and a second end. At least one of the following equations is fulfilled: i) (I.sub.center(max)−I.sub.center(min))/I.sub.center(mean)≤4.0×10.sup.−2 [μm/μm]; or ii) (I.sub.continuous(max)−I.sub.continuous(min))/I.sub.center(mean)≤4.0×10.sup.−2 [μm/μm]. I.sub.center(max) is a maximum center inner diameter of the cylindrical portions of all cut elongated glass elements; I.sub.center(min) is a minimum center inner diameter of the cylindrical portion of all cut elongated glass elements; I.sub.center(mean) is a mean of inner diameters at a center of the cylindrical portions of all cut elongated glass elements; I.sub.continuous(max) is a maximum continuous inner diameter of the cylindrical portion of any single cut elongated glass element; and I.sub.continuous(min) is a minimum continuous inner diameter of the cylindrical portion of the single cut elongated glass element.

A cleaving assembly and a method for cleaving a glass body having a face at a desired angle greater than 0 degrees are disclosed. The assembly comprises a laser device for emitting a laser beam, a rotating device, and a positioning fixture. The rotating device has a head that rotates about a central axis that is orthogonal to the laser beam. The positioning fixture is operatively mounted to the head and centered axially along the central axis and is also rotatably driven by the rotating device. The positioning fixture has a tapered surface that is transverse to the central axis and that supports the glass body at a predetermined angle relative to the central axis. Rotation of the positioning fixture about the central axis when the glass body is exposed to the laser beam, cleaves the face of the glass body at the desired angle due to the glass body being supported transverse to the central axis.

A cleaving assembly and a method for cleaving a glass body having a face at a desired angle greater than 0 degrees are disclosed. The assembly comprises a laser device for emitting a laser beam, a rotating device, and a positioning fixture. The rotating device has a head that rotates about a central axis that is orthogonal to the laser beam. The positioning fixture is operatively mounted to the head and centered axially along the central axis and is also rotatably driven by the rotating device. The positioning fixture has a tapered surface that is transverse to the central axis and that supports the glass body at a predetermined angle relative to the central axis. Rotation of the positioning fixture about the central axis when the glass body is exposed to the laser beam, cleaves the face of the glass body at the desired angle due to the glass body being supported transverse to the central axis.

A strengthened glass container or vessel such as, but not limited to, vials for holding pharmaceutical products or vaccines in a hermetic and/or sterile state. The strengthened glass container undergoes a strengthening process that produces compression at the surface and tension within the container wall. The strengthening process is designed such that the tension within the wall is great enough to ensure catastrophic failure of the container, thus rendering the product unusable, should sterility be compromised by a through-wall crack. The tension is greater than a threshold central tension, above which catastrophic failure of the container is guaranteed, thus eliminating any potential for violation of pharmaceutical integrity.

A method of forming a glass preform of predetermined length comprises providing a length of glass material to be separated to form a preform length and a remaining length; forming a notch in the glass material; inducing a tensile stress in excess of the tensile strength of the glass in an area adjacent to the notch; and separating the preform length from the remaining length at the notch.