LUBRICATION OF PARISON MOULDS IN A METHOD FOR PRODUCING HOLLOW GLASS PRODUCTS

Abstract

A method for producing a hollow glass product by an I.S. machine, said method being a press-blow or blow-blow method and implementing at least one parison mould and one blow mould, said method comprising the lubrication of said parison mould, the lubrication comprising spraying via a nozzle, said nozzle being carried by the arm of a mobile robot movable along the parison mould side of the I.S. machine, characterised in that said mobile robot is configured to bring said nozzle into the lubricating position after the glass gob has left the parison mould for the blow mould; spray the lubricant into said parison mould; withdraw said nozzle from the lubricating position before the transfer arm returns between the two half-moulds of the parison mould

Claims

1. Method for producing a hollow glass product by an I.S. machine, said method being of the press-blow or blow-blow type, and implementing at least one parison mould and one blow mould, said parison mould comprising two half-moulds closing up at each production cycle, at least one glass gob being loaded into the parison mould by gravity, said gob being transferred from the parison mould to the blow mould using a transfer arm after an opening of two half-moulds of the parison mould, said transfer arm being able to carry out two-way movements between the parison mould and the blow mould and passing between the two half-moulds of the parison mould, said method comprising a lubrication of said parison mould, said lubrication being carried out without interrupting the production method and comprising a spraying of a lubricant, into said open parison mould, by at least one nozzle, characterised in that said nozzle is carried by an arm of a mobile robot external to the I.S. machine along the parison mould side of the I.S. machine, said mobile robot being configured to (i) bring said nozzles into a lubrication position after the glass gob has departed from the parison mould towards the blow mould; (ii) after lubrication, withdrawing said nozzle from the lubrication position before returning the transfer arm (104) between the two half-moulds of the parison mould.

2. Production method according to claim 1, according to which the nozzle carried by the mobile robot is brought by a movement forward into the lubrication position from a rest position, said lubrication position being located above the two half-moulds of the parison mould.

3. Production method according to claim 1, according to which the arm of the mobile robot is subdivided into two parts, so as to form a Y-shape, each one of the two parts comprising a nozzle ensuring the spraying of one of the two half-moulds of the parison mould.

4. Production method according to claim 1, according to which the production method is carried out using a production line comprising a plurality of parison moulds, the lubrication of the parison moulds being carried out at regular time intervals, the mobile robot moving the nozzle successively at the level of the different parison moulds, the production line comprising at least one rest position being located at one of the ends thereof, or between two successive parison moulds, the mobile robot being parked at said at least one rest position when it has no lubrication operation to carry out for a minimum duration.

5. Production method according to claim 1, according to which the lubrication is carried out using a lubricating composition comprising: a naphthenic mineral oil, said oil having a weight concentration of between 50% and 70%; a dispersion comprising graphite particles, of which the size is between 0.5 m and 25 m, said graphite concentration in the dispersion being more than 15% in weight, said dispersion having a weight concentration of between 5% and 25%; at least one sulphide fatty acid ester, said fatty acid ester comprising from 4 to 22 carbon atoms and being saturated or unsaturated, said sulphide fatty acid ester having a weight concentration of between 10% and 16%.

6. Production method according to claim 5, said lubricating composition further comprising: polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), said polydimethylsiloxane having a weight concentration of between 1% and 10%.

7. Production method according to claim 5, said lubricating composition further comprising: an alkene sulphide, comprising from 8 to 18 carbon atoms, said alkene sulphide having a weight concentration of between 5% and 12%.

8. Production method according to claim 5, said lubricating composition further comprising: a fatty acid methyl ester, comprising from 12 to 22 carbon atoms and being saturated or unsaturated, said sulphide fatty ester having a weight concentration of between 1% and 10%.

9. Device for implementing the method according to claim 1 comprising a robot comprising a pressurised lubricant tank and a mobile arm comprising a nozzle, the robot moving along the parison mould side of the I.S. machine said robot being configured to (i) bring the nozzle into a lubrication position after the glass gob has departed from the parison mould towards the blow mould; (ii) spray the lubricant into said parison mould; (ii) withdraw the nozzle from the lubrication position before returning the transfer arm between the two half-moulds of the parison mould.

