Designers at Rockware Glass have begun applying new modelling technology, which enables customers to view within hours a 3D prototype of any proposed container including its embossing features.
Consequently the designers say they can now create increasingly complex designs, shorten lead times and improve quality. One of their key recent focusses has been on embossing.
To create maximum impact embossing is often located around the container shoulder, traditionally the trickiest area to work on. Usually, Rockware explains, glass designers supply the mouldmaker with 2D artwork, which they then use to produce the finished mould. However the company admits even the most precise engineering can fail to replicate the original artist's impression. Poorly machined moulds mean the glass produced can contain slight imperfections, known as crizzles, on the embossing, meaning new moulds often have to be made and production repeated, incurring additional costs and expensive delays.
A search for a solution by Rockware CAD systems technologist Brian Howard and senior designer Steve Glover culminated in the development, predominantly in-house, of a specialised desktop rapid prototyping system. “The results exceeded our expectations,” says Tony Baker, design department section leader. “By creating a 3D model and capturing all the data of the container and specifically the embossing detail, our mould manufacturer can produce an exact, fault-free mould that will form a clean, crisp, clear relief onto the container shoulder. On our fast-running production lines the manufacturing teams now know that the container will meet the highest quality standards first time every time.”
