Nuestra Experiencia en la Industria del Vidrio

The IS machine is the heart of any container glass line. Each section receives a gob of molten glass, forms it through the parison stage, transfers it to the blow mold, and finishes the container before it moves to the lehr. Every step is timed in tenths of a second and driven by precisely shaped pneumatic pressure profiles. Conventional regulators cannot keep up with the setpoint changes a modern bottle line demands, and they cannot deliver intermediate operating positions when the required outlet pressure is far below the inlet.

ROSS Proportional Pressure Control Valves were developed specifically for this work. They combine a proven poppet design with direct-acting solenoids and integrated electronics, allowing the valve to occupy intermediate operating positions in steps across the 0 to 100% range with full adjustability and repeatable performance. The valve pinpoints the required outlet pressure even when that pressure is significantly lower than the inlet, so machine recipes hold across job changes and gob weight changes without manual regulator adjustment. Available in nominal diameters of ND 9.5, 12, 14, 16, and 20 mm, the proportional valve family is matched to every IS machine forming function from Plunger Up through Finish Cooling.

Key Benefits:

• Repeatable outlet pressure across intermediate operating positions, eliminating regulator drift
• Near-instantaneous response to input signal changes, supporting modern Press-Blow and Narrow-Neck Press-Blow recipes
• Plug-and-play interfaces with customer-specific electrical supply options, reducing commissioning time
• Non-lubricated operation, lowering maintenance burden and operating cost
• Available in five nominal diameters to match every forming function on the section

Typical Applications:

• Plunger Up (gob loading control)
• Counter-Blow and Plunger Cooling (parison formation)
• Final Blow (container shape and wall thickness)
• Finish Cooling (dimensional accuracy at the finish)
• Settle Blow (uniform parison settling in the blank mold)

Beyond the proportional functions, every IS machine relies on a network of high-temperature directional control valves to actuate molds, plungers, mechanisms, and auxiliary cylinders. These valves operate close to the forming equipment, where ambient temperatures, glass dust, and continuous cycling combine to challenge any sliding-seal design. ROSS 21 Series high-temperature poppet valves are specified into these locations because the poppet construction tolerates the contamination and the high-temperature elastomer compounds sustain rated performance up to 300°F media temperature. The 21 Series is TÜV Rheinland certified and supports SIL 2 in single-channel applications and SIL 3 in redundant configurations per IEC 61508 and EN ISO 13849-1, allowing the same valve family to serve both general directional control and safety-related forming functions.

Key Benefits:

• High-temperature ratings sustained continuously, not just at peak
• Self-cleaning operation in dust- and particulate-laden hot-end air
• TÜV Rheinland certification for SIL 2 / PL d single-channel and SIL 3 / PL e redundant applications
• Port sizes from 1/4 inch through 1-1/2 inch covering every directional function on the section
• Flow coefficients (Cv) up to 70.0 for high-flow forming auxiliaries

Typical Applications:

• Mold open/close cylinder control
• Invert and revert mechanism actuation
• Take-out and pusher cylinder direction
• Auxiliary cooling air switching
• Burner and igniter pneumatic interlocks

After annealing, every container passes through cold-end inspection, dimensional gauging, and packaging. Many of these stations rely on vacuum pickup, pressure-decay leak testing, and bubble-tight shutoff for accurate measurement. ROSS Dale Series CP and LF poppet valves are specified into these circuits because the metal-to-elastomer poppet sealing interface produces virtually leak-proof performance with port pressure independence — pressure or vacuum can be applied to any port at any time without affecting valve operation. The same valve can serve a vacuum pickup gripper on a take-out arm and the test chamber on a finished-container leak tester.

Key Benefits:

• Bubble-tight sealing essential for accurate pressure-decay leak testing
• Port pressure independence supports mixed pressure and vacuum on a common manifold
• Low internal volume reduces dead space in sensitive leak detection circuits
• Cycle life exceeding 20 million cycles in standard cold-end applications
• Manifold-ready base mount reduces plumbing leak paths in inspection stations

Typical Applications:

• Vacuum pickup grippers on take-out and palletizing arms
• Pressure-decay and differential-pressure leak testing of finished containers
• Channel-select test manifolds for multi-cavity verification
• Conveyor diverters and reject ejection circuits
• Pneumatic actuation on robotic case packers

Glass plants conduct mold changes, section exchanges, lehr maintenance, conveyor jam clearance, and palletizer servicing constantly. Every one of these tasks requires compliant pneumatic energy isolation under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147, ANSI/ASSE Z244.1, and ISO 14118. ROSS L-O-X (Lockout and Exhaust) valves provide single-point lockout that blocks supply air and rapidly exhausts downstream pressure through a full-size exhaust port. The yellow body and red handle make them instantly identifiable as energy isolation devices, and the design is lockable only in the OFF position, satisfying a core requirement of every major lockout/tagout standard.

