Precision glass roll forming process and apparatus

• Main Authors: THOMAS JOHN CHRISTOPHER, LAKOTA ALEXANDER, SCHULTES JOEL ANDREW, LOCK WILLIAM EDWARD
• Format: Patent
• Language: Chinese; English
• Published: 26.02.2014
• Subjects: CHEMISTRY; GLASS; MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES; METALLURGY; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL

A process and apparatus for precision glass roll forming includes a glass feed device for supplying a supplied stream of molten glass at a glass temperature of 1000 DEG C or higher. A pair of hot forming rolls maintained at a surface temperature of about 500 DEG C or higher or about 600 DEG C or higher located vertically below the glass feed device receives the supplied stream of molten glass and thins the supplied stream of molten glass to form a formed ribbon of glass having a thickness near a desired thickness. A pair of cold sizing rolls maintained at a surface temperature of from about 400 DEG C or lower, about 300 DEG C or lower, or about 200 DEG C or lower are located vertically below the forming rolls receives the formed ribbon of glass and thins the formed ribbon of molten glass to produce a sized ribbon of glass having a desired thickness and a desired thickness uniformity. The thickness of the sized ribbon of glass varies by no more than +/- 0.025 mm. The sized ribbon of glass produced by the sizin