The flame-processing system allows processing of all shapes of glass items: oval, round, angular, flat, as well as for all sizes of glass items. Modular functional stations allow individual adaptation to special applications, production targets and quality requirements. These highly flexible components perform different flame-processing functions and may be integrated into one processing system in order to extend the range of functions available for different production targets. One example to combine different functions for varying design requirements is to include welding, stretching and fire-polishing functions into one processing system for highly flexible stemware lines. Another option is to combine punching and fire-polishing functions into one combi-system.
The functional station equipment is based on modular components, which allow to precisely control all necessary movement, temperature and time parameters and to achieve highest quality standards as well as highly reproducible results.

Functional Stations are:
� fire-polishing of surfaces and handles
� rim-glazing
� burning-off function for removing the top or cap of blown articles
� welding of stemware and architectural glass bricks
� stretching of stems
� twisting of stems in order to achieve complex stem shapes
� punching /fire-cutting of holes

Depending on the task, the roundtable system is either equipped with rotating plates or article holders, onto which the glass items are placed, i.e. for fire-polishing or for pre-heating and forming (punching). It may also be equipped with two article-holders for each station for holding the top and the bottom part of glass items for either separating (burning-off) or joining (welding) the two parts (i.e. blown bowl and pressed stem or foot) or for forming the softened glass (stretching and twisting of stems).
Highly flexible components perform all special functions. The processing cycle - which is based on the temperature of the glass item necessary for processing - can be optimised according to the individual requirements, since the MMC-software allows to achieve an optimal interaction of the servo-motor based table rotation and the performance of each station. The burners as well as the articles can be precisely positioned or moved in each processing step. All movement parameters as well as the tools for forming the softened glass (punching, calibrating etc.) are controlled by the MMC-software. The processing cycle typically includes functions like loading, pre-heating, flame-processing, forming of the softed glass, cooling and/or unloading.

Fire-polishing of surfaces and handles mainly aims at eliminating press seams and at increasing the surface quality. Rim-glazing on the other hand allows to process the top or cap of blown glass items after the cold-cutting process if the glass items are not acid-polished.

There are three principal options for the layout of the fire-polishing system:
First: the glass item is entirely fire-polished by large burners and is moved through one or more fire-polishing stations subsequently until the required result is reached.
Second: each section of the glass item is fire-polished subsequently while manually height-adjustable burner systems cover different zones of the rotating glass item in subsequent stations. A turning device allows to reach all zones equally and a double-headed burner, which moves in and out, allows to fire-polish handles.
Third: a computer-controlled vertical movement of the burner allows to individually adjust the fire-polishing time for each zone of the rotating glass item. If oval or rectangular glass items have to be fire-polished, the servo-motor based table movement, which allows to perform a nearly linear backward and forward movement, may be used to perform a horizontal movement in addition to the article rotation and the vertical movement of the burner system. These synchronized movement parameters allow to follow the contour of the glass item. One or more stations may be equipped with a computer-based height-adjustable burners.
For rim-glazing, the height of the burner is adapted to the height of the glass item and the glazing result is regulated by the fire-polishing time.

The burning-off unit has been designed for removing the top or cap of blown articles. Burning-off the top leaves the rim slightly thicker than the wall, and - given this visual implication - it is generally used for glasses with a safety rim and for glass items which incorporate this rim into their design.

The blown glass item is transferred to the roundtable of the burning-off unit, where the base is held by the upper article holder. A ring-shaped cutting torch burner is closed around the glass item, while the top or cap is gripped by a lower gripping device. The burner heats the glass until the top can be pulled down and the rim can be fire-polished. After cooling, the glass item can be taken out and transferred into the annealing lehr.

The welding process allows two different applications: welding is necessary for joining the (pressed or injected) stem or foot with the blown goblet bowl of stemware. But the welding process also allows to weld more complex shapes such as round, oval or rectangular rims. This process is used for welding architectural glass bricks.

In a completely automatic stemware production line, the bowl (or bowl complete with vacuum-drawn stem) is produced on the blowing machine, while the foot (or pressed foot complete with stem) is produced on a press machine. Both items need to be joined together and this is done by welding. The welding is either done on a separate roundtable system into which the bowl and stem or foot are loaded. Alternatively, the welding can also be done in the welding station which is integrated into the blowing machine. The stem or foot is transferred into the blowing machine from the press machine and is welded to the bowl (complete with stem). A double-headed burner heats both parts at the welding interface surface. When the surfaces reach the correct temperature, the bottom part moves vertically upwards until contact between both surfaces takes place. After cooling, the complete stemware is taken out for annealing. The same system may also be applied for welding glass bricks for architectural use. While the tools (article holders and burner system) vary from the stem-welding system, the processing procedure is basically the same. A special layout for the tools, especially the burner systems, is decisive for the quality of the welding joint.

Depending on the manufacturing process, there are two fields of application for the stretching equipment: For stemware which is produced in one piece already in the blowing machine by squeezing a foot out of the vacuum-drawn stem, the stretching process is necessary to transform the thick and short stem provided by this process into a longer and slimmer stem. For pressed stems or vacuumdrawn stems (with a pressed foot welded onto the stem) special design requirements might make the stretching process necessary in order to achieve even slimmer and higher stems than is possible by pressing or vacuum-drawing.
The stretching equipment also allows to produce twisted stems by applying lacing and winding techniques. Thus the range of designs available in a fully automatc stemware line is essentially extended.

The stem is pre-heated while the top and the base of the glass item are held. The two article holders rotate synchronously. The vertical movement of the lower article holder allows to stretch the stem as soon as the glass is sufficiently heated and soft enough for forming. The softened stem may also be twisted by changing the rotating speed of the lower station.

Flame-processing in combination with mechanical tools allows to punch holes into the hot glass, which is necessary for light-sources, mixing equipment etc.

A cylinder, which performs a vertical movement, punches a hole into the glass item after the glass item has been pre-heated. The part, which will have to be punched out, has been carefully conditioned so that a defined cut is guaranteed. The hole is fire-polished, calibrated and cooled in subsequent processing steps.