For packaging-line OEMs and system integrators, ROSS DM2 Series safety exhaust valves provide control-reliable, monitored energy isolation across packaging zones. The DM2 Series C is internally monitored, redundant, and certified to ISO 13849-1 Category 4 / PLe and SIL 3 per IEC 61508. Combined with EEZ-ON soft-start functionality, these systems prevent the sudden, uncontrolled re-energization that can create new hazards after a maintenance event.

Key Benefits:

• OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147–compliant single-point lockout reducing jam-clearance time
• Full-size exhaust ports for rapid downstream depressurization, exceeding regulatory minimums
• Visual and electronic pressure verification through the integrated sensing port
• Category 4 / PLe redundant safety exhaust on DM2 Series C for packaging-line zones
• EEZ-ON soft-start integration prevents pressure shock during re-energization

Typical Applications:

• Single-point lockout at IS machine sections during mold maintenance
• Conveyor and palletizer zone isolation for jam clearance and changeover
• Carton packer and case sealer energy isolation during sanitation or service
• Robotic palletizer cell entry permits
• Air entry assemblies at the pneumatic supply head of cold-end equipment

Modern container glass plants are well into a digital transformation cycle, deploying plant-wide control, predictive maintenance, and real-time process analytics to drive OEE and reduce scrap. The fluid power layer has historically been a blind spot in this effort. ROSS PV40 Generation 4.0 Proportional Pressure Control Valves close that gap by exposing valve-level data directly to plant systems. Each valve continuously self-monitors performance and external supply conditions, and Modbus RS485 communication allows up to 254 valves on a single IS machine to be integrated into central control and monitoring.

The PV40 reports through 14 distinct LED diagnostic conditions for rapid troubleshooting at the machine, and the dedicated ROSS Diagnostics Tablet provides a real-time interface for monitoring and optimizing critical bottle-forming processes. Production teams identify developing issues before they cause line stoppages, schedule service into planned downtime windows, and document forming-process changes against measured pressure data rather than operator notes.

For plants standardizing on a digital production model, the data exposed by the PV40 platform fits directly into existing MES, SCADA, and historian architectures. Modbus RS485 is widely supported across glass-industry control systems, which avoids custom gateway hardware and shortens integration time. Plants typically begin by collecting raw forming-pressure traces and supply-pressure data into the historian, then layer alarming and trend analytics on top of that data set. Once historical baselines are established, predictive models identify drift signatures that precede valve faults, allowing maintenance to be scheduled into existing changeover windows rather than triggering unplanned section drops. Recipe management is similarly improved: instead of carrying tribal knowledge about which sections require manual regulator tweaking, recipes are stored, reproduced, and versioned digitally, which protects forming consistency through operator changes and shift handoffs. The PV40 also reports external supply-pressure conditions, which allows compressor-room and dryer issues to be correlated to forming defects rather than diagnosed in isolation.

Key Benefits:

• Modbus RS485 integration of up to 254 valves per machine into plant control systems
• Continuous self-monitoring of valve performance and external supply pressure
• Automatic compensation for upstream supply disturbances
• Predictive maintenance alerts on developing valve issues
• LED indication of 14 status conditions for at-the-machine troubleshooting
• ROSS Diagnostics Tablet interface for live forming-process optimization

Typical Applications:

• Plant-wide IS machine forming-pressure monitoring
• Predictive maintenance programs targeting forming-valve health
• Real-time process optimization during job changes and gob-weight adjustments
• Quality investigations correlating wall thickness defects to pressure events
• Energy-efficiency programs tracking compressed air consumption per section

Answer:

Poppet valves provide positive sealing with no sliding action, making them self-cleaning and dirt-tolerant in the extreme heat and particulate-heavy environments of glass plants. Their internal geometry produces high-velocity airflow across the seal and seat that expels contamination on every cycle, and the design self-compensates for seal wear so switching time and flow remain consistent over millions of cycles without manual recalibration. In hot-end service, where ambient air carries glass dust and oxide debris and ambient temperatures can sustain above 200°F, the poppet construction holds performance where standard spool-and-sleeve valves drift out of specification within months.

