The production of glass bottles requires a variety of special equipment. Different equipment corresponds to different links in the production process. The core machines can be divided into the following categories according to the process stage and function:
- Raw material preparation equipment
- Batching mixer: Mix quartz sand, soda ash, limestone and other raw materials in proportion to ensure uniform composition and lay the foundation for the quality of molten glass.
- Glass melting furnace: Melt the mixed raw materials into glass liquid at high temperature (usually above 1500℃), which is the source equipment for glass molding. The capacity and temperature control accuracy of the furnace directly affect the stability of the glass liquid.
- Molding equipment (core production equipment)
1.
IS Machine
The most widely used automated molding equipment at present, especially suitable for mass production of glass bottles (such as beverage bottles, canned bottles, etc.).
2.
o Principle: Through multiple stations to continuously complete the processes of material collection, molding, cooling, etc., multiple bottles can be produced at the same time.
o Advantages: High efficiency, can adapt to round and square bottles of different specifications, is the first choice for large-scale production.
3.
Blowing Machine
It is divided into press-blow machine and blow-blow machine, which are mainly used to make small-mouth bottles (such as medicine bottles) and large-mouth bottles (such as cosmetic bottles).
4.
o Press-blow method: First, the glass is hydraulically pressed into a prototype through a punch, and then blown into shape, which is suitable for small-mouth bottles.
o Blow-blow method: Blow twice to form, first blow into small bubbles, and then blow to the final shape, which is suitable for large-mouth bottles.
5.
Manual molding equipment (auxiliary equipment)
It is used for customized, small batch or special-shaped glass bottles (such as art glass, special reagent bottles), relying on molds and manual operation, with high flexibility but low efficiency.
6.
III. Post-processing equipment
- Annealing furnace: It eliminates the internal stress generated during the glass molding process and avoids the bottle from breaking later. It is a key equipment to ensure the strength of the glass bottle.
- Spraying/printing equipment: Surface treatment of glass bottles, such as spraying color and silk-screen patterns (common in cosmetic bottles and beverage bottles).
- Inspection equipment: Through optical inspection or manual inspection, unqualified products with bubbles, cracks, and dimensional deviations are screened out.
- Auxiliary equipment
- Mold cooling system: Control the mold temperature to ensure the stability of glass molding and extend the service life of the mold.
- Conveying equipment: Connect various production links to realize the automatic transmission of glass bottles between different equipment and improve production continuity.
Different types of glass bottles (such as daily bottles, medicinal bottles, and cosmetic bottles) will focus on using specific combinations of the above equipment due to different shape and precision requirements. For example, medicinal bottles have extremely high requirements for cleanliness and dimensional accuracy, and need to be equipped with high-precision molding machines and strict inspection equipment; while ordinary beverage bottles rely more on the efficient production capacity of the determinant bottle making machine.