Abstract: This disclosure describes substrate(s) formed with a three-dimensional (3D) feature thereon, and method(s) of printing the same. One method includes identifying a plurality of locations on a substrate surface where the three-dimensional feature will be formed, determining a height value of the three-dimensional feature at each location, assigning a grayscale value to each location based on the height value, and applying ink to the substrate surface at each location according to the assigned grayscale value.

Abstract: A method for tracking containers. The method includes manufacturing containers, including forming the containers and serializing them with machine-readable codes. The method further includes using the machine-readable codes to store data associated with the containers, and supplying the containers to a customer. The method still further comprises receiving from the customer, data obtained from customer-readings of the machine-readable codes; and receiving from one or more other locations in a distribution chain in which the containers travel, data obtained from readings of the machine-readable codes at those locations. The method still further comprises comparing the data from the customer-readings and other readings of the machine-readable codes across product brands, product distribution channels, and/or container types, and providing the data to the customer.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a container parison and container are disclosed. The method of forming a container parison in accordance with one aspect of the disclosure includes receiving molten glass in a forming mold having an open upper end, an open lower end, a forming chamber between the open upper and lower ends; supporting the molten glass in the forming mold at the open lower end thereof; and pressing the molten glass in the forming mold with a plunger to form a parison suspended downwardly from the neck finish and out of the open lower end of the mold.

Abstract: A bubbler device and method of its operation are disclosed. The bubbler device includes a bubbler tube that provides bubbles to a molten material in a furnace; a protective layer disposed on the bubbler tube; and a wire that is electrically coupled to the protective layer. The wire extends through the bore, and the protective layer and the wire partially form an electrical circuit for measuring integrity of the bubbler device based on at least one of conductivity or resistance in the electrical circuit. Sometimes, an inner protective material may be disposed on an inside surface of the tube and coupled to the protective layer, and the wire can be coupled to the inner protective material or multiple wires may be used. The use of dissimilar materials in these components may be used to form a thermocouple junction to measure the temperature of the molten material in a furnace.

Abstract: A method of producing glass includes drawing unrefined foamy molten glass from a glass melt held in a submerged combustion melter and introducing the unrefined foamy molten glass into a stilling chamber of a stilling tank. An intermediate pool of molten glass is held within the stilling chamber of the stilling tank and is heated therein by one or more non-submerged burners. Molten glass flows from the intermediate pool of molten glass to a transfer pool of molten glass held in a spout chamber of a feeding spout that is appended to the stilling tank. A molten glass feed can be drawn from the transfer pool of molten glass and delivered from the feeding spout at a controlled rate.

Abstract: A method of fining glass is disclosed that includes flowing a molten glass bath through a fining chamber. The molten glass bath has an undercurrent that flows beneath a skimmer that is partially submerged in the molten glass bath. One or more fining agents are introduced into the undercurrent of the molten glass bath directly beneath the skimmer from a dissolvable fining material component. In this way, the fining agent(s) may selectively target the gas bubbles drawn under the skimmer within the undercurrent of the molten glass for removal. The method may be employed to fine molten gas produced in a submerged combustion melter. A fining vessel for fining molten glass is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method of producing and fining glass includes monitoring a temperature of a molten glass bath contained within a fining chamber of a fining vessel and, based on the monitored temperature, controlling an amount of a sulfate chemical fining agent added into a glass melt contained within an interior reaction chamber of an upstream submerged combustion melter that feeds the fining vessel. The temperature of the molten glass bath may be determined within a temperature indication zone that encompasses a subsurface portion of the molten glass bath that lies adjacent to a floor of a housing of the fining vessel. By monitoring the temperature of the molten glass bath and controlling the amount of the sulfate chemical fining agent added to the glass melt of the submerged combustion melter, the wasteful use of the sulfate chemical fining agent can be minimized and the fining process rendered more efficient.

Abstract: A method of obtaining cullet from a solar module unit is disclosed. The method involves providing a solar module unit in which a detectable tagging material has been applied onto an exposed outer surface of a glass substrate of the solar module unit over one or more electrically conductive contact strips located beneath and visible through the glass substrate. Thereafter, the solar module unit is crushed into assorted module pieces. The assorted module pieces are then sorted by detecting module pieces that include the detectable tagging material and separating the assorted module pieces into a collection of accepted module pieces and a collection of rejected module pieces. The collection of accepted module pieces has module pieces determined not to include the detectable tagging material. Recycled glass is then obtained from the collection of accepted module pieces.

Abstract: A submerged combustion melter and system are disclosed. The submerged combustion melter includes a bottom wall, at least one side wall extending upwardly from the bottom wall, a crown extending inwardly with respect to the at least one side wall and over the bottom wall to establish a melting chamber, an exhaust port configured to exhaust gas from the melting chamber, at least one baffle extending from the at least one side wall to divide the melting chamber into melting sub-chambers that share the exhaust port, at least one inlet configured for introducing a glass batch into the submerged combustion melter, and at least one outlet configured to remove molten glass from the at least one melting chamber.