Answer:

Glass container operations must address an overlapping set of standards. ISO 13849-1 governs safety-related control system performance levels (PLa through PLe) and categories (B through 4). ISO 12100 defines the risk-assessment methodology. ANSI B11.0 sets general machinery safety requirements in the United States. OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147 covers lockout/tagout and the control of hazardous energy. ANSI/ASSE Z244.1-2016 addresses lockout/tagout and alternative protective measures. NFPA 86 governs fuel-fired ovens and furnaces, including forehearths and lehrs. The EU Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC establishes CE marking and conformity requirements for equipment placed on the European market. ROSS products and safety services are designed to support compliance across all of these, and ROSS specialists serve on standards committees that maintain them.

Answer:

The ROSS PV40 Generation 4.0 Proportional Pressure Control Valve uses Modbus RS485 to integrate up to 254 valves per IS machine into plant-wide control and monitoring systems. Each valve continuously self-monitors performance and external supply conditions, automatically compensates for upstream disturbances, and reports through 14 distinct LED diagnostic states for at-the-machine troubleshooting. The dedicated ROSS Diagnostics Tablet provides real-time visualization of forming-process performance, allowing operators and maintenance personnel to optimize critical bottle-forming functions during production. Together these capabilities support predictive maintenance, faster problem diagnosis, data-driven recipe management, and measurable improvements in OEE.

Answer:

Hot-end safety addresses hazards around the forehearth, IS machine, and forming equipment, where temperatures above 1,800°F, restricted access around the section, and sustained ambient heat complicate standard safety solutions. Cold-end safety covers inspection, packaging, palletizing, and conveyor zones where workers interact frequently with automated equipment. Both areas require compliant energy isolation, lockout/tagout, and machine guarding, but hot-end installations often demand high-temperature-rated components and ROSS/FLEX-engineered solutions to fit within IS machine constraints, while cold-end installations more often use standard control-reliable products such as the DM2 Series C in straightforward zone-isolation architectures.

Answer:

ROSS/FLEX is the ROSS rapid custom engineering program that repackages already-validated internal valve components into application-specific configurations. For glass plants this means custom IS machine manifolds, high-temperature variants, cold-end leak-test manifolds, and retrofit energy isolation assemblies designed to exact specifications and delivered in weeks rather than months. Because the internal components are already field-proven and life-cycle qualified, ROSS/FLEX avoids redundant testing, controls cost, and shortens lead time without compromising the reliability data that supports long-term plant operation.

Answer:

ROSS L-O-X valves and DM2 Series C double valves provide single-point lockout that isolates pneumatic energy at the machine, satisfying OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147 requirements. The L-O-X yellow body and red handle deliver instant visual identification, the valve is lockable only in the OFF position, and the full-size exhaust port rapidly vents downstream pressure. Single-point isolation can reduce jam-clearance time by several minutes per incident compared with multi-point isolation procedures while ensuring complete energy isolation. The DM2 Series C extends this capability to control-reliable Category 4 / PLe applications on packaging-line zones, supporting both traditional lockout/tagout and alternative protective measures per ANSI/ASSE Z244.1-2016.

Answer:

IS machines require clean, oil-free, water-free compressed air. Pilot air supply for proportional valve circuits typically calls for approximately 0.5 m³/min of free air at 21°C, with downstream dew points held in the -5°C to -2°C range to prevent condensate from interfering with valve performance. ROSS recommends a minimum 5-micron filter rating for proportional valve service, with finer filtration where local air quality is poor. The FRL Filter Regulator Lubricator Combinations product family provides point-of-use filtration, regulation, and optional lubrication matched to these requirements, and ROSS engineers can audit a plant's air system and recommend improvements during a site visit.

Answer:

Yes. The manufactIS Service Team, part of the ROSS Controls family, provides on-site technical support dedicated to glass container production. Their work covers IS machine designs and modifications, equipment installation and commissioning, repair and preventive maintenance programs, section exchanges and production-line reconfiguration, and integration of new safety functions and Industry 4.0 capabilities. Combined with ROSS Global Glass Specialists and ROSS Global Safety Specialists, the team delivers full-lifecycle technical assistance for both hot-end and cold-end operations, allowing glass manufacturers to access specialized valve and IS machine expertise without maintaining a large in-house engineering staff.