It was the first day of my industrial training and today we were to visit the bulb
manufacturing plant...
The first attempts at using electric light were made by English chemist Sir Humphry Davy. In 1802, Davy showed that electric currents could heat thin strips of metal to white heat, thus producing light. This was the beginning of incandescent (defined as glowing with intense heat) electric light.
Now for the actual process...
In the high-speed manufacture of incandescent bulbs on the Corning ribbon machine (Tooley, 1971), glass flows from the furnace fore hearth between two rotating, water-cooled, rollers and onto the Ribbon machine as a horizontal ribbon of glass. This ribbon travels between two belts - the top belt consisting of a series of blowing heads and the bottom belt consisting of a corresponding series of moulds.
As the belts and the glass ribbon pass through the belts, the glass is blown by the blowheads on the top belt into the moulds on the lower belt which have been sprayed with water and are rotating. As the glass is blown into the mould a 'blister' forms into bulb envelope. The steam cushion formed between the glass and the mould leaves the bulb with a polished surface whilst the rotation eliminates mould seams. The shaped bulb is release from its mould, cooled by air jets and then finally tapped off (or cracked) from the ribbon and dropped onto an annealing conveyor. This carries it through an annealing and air cooling. After the filament and stem assembly are inserted into the bulb, the air inside the bulb is evacuated and an argon/nitrogen mixture is pumped in. Finally, the base is sealed on.
The inside of the bulb is coated with silica to remove the glare caused by a glowing, uncovered filament. The company emblem and bulb wattage are then stamped onto the outside top of each casing. The bulbs undergo rigorous testing.
Compact Fluorescent light bulbs, also known as CFLs, are an eco friendly alternative to standard incandescent light bulbs. CFLs can be screwed into the same sockets as other light bulbs and provide very comparable lighting. CFLs are easily recognizable due to their distinct twisting shape. These “green” light bulbs have a host of benefits that can help improve the planet, our home and finances. One of the greatest benefits of compact fluorescent light bulbs is their energy efficiency. A CFL uses 50 to 80 percent less energy than other light bulbs.
We spent the evening at the plant. The experience was thought provoking
and I have penned down from the notes I had taken. I learnt how machines
brighten up our lives...
The first attempts at using electric light were made by English chemist Sir Humphry Davy. In 1802, Davy showed that electric currents could heat thin strips of metal to white heat, thus producing light. This was the beginning of incandescent (defined as glowing with intense heat) electric light.
Now for the actual process...
In the high-speed manufacture of incandescent bulbs on the Corning ribbon machine (Tooley, 1971), glass flows from the furnace fore hearth between two rotating, water-cooled, rollers and onto the Ribbon machine as a horizontal ribbon of glass. This ribbon travels between two belts - the top belt consisting of a series of blowing heads and the bottom belt consisting of a corresponding series of moulds.
As the belts and the glass ribbon pass through the belts, the glass is blown by the blowheads on the top belt into the moulds on the lower belt which have been sprayed with water and are rotating. As the glass is blown into the mould a 'blister' forms into bulb envelope. The steam cushion formed between the glass and the mould leaves the bulb with a polished surface whilst the rotation eliminates mould seams. The shaped bulb is release from its mould, cooled by air jets and then finally tapped off (or cracked) from the ribbon and dropped onto an annealing conveyor. This carries it through an annealing and air cooling. After the filament and stem assembly are inserted into the bulb, the air inside the bulb is evacuated and an argon/nitrogen mixture is pumped in. Finally, the base is sealed on.
The inside of the bulb is coated with silica to remove the glare caused by a glowing, uncovered filament. The company emblem and bulb wattage are then stamped onto the outside top of each casing. The bulbs undergo rigorous testing.
Compact Fluorescent light bulbs, also known as CFLs, are an eco friendly alternative to standard incandescent light bulbs. CFLs can be screwed into the same sockets as other light bulbs and provide very comparable lighting. CFLs are easily recognizable due to their distinct twisting shape. These “green” light bulbs have a host of benefits that can help improve the planet, our home and finances. One of the greatest benefits of compact fluorescent light bulbs is their energy efficiency. A CFL uses 50 to 80 percent less energy than other light bulbs.
We spent the evening at the plant. The experience was thought provoking
and I have penned down from the notes I had taken. I learnt how machines
brighten up our lives...
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