A method for measuring the distribution of the thickness of glass in glass containers at a high temperature comprises: selecting at least one inspection area of the containers, so that the thickness relationship of the glass as a function of the infrared radiation intensity is homogeneous over the whole inspection area, measuring, for each inspection area the glass thickness of the container in at least one movement point belonging to the inspection area, by means of a contactless point-like thickness measurement system, measuring by means of a sensor sensitive to infrared radiation, which is emitted by the container, determining, for each inspection area, a relationship between the measurement of the thickness taken at the measurement point and the infrared radiation, and from the relationship and the relevant infrared radiation of each inspection area, determining the glass distribution of the container over each inspection area.

The invention is related to a method of producing glass products from glass product material. Said method comprises the steps of heating the glass product material, shaping the heated glass product material into a glass product, cooling the shaped glass product, and inspecting the shaped glass products by means of at least one sensor sensitive to infrared radiation In said inspecting step a first image of the glass product is taken under a first viewing angle. In addition a second image of said glass product is taken under a second viewing angle which is different from the first viewing angle. The first image is compared with the second image for eliminating parasite reflections. The first and second images are analyzed for detecting whether said glass product is defective or not. An assembly is described for performing said method of producing glass products from glass product material.

The invention relates to an installation for optically inspecting containers (2) manufactured by a forming machine at the outlet of which the containers travel by means of a conveyor (5) past at least one inspection device (I) including at least one camera (10) mounted inside a support chamber (11). The installation includes a system for fastening the support chamber (11) on the conveyor (5) in such a manner that the support chamber (11) is positioned on one side of the conveyor and presents, below the conveyor, a low section (11b) in which the camera (10) is mounted, the support chamber (11) also presenting, above the conveyor, a high section (11h) provided with an observation port (15) and in which an optical deflector system (16) is mounted.

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.

The invention provides a device for optically inspecting high temperature glass containers (2), the device comprising a lighting system (7) having a light-emitting surface that is adapted to emit both: a flash first light flux during a flash duration of less than 1 ms and at a wavelength longer than 650 nm; and also a bottle-scanning second light flux having wavelengths shorter than 650 nm and for a duration of not less than 2 s, the lighting system (7) being controlled: to emit the flash light flux so that the camera can take images of each container while back-lit by said flash light flux; and to emit the bottle-scanning light flux that is perceived by a human eye as being continuous.

The invention provides a device for optically inspecting high temperature glass containers (2), the device comprising a lighting system (7) having a light-emitting surface that is adapted to emit both: a flash first light flux during a flash duration of less than 1 ms and at a wavelength longer than 650 nm; and also a bottle-scanning second light flux having wavelengths shorter than 650 nm and for a duration of not less than 2 s, the lighting system (7) being controlled: to emit the flash light flux so that the camera can take images of each container while back-lit by said flash light flux; and to emit the bottle-scanning light flux that is perceived by a human eye as being continuous.

The invention relates to an installation for optically inspecting containers (2) manufactured by a forming machine at the outlet of which the containers travel by means of a conveyor (5) past at least one inspection device (I) including at least one camera (10) mounted inside a support chamber (11). The installation includes a system for fastening the support chamber (11) on the conveyor (5) in such a manner that the support chamber (11) is positioned on one side of the conveyor and presents, below the conveyor, a low section (11b) in which the camera (10) is mounted, the support chamber (11) also presenting, above the conveyor, a high section (11h) provided with an observation port (15) and in which an optical deflector system (16) is mounted.

A method is provided for measuring the wall thickness of hollow glass articles in a hollow glass production system, wherein the IR radiation emitted by each hollow glass article exiting the hot end of a glass forming machine is detected at least in areas mapped by a function, the same hollow glass article, 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. Using correlation methods, it is checked whether the progression of the function is contained in the function, 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 system and method are disclosed for monitoring hot glass containers at the hot end as they stream from an I.S. machine manufacturing them to enable their quality to be monitored, enhanced, and controlled. The system monitors radiation from the hot glass containers, extracts images of each hot glass container, analyzes the images of the hot glass containers, and provides the images of the hot glass containers together with information indicative of the quality thereof to a display screen viewable by an operator to enable the quick identification of glass forming process deviations and to occasion continuous improvements in glass container quality. The system and method are independent of conditions and parameters that have hampered previously known attempts to monitor hot glass containers, and make possible the production of glass containers of both high quality and substantially increased consistency.

There is provided a method for inspecting still hot glass containers. The method includes, for each container, acquiring at least one transmission image of the container illuminated by a source of a light passing through the container and at least one infrared radiation image of the container. The method also includes analyzing at least one transmission image and at least one infrared radiation image and ensuring a matching of at least part of the transmission image and at least part of the infrared radiation image. The method also includes classifying the container, from at least one transmission image and at least one infrared radiation image, matched with each other, in order to identify, for a container, at least one type of defect.