It is the belief of many production specialists in the manufacture of glass containers that the major contributing factor in the key to getting good speed and efficiency is an effective gob. The science of glassmaking is the art of heat extraction and the most difficult part is obviously in the forehearth. Typically, the forehearth has to drop the glass temperature by at least 150 deg C in order to form a gob, and much effort and development over the years has been devoted to improving the operation of the forehearth. However, it is often forgotten that a considerable amount of glass conditioning (heat extraction) can be achieved much earlier in the process. This article explains how glass conditioning can start prior to the distributor and forehearth.