10. Device according to claim 9, comprising a rail along which said robot can be moved, said rail following the different parison moulds of the I.S. machine.

11. Device according to claim 10, according to which said rail is longer than the I.S. machine, the surplus length of a sufficiently wide rest position to park the robot at a distance from the heat sources of the I.S. machine, necessary for moulding the glass.

12. Device according to claim 11, comprising a replica of the parison mould to be lubricated implemented by the I.S. machine, is installed at the level of the rest position.

13. Device according to claim 12, according to which said replica is of a colour offering a visible contrast to the naked eye with the colour of the lubricating composition implemented in the production method.

14. Device according to claim 9, said rail being assembled above the I.S. machine of the production method, said rail being connected to a beam comprising perforations, said perforations giving access to the control switches of the I.S. machine.

15. Device according to claim 9, said robot according to the invention being equipped with a detection camera in view of preventing collisions with bodies of the I.S. machine.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0064] These aspects, as well as other aspects of the invention will be clarified in the detailed description of specific embodiments of the invention, reference being made to the drawings of the figures, wherein:

[0065] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the lubrication implemented by an embodiment of the production method according to the invention;

[0066] FIG. 2 is an elevated view of an embodiment of the arm of the robot;

[0067] The figures are not drawn to scale. Generally, similar elements are recorded by similar references in the figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

[0068] FIG. 1 therefore illustrates the lubrication implemented by the press-blow or blow-blow production method according to the invention. The parison mould comprising two half-moulds 101, 102 with a double section closing up at each production cycle, two glass gobs 103 being loaded into the parison mould by gravity. The gobs 103 are transferred from the parison mould to the blow mould using a transfer arm 104 after an opening of the two half-moulds 101, 102 of the parison mould. The transfer arm 104 is able to carry out two-way movements between the parison mould and the blow mould by passing between the two half-moulds 101, 102 of the parison mould, in order to transfer the preformed gobs 103 from the parison mould to the blow mould. The lubrication of said parison mould, the lubrication comprising a spraying by the nozzles 105a, 105b, said nozzles 105a, 105b being carried by the Y-shaped arm 105 of the mobile robot moving along the parison mould side of the I.S. machine. The mobile robot is configured to

[0069] (i) bring said nozzles 105a, 105b into a lubrication position after the glass gob has departed from the parison mould towards the blow mould;

[0070] (ii) spraying the lubricant into said parison mould;

[0071] (iii) withdrawing said nozzles 105a, 105b from the lubrication position before returning the transfer arm between the two half-moulds of the parison mould.

[0072] FIG. 2 represents the arm of the robot implemented in the production method according to the invention. The part 1 which is subdivided into two parts 11 and 12 so as to form a Y-shape, constitutes the removable part of the arm of the robot which can easily be replaced in case of destructive collision with the bodies of the I.S. machine or other surrounding tools. This part 1 is at the robot using an adapter flange 2. The two parts 11 and 12 are intended to receive the nozzles 105a and 105b which respectively lubricate each half-mould 101, 102 of the parison mould. The lubrication of each half-mould is carried out sequentially, in other words, by first lubricating the first half-mould 101 and then the second half-mould 102 (or vice versa) after the robot has adequately oriented the arm respectively into the lubrication position of the first half-mould 101 and then into the lubrication position of the second half-mould 102 (or vice versa). The presence of two nozzles 105a and 105b advantageously reduces the complexity and the amplitude of the movement of the arm to be implemented by the robot to orient the arm into the lubrication position of the first and of the second half-mould.

[0073] It will seem obvious for a person skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the examples illustrated and defined above. The invention comprises each one of the new characteristics, as well them combined. The presence of reference numbers cannot be considered as exhaustive. The use of the word comprises cannot, in any way, exclude the presence of other elements other than those mentioned. The use of the definite article a to introduce an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of these elements. The present invention has been defined in relation to specific embodiments, which have a purely illustrative value and must not be considered as exhaustive.