Glass tube cleaning and cutting system and method for same

A glass tube cleaning and cutting system, comprising:

• a cutting device comprising a first cutting blade that is configured to impose thermal shock and scratches on an outer circumference surface of an end portion of a glass tube to cut the end portion of the glass tube and a second cutting blade that is configured to impose thermal shock and scratches on an outer circumference surface of an other end portion, that is opposite to the end portion, of the glass tube to cut the other end portion of the glass tube while the cutting device rotates the glass tube about a tube axis of the glass tube and conveys the glass tube in a direction transverse to the tube axis;
• a first blower disposed at a first location opposing the first cutting blade to interpose the glass tube between the first blower and the first cutting blade, the first blower being configured to blow air into an opening located at the other end portion of the glass tube while the glass tube is interposed between the first blower and the first cutting blade;
• and
• a second blower provided on a more downstream side of the conveying glass tube than the first cutting blade and disposed at a second location opposing the second cutting blade to interpose the glass tube between the second blower and the second cutting blade, the second blower being configured to blow air into an opening located at the end portion of the glass tube that has been cut by the first cutting blade while the glass tube is interposed between the second blower and the second cutting blade.

A method for cleaning and cutting a glass tube, comprising:

• a first blowing operation of blowing air into an opening located at a first end portion of the glass tube;
• a first cutting operation of imposing thermal shock and scratches on an outer circumference surface of a second end portion of the glass tube to cut the second end portion of the glass tube while performing the first blowing operation;
• a second blowing operation of blowing air into an opening located at the second end portion of the glass tube that has been cut by the first cutting operation;
• and
• a second cutting operation of imposing thermal shock and scratches on an outer circumference of the first end portion of the glass tube to cut the first end portion of the glass tube while performing the second blowing operation;
• the first and second cutting being performed while rotating the glass tube about a shaft center of the glass tube and conveying the glass tube in a direction transverse to a tube axis of the glass tube.