Glass Processes

Glass Processes

1. Roll Forming

   • The continuous bending of a long strip of sheet metal.
   • 1.- The strip passed through sets of rolls mounted on consecutive stands.
   • 2.- Each set performing only an incremental part of the bend, until the desired cross-section (profile) is obtained.
   • Ideal for producing constant-profile parts with long lengths and in large quantities.

2. Glass Blowing by Hand

   • 1.- The blowing of short puffs of air into a molten portion of glass called a '"gather" which has been spooled at one end of the blowpipe.
   • 2.- The effect of forming an elastic skin on the interior of the glass blob that matches the exterior skin caused by the removal of heat from the furnace.
   • 3.- The glassworker can then quickly inflate the molten glass to a coherent blob and work it into a desired shape.

3. Lampworking Glass Tube

   • 1.- A torch or lamp is primarily used to melt the glass.
   • 2.- Once in a molten state, the glass is formed by blowing and shaping with tools and hand movements.

4. Glass Blow and Blow Molding

   • 1.- Melting down the plastic and forming it into a parison.
   • 2.- The parison is then clamped into a mold and air is blown into it.
   • 3.- The air pressure then pushes the plastic out to match the mold.
   • 4.- Once the plastic has cooled and hardened the mold opens up and the part is ejected.

5. Glass Press and Blow Molding

   • 1.- The gob is guided into a blank mould.
   • 2.- A baffle seals the top of the blank mould.
   • 3.- A plunger rises and presses the gob into the shape of the neck and the blank mould.
   • 4.- The mould opens and the partially formed container is released and inverted through 180 degrees.
   • 5.- The container is transferred to the blow mould.
   • 6.- Air is injected to blow the container into shape.
   • 7.- Finished container.

6. Slumping Glass

   • 1.- When an item is being slumped in a kiln, the mold over which it is being formed (which can be made of either ceramic, sand or metal) must be coated with a release agent that will stop the molten glass from sticking to the mold.
   • 2.- The glass is cut to the shape of the mold (but slightly larger to allow for shrinkage) and placed on top of it, before the kiln is heated.
   • 3.- The stages of the firing can be varied but typically start to climb at quite a rapid rate until the heat places the glass in an "orange state" , that it means flexible.
   • 4.- At that point, gravity will allow the glass to slump into the mold and the temperature is held at a constant for a period that is known as the "soak".
   • 5.- The kiln is allowed to cool slowly so that the slumped glass can anneal and be removed from the kiln.

7. Pressing Glass

   • 1.- The glass drop is deposited in a mould which shapes the outer form of the product.
   • 2.- A central plunger stamps out its inner volume.
   • 3.- The item is then cooled in air and removed from the mould.
   • 4.- The item is burnt to get rid of small defects and make the glass smooth and shiny.

8. Sintering

   • 1.- A heat treatment is apply to a powder compact in order to impart strength and integrity.
   • 2.- The temperature used for sintering is below the melting point of the major constituent of the Powder Metallurgy material.
   • 3.- After compaction, neighbouring powder particles are held together by cold welds.
   • The three stages of solid state sintering

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