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The glass blowing process is commonly used each year to produce millions of bottles for water, milk, juice, soda, beer and wine, among others. This process is far more complex than the apparent commonality of the goods it produces. Thermal effects may induce some weaknesses in the bottles and possible risk of breakage. Proper operating conditions ensure a reduction in the weight of each container. This reduction in weight has dramatic economic and ecologic impacts, since reducing the quantity of glass used per bottle means less energy is needed to produce a single bottle and to transport it.
CFD offers a transient model of the different stage of the glass molding process. Each phenomenon can be analyzed in a very slow motion to better understand the process.
Fluent software has been used to successfully improve and optimize the glass blowing process. Using Fluent CFD software, you can better understand subtleties such as the combination of free surface deformation under the combined effect of gravity and the blowing air, the cooling process due to the action of the surrounding air and the contact with the mold, and the mechanical and thermal detection of the contact between the deforming glass and the mold. The better understanding gained from using Fluent software quickly leads to tremendous savings in manufacturing cost and time while ensuring a high quality final product.
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Stretching and blowing of a glass sample to blow an oil bottle
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