The story of how
RENITE can help you
improve the quality of
your ware and increase
pack--at less cost!

For over half a century, RENITE Company has played an important part
in helping glass companies all over the world to improve the quality and
reduce the manufacturing cost of their ware through scientific mold
lubrication. Although pressing and blowing glassware is an art many
centuries old, automatic machine production, as we know it today, is a
relatively new development of our century. But even with the most recent
machine innovations, certain basic problems in making glassware continue to exist.

Our theory of what must be done to make good glassware economically in the face of these ever-present problems has never varied, and is proving today as fundamentally sound as it has since we first introduced it.

Throughout the years of our operation we have scientifically developed various kinds of RENITE and different manual or automatic means for applying RENITE to help the forming department make better ware and higher pack at less cost by:

1. Protecting mold surfaces at all times from excessive oxidation which causes "marking or pitting'' of the ware.
2. Helping to establish and to maintain mold surfaces that reduce friction and permit better flow of glass so that jobs will fill and release better.
3. Helping to get more luster and fire polish effects on ware. 4. Helping to prevent glass from sticking to molds, even at higher temperatures.
5. Helping to eliminate crizzles in the ware and to eliminate checks in finish, shoulders or bottoms and to eliminate marks where bottles are subject to laps or washboards or sometimes even blisters or folds.
6. Helping to load difficult jobs without losing so much ware due to dope marks.
7. Helping to reduce extreme thermal cycles so as to eliminate "temperature" defects in ware of all sizes and shapes.
8. Helping to prevent dirty mold equipment.

RENITE'S BASIC RESEARCH

Shortly after our founding, we started two separate research projects. In one of these we set out to determine what was actually being used to lubricate molds. We found that oil was often applied directly or burned in order to soot the surface of the mold. Other operators used beeswax, greases of various kinds, graphite, sulphur, stove polish, rubber hose and many different materials.

In the second project, we conducted chemical and physical research on the nature of surfaces of metal molds and the flow of various glass metals over such surfaces to determine what type or types of mold surfaces or lubricants on these surfaces would produce best results.

To the best of our knowledge, no research or engineering on these subjects had ever previously been undertaken.

Surprisingly, when results of the two projects were analyzed, there was some similarity in the conclusions. In many cases, we found that the same chemicals shown by our scientific research to be theoretically proper for treatment of glass molds were contained to some small degree in many of the dopes and materials used in the industry. The principal difficulty was the fact that these materials were not always present in the right form and quantity. In nearly all cases, either the basic lubricant itself or some of the materials used with it were causing excessive smoking or making molds dirty or proving objectionable in other ways.

As a result of these research studies, RENITE Company brought out the first scientifically developed mold lubricants, along with carefully engineered methods of application. It also prompted RENITE to conduct continuous research and engineering in this field.

NECESSITY FOR CONTROLLING MOLD SURFACES

Experience proves that it is important for surfaces of mold equipment to be protected and maintained uniformly and consistently the same throughout the entire pack, with every piece of ware being made in molds having the same surface conditions and temperatures. It is to accomplish this that RENITE has developed special kinds of scientifically formulated mold lubricants and automatic atomizers or rotating, reciprocating or oscillating equipment to properly and uniformly apply them directly against the surfaces of mold equipment every time a piece of ware is made. This principle applies regardless of whether you are making:

PRESSED WARE

Almost every kind of tableware, kitchenware and pressed ware has been made better, and more economically, with the right kind of RENITE properly applied. There is rarely a case where swabbing is used, and certainly sooting or such methods of treating molds should no longer be used. Molds on almost all jobs can be automatically sprayed in the manner pioneered by RENITE.

When mold equipment on the machine reaches operating temperatures somewhere from 700'F to 1000'F (370'C to 540'C) regardless of whether it has been pre-heated or heated by the glass metal itself, you should immediately establish the gray-black colored RENITE coating. This RENITE surface may already be there if you have pre-coated the equipment with RENITE, as discussed under "Pre-Coating''. If molds were not pre-coated with RENITE, adjust atomizers to spray enough RENITE during several revolutions of the machine to establish the gray-black colored RENITE surface as quickly as possible after molds have reached temperature--then reduce the quantity of RENITE sprayed.

In making ware, each mold should be sprayed with RENITE every revolution of the machine. Use very small amounts--just enough to maintain the gray-black colored coating all over the surface of the mold cavities. This is done (usually with RENITE atomizer equipment) by spraying as directly as possible and as closely as possible to the surface of the mold equipment. Regular, uniform application to mold equipment every cycle of the press is best. If you use too little RENITE and gradually lose the RENITE coating on part of the mold surface, the ware may stick. Even before the ware sticks, there could be pinpoints of mold surface
exposed so that it begins to oxidize and could mark the ware or reduce the mold life. You could use too much RENITE, in which case the ware might show it. If the machine is shut down for a while and then started up, you might get into trouble with the extra RENITE coating peeling off due to the sudden change in tile thermal cycle. In that case, polish the molds with fine steel wool, doing it by hand on the fly. Sometimes doing this each turn helps make the molds shine if they have the gray-black color but no luster. The amount of RENITE used varies with the kind of RENITE, the mold iron, the nature of the glass, the speed of operation, mold temperatures and factors so varied that we cannot establish in this paper a definite quantity for each job. It will take some experience on various jobs to learn just how much to use. But when this has been determined you should get greater
pack, your ware should be better and have more luster, and your mold equipment should last much longer.