Abstract: This disclosure describes container(s) having an ultraviolet (UV)-cured matrix and methods to create the same. For example, a glass container according to this disclosure has a bottom and a body extending in a direction away from the bottom along a longitudinal axis. The body has a surface having an UV-cured matrix including UV-curable varnish drops arranged in a plurality of layers and having voids existing therebetween to form a porous matrix structure. One method to form the glass container is to apply a layer of UV-curable varnish to an outer surface of the glass container as a plurality of varnish drops, so as to establish a plurality of voids between the varnish drops, cure the layer of UV-curable varnish, apply one or more additional layers of UV-curable varnish, and cure the additional layer(s) of UV-curable varnish, wherein all of the varnish drops and the voids form the UV-cured matrix.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a glass parison are disclosed. The method of forming a glass container in accordance with one aspect of the disclosure includes flowing molten glass to a glass feeder spout located immediately upstream of die rollers; feeding molten glass through an annular space established between an orifice ring of the glass feeder spout and a plunger of the glass feeder spout; blowing gas through the plunger into the molten glass to form a continuous tube of molten glass; and die rolling the continuous tube into a continuous string of glass containers.

Abstract: A glass blank feeding apparatus, system, and method for feeding a glass gob to an angled blank mold are disclosed. The glass blank feeding apparatus includes at least one scoop configured to receive a glass gob along a vertical axis from a gob feeder and a blank mold aligned along a longitudinal axis at a non-zero angle from the vertical axis, where the blank mold is configured to receive the glass gob directly from the at least one scoop along the longitudinal axis.

Abstract: A cooling panel for a melter and method for fabricating the cooling panel are disclosed. In particular, the cooling panel can include first and second outer walls and a plurality of side walls coupled to the outer walls that define an interior space. A plurality of baffles is disposed in the interior space, where projections in the baffles fit into respective openings in the outer walls and can be connected from outside the cooling panel. The cooling panel can be formed by way of welding and/or additive manufacturing, as discussed herein.

Abstract: A method of fining low-density submerged combustion glass is disclosed. The method involves introducing unfined molten glass produced in a submerged combustion melter into a fining chamber of a downstream fining tank. Additionally, additive particles are also introduced into the fining chamber to release one or more fining agents into the molten glass bath contained in the fining chamber to accelerate the removal of bubbles from the molten glass bath. The fining of the molten glass bath as assisted by the one or more fining agents allows for fined glass to be discharged from the fining tank that has fewer bubbles and a greater density than that of the unfined molten glass introduced into the fining tank. Additive particles that include a physical mixture of a glass reactant material and the fining agent(s) are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a glass parison are disclosed. The method of forming a glass parison includes flowing molten glass to a glass feeder spout located immediately upstream of a neck ring; feeding molten glass through an annular space established between an orifice ring of the glass feeder spout and a plunger of the glass feeder spout; blowing gas through the plunger into the molten glass to establish an exterior and an interior of the glass parison; and contacting a portion of the exterior of the parison with the neck ring.

Abstract: A system for preheating batch materials in a glass melting furnace includes a preheater having an outlet through which fluid is exhausted and an inlet that receives fluids exhausted from the furnace and recirculated from the preheater outlet. In one embodiment, a cyclonic separator has an inlet in communication with the preheater outlet and an outlet in fluid communication with a fan. A controller controls the speed of the fan responsive to a drop in pressure between the separator inlet and outlet and a temperature at the separator outlet. In other embodiments, controllers control valves that (i) control the amount of fluids exhausted from the preheater that are delivered to a flue and recirculated to the preheater or (ii) control the amount of fluids diverted to charger for the furnace, in response to temperatures in a duct coupled to the preheater inlet.

Abstract: A feed assembly for a melting chamber having a plurality of walls and at least one submerged burner, and related methods of its operation are disclosed. The feed assembly includes a tubular body being hollow and having a first end and extending to a second end. The second end is for connecting to one of the plurality of walls. The tubular body further includes a port proximate the second end wherein the port has a first port end and tapers radially inwardly to a second port end at the second end. The feed assembly also has a batch charger disposed within the tubular body and having a first charger end and extending to a second charger end.

Abstract: A glass fining system, glass fining device, and method are disclosed. The glass fining device in accordance with one aspect of the disclosure includes at least one heated orifice through which molten glass flows from a glass melter to produce at least one superheated glass stream; and a low-pressure chamber disposed downstream from the heated orifice, where the at least one superheated glass stream flows from the at least one heated orifice and into the low-pressure chamber, and where the low-pressure chamber surrounds the at least one superheated glass stream. In some embodiments, the low-pressure chamber may include at least one surface extender.

Abstract: A glass refining system, glass refining device, and method are disclosed. The apparatus in accordance with one aspect of the disclosure includes an objective having a laterally outer extremity, where a molten metal stream flows from an opening in the objective and over the objective, and separates from the objective at a molten metal separation location that is inboard of the extremity; and a molten metal receptacle disposed below the objective and configured to receive the molten metal stream, wherein a molten glass stream flows downwardly toward the objective and over the molten metal stream, and wherein the molten glass stream separates from the molten metal stream at a molten glass separation location that is laterally outboard of the molten metal separation location and flows into a molten glass receptacle.

Abstract: In a process for manufacturing glass, a mixture of solid glass-forming materials may be melted by application of heat from one or more submerged combustion burners to produce a volume of unrefined molten glass comprising, by volume, 20% to 40% gas bubbles. A refining agent may be introduced into the unrefined molten glass to promote gas bubble removal from the molten glass. The unrefined molten glass including the refining agent may be heated at a temperature in the range of 1200° C. to 1500° C. to produce a volume of refined molten glass. The refined molten glass may comprise, by volume, fewer gas bubbles than the unrefined molten glass. A colorant material may be introduced into the refined molten glass to produce a volume of molten glass having a final desired color.