Multivariable vertical glass distribution control using soft sensor and methods

A system for controlling vertical glass distribution in glass containers formed from an individual section machine, the individual section machine including:

• a blank mold for forming a stream of parisons from a stream of gobs of glass, a blow mold for forming a stream of glass containers from the stream of parisons, a traversing pyrometer that measures a parison actual temperature of the parisons after the parisons exit the blank mold, the traversing pyrometer measuring the parison actual temperature periodically such that the parison actual temperature of less than all of the parisons that exit the blank mold is measured, and a thermal camera that takes a thermal image of each glass container after the glass container exits the blow mold, the system comprising:
• a vertical glass signature extraction module that extracts a vertical glass distribution signature indicative of actual vertical glass distribution of each glass container from the thermal image of each glass container;
• a parison temperature estimator configured to determine a parison estimated temperature for each vertical glass distribution signature obtained based on the vertical glass distribution signature, a most recently measured parison actual temperature and a parison stretch time, the parison stretch time being the amount of time each parison is permitted to stretch prior to being formed into a glass container;
• a parison temperature summer that compares the parison estimated temperature to a parison set point temperature to determine a parison temperature error;
• and
• a parison temperature control that controls a blank mold contact time based on the parison temperature error, the blank mold contact time being an amount of time each parison remains in contact with the blank mold.