| Optimal glass treatment results
Gas pre-mixing with HYDROPOX®
Challenge
Glass manufacturers face rising quality demands, especially in the tableware and perfume bottle (flacon) segments. Customers are looking for a machined finish with the finesse of hand-crafted glass. At the same time, manufacturers are under growing pressure to cut production costs and increase process efficiencies (replacing acid polishing and eliminating mechanical post-processing, for example).
Solution
To meet market demands for quality and accelerate turnaround times, Linde has developed a range of pre-mix technologies based on oxygen and hydrogen. The heat transfer rates, flame shapes and working parameters etc. of pre-mixed gases differ from those of postmixed gases. As a result, they greatly enhance the efficiency of glass surface polishing, fire polishing and simultaneous smoothing processes. Experience has also shown that glass treatment technologies based on hydrogen/oxygen are significantly more efficient than those using methane/oxygen.
Linde offers the full range of pre-mixing and post-mixing technologies:
- HYDROPOX®: Pre-mixing technology with oxygen and hydrogen
- CARBOPOX®: Pre-mixing technology with oxygen and methane
- LINFIRE®: Post-mixing technologies
Technology
Linde’s HYDROPOX® and CARBOPOX® solutions leverage the increased thermal efficiency of pre-mix technologies and improve heat transfer, due to higher velocities and the shorter distance to the product. The heat transfer rates of pre-mixed oxygen/hydrogen flames are approx. 6 times higher than those of pre-mixed oxygen/methane flames. The heat transfer rates of pre-mixed oxygen/methane and oxygen/hydrogen flames are approx. 30 and 20 percent respectively higher than those of post-mixed flames.
HYDROPOX® and CARBOPOX® mixing units consist of a power unit, control unit, exact pressure regulation system and gas ratio regulation system. The burner steering systems consist of an electrical operation unit, central mixing unit, electropneumatic burner controlling system and a burner.
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