BOTTLES and CONTAINERS

The bottle is made in the blank mold to the extent that you certainly cannot expect to pet a good bottle from a bad parison. Proper lubrication of shears and delivery equipment is necessary. The blank mold must be uniformly so lubricated that the gob of glass at the right temperature will load properly, fill completely and produce a parison without marks or defects, and having temperatures so that it can be properly blown to a high-quality finished bottle. The right kind of RENITE, properly applied will help you to accomplish this.

However, do not expect RENITE to be a cure-all for all temperature problems, bad drop, poor blank design, mismatched mold parts and all mechanical shortcomings. Our aim is to help intelligent operators with good equipment to produce better ware, get better pack, and make molds last longer.

Precoatings: Presently, RENITE precoatings (applied before equipment is put in service) can eliminate swabbing or spraying during the start-up period and to either permit lighter swabbing or spraying thereafter, or to allow an increase in the application time cycle of perhaps several-fold. With care, it is possible that the coating will last for the normal length of time the mold equipment is in service. This, however, requires more careful attention to centering and alignment of the gob and to other matters than is normally the case. An operator who bounces the gob off the side of the blank mold to correct distribution may find that the coating will be worn through in a few hours.

Usually, there is an improvement in distribution, particularly during the start-up period, and a reduction in surface defects. Less swabbing or spraying also means cleaner mold equipment and less loss of ware due to lubricant marks. The operator has more time to work on mechanical problems--and needs such time (more than in earlier days) as machines increase in size and complexity. The RENITE precoating is of particular help during the difficult start-up period.

Notes on Swabbing:One of the big troubles with manual swabbing of mold equipment is the fact that too many operators swab too late and then usually put too much in the wrong places. When molds are swabbed too late, there may already be signs of sticking or checking. Or prior to that time, there may be portions or pinpoints on the mold so unprotected that oxidation has begun. Swabbing too much in the wrong places ultimately produces dirty equipment or conditions like bad seams, etc. Swabbing too little may cause faulty ware and oxidation of mold surfaces. Perhaps more mold equipment is damaged from neglect than from too frequent swabbing.

Keep RENITE in clean containers and do not mix any other materials with it. Work the RENITE into the swab and then wring out all excess, so that you always swab the equipment with a relatively dry swab. Swabbing compounds should be applied somewhat Like paint so that the entire cavity surface is covered with RENITE evenly and at regular intervals. Swab the job in rotation with the firing order of the machine. Be sure to swab down into the neck of the blank and every place where RENITE is needed. RENITE will stay where you put it--don't depend upon the glass to move it. In production, the problem of how often to swab or the amount to swab varies somewhat with the temperature of the equipment or the glass and operating conditions on each job. The operator must determine this from his observation of the results of his swabbing and how long it lasts. For this reason we recommend a good light, directed at a location where the operator can best see the equipment and its gray-black color. Many times excessive swabbing becomes necessary if the glass temperature is too high or if the mold equipment is running too hot. It may require more cooling wind and sometimes it becomes necessary to slow the job down one or two bottles to overcome defects. When mold equipment is properly designed and both glass and equipment temperatures are right, you can swab with certain kinds of RENITE that will permit the job to load perfectly and to run for weeks at a time without the molds getting dirty. In some other cases, due to temperature problems, old equipment or difficulties with the type of machine being used, it may be necessary to use another type of RENITE that will help the job to load and to overcome certain difficulties.

There is (to an extent) a trade-off with cleanliness when it is necessary to use a heavier RENITE, but even the heaviest RENITE lubricants are far cleaner and more effective than the homemade mixtures of past years which would pit the molds, build-up, cake, become hard and plug vents. We would like to say that such mixtures are a thing of the past, but even today one finds operators who will make their own mixtures--adding a dab of axle grease, a handful of sulphur and/or graphite and stirring up the mixture in a coffee can. A far better approach is to become acquainted with the scientifically-formulated RENITE lubricants and choose the proper RENITE for the job.

RENITE has developed a series of the finest possible swabbing compounds for blanks, finish molds, bottom plates, plungers and blow molds for various jobs made on machines including the Hartford I.S, and its newest "quad" variations, Heye narrow-neck press-and-blow process machines, as well as Lynch and other types of older machines. We believe that the most practical and economical method of lubricating blank molds, plungers, and neck rings on the Hartford I.S. Machine is (still) by manual swabbing. Manual swabbing is a necessary evil, but it defies replacement. In recent years, Renite has put increasing emphasis on research and development on newer, better and more economical Renite swabbing compounds.

FOR EXTRA PROFIT--REDUCE THE CULLET PILE

When glass companies talk about a profit squeeze, consider the very large percentage of all production that goes into the cullet pile. What can help you turn some of that waste into profit? It is probable there is nothing that can so readily give you extra profit as reducing the percentage going into the cullet pile. And probably no single thing can help so much as the proper automatic lubrication and temperature control of mold equipment, and the protection that RENITE gives to hot-forming glass mold surfaces.

RENITE OFFERS THE ANSWER

RENITE is interested in production issues of your forming or pressing operation affected by shear spray, delivery equipment and mold lubrication. We have the solutions to most of these problems whether it be a common one... or a stickler. And, as new problems arise due to higher speeds, lighter weight ware, new kinds of glass metal, or other changes, we are confident we have the background and expertise to solve them. Give us a call, email or write.

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