Method, apparatus and system for glass bending

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods, apparatuses, and systems for glass bend forming. The method includes obtaining a deviation between an actual shape of a glass and a desired shape of the glass, the glass being made by a glass bend forming process; determining a change to at least one parameter associated with the glass bend forming process based at least in part on the deviation between the actual shape and the desired shape; and adjusting the at least one parameter based on the change to compensate for the deviation.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of glass manufacturing, and more particularly to glass bending forming technology, especially automotive glass bending forming technology. BACKGROUND

[0002] Automotive manufacturers have increasingly stringent requirements for tolerances of glass shapes, thereby requiring glass manufacturers to be able to precisely control process parameters, otherwise can result in a reduction of yield. Currently, the adjustment of the glass forming process is mainly done by means of the experience of engineers or operators. Therefore, this is particularly dependent on the individual situation of the engineers or operators and varies from person to person. In addition, even the best engineers or operators have difficulty in accurately controlling the glass bending forming process. SUMMARY

[0003] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, a method, apparatus and system for glass bending forming are provided.

[0004] In a first aspect, a computer-implemented method for glass bending forming is provided. The method comprises: obtaining a deviation between an actual shape of a glass and a desired shape of the glass, the glass being made by a glass bending forming process; determining a change of at least one parameter associated with the glass bending forming process based at least in part on the deviation between the actual shape and the desired shape; and adjusting the at least one parameter based on the change to compensate for the deviation.

[0005] In a second aspect, a computing device is provided. The device comprises: a processing unit; and a memory coupled to the processing unit and storing instructions which, when executed by the processing unit, cause the computing device to perform the method according to the first aspect.

[0006] In a third aspect, a system for manufacturing glass is provided. The system comprises: a glass bending forming apparatus for applying a glass bending forming process based on at least one parameter to the glass; a measuring apparatus for measuring a deviation between an actual shape of the glass and a desired shape of the glass; and a computing device according to the second aspect, the computing device receiving the deviation from the measuring apparatus and providing the adjusted at least one parameter to the glass bending forming apparatus.

[0007] In a fourth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium storing computer- executable instructions is provided, the computer-executable instructions, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method according to the first aspect.

[0008] In a fifth aspect, a method for manufacturing glass is provided. The method includes applying a glass bending process based on at least one parameter to the glass; measuring a deviation between an actual shape of the glass and a desired shape of the glass; and determining an adjusted at least one parameter by the method of the first aspect.

[0009] It is to be understood that the description in the Summary section is not intended to identify key or essential features of embodiments of the disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent from the following description, which is given by way of example only. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0010] The above and other features, aspects, and advantages of embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

[0011] Figure 1 A flow diagram of a glass manufacturing process is shown in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0012] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a mathematical model is shown in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0013] Figure 3 A flow diagram of a glass bending process is shown in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0014] Figure 4 A block diagram of a computing device capable of implementing some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] The above and other features, aspects, and advantages of embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

[0016] The concepts of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the various example embodiments illustrated in the drawings. It is to be understood that the description of the embodiments is merely intended to provide a better understanding of the disclosure and further enable others skilled in the art to further implement the disclosure, and is not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure in any way. It should be noted that similar or identical reference numerals can be used in the figures where practical and can designate similar or identical elements. Those skilled in the art will understand that alternative embodiments of the structures and / or methods illustrated herein can be employed without departing from the principles and concepts described herein.

[0017] In the context of the present disclosure, the term "comprising" and its various variants are to be understood as open- ended terms that mean "including but not limited to"; the term "based on" is to be understood as "based at least in part on"; the term "one embodiment" is to be understood as "at least one embodiment"; the term "another embodiment" is to be understood as "at least one other embodiment". Other terms that can appear in the specification but are not mentioned here are not to be interpreted or limited in a manner that contradicts the sense of the concepts underlying the embodiments of the present disclosure, unless expressly stated otherwise.

[0018] Figure 1 A flowchart of a glass manufacturing process 100 is shown, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The glass manufacturing process 100 is particularly for the manufacture of automotive glass. Although several specific steps are shown here, it should be understood that one or more steps can be added thereto, removed therefrom, or replaced with other steps, etc. by those skilled in the art without departing from the principles and spirit of the present disclosure.

[0019] At block 102, the rough glass is cut to obtain glass that meets the desired size. Generally speaking, the two-dimensional shape of the cut glass still does not match the required shape. Therefore, at block 104, the above-mentioned glass is die-cut to obtain glass whose two-dimensional shape substantially meets the desired shape. At block 106, the die-cut glass is ground to remove sharp edges. At block 108, the glass is punched to provide one or more holes in the glass for use. At block 110, functional and identifying components such as antennas, trademarks, etc. are printed on the glass. At block 112, the glass is subjected to a bending forming process, and the bending formed glass is tempered. At block 114, various connectors are welded on the glass. At block 116, the glass is subjected to packaging processing.

[0020] The above briefly introduces the glass manufacturing process, in which the bending forming process at block 112 is crucial for whether the finally manufactured glass meets the shape requirements. However, the adjustment of the glass forming process is currently mainly completed by means of the experience of engineers or operators, which is difficult to meet the requirement of precise control.

[0021] The following first introduces the bending forming process of glass. Figure 2 The mathematical model according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is introduced. Figure 2 The basic framework 200 of the mathematical model is shown, in which 202 represents a glass bending forming device, 204 represents the desired position parameters of the glass, and 206 represents the position parameters of the real shape of the glass. In the mathematical model, the process parameters and position parameters required for glass bending forming can be derived from the final three-dimensional shape. For example, the real shape S of the glass is a function of one or more parameters of glass bending forming:

[0022] Sk = S k (Q1, Q2,..., Q n )

[0023] where S k represents the actual shape of the glass, Q i (i = 1...n) are parameters that control the bending of the glass, including position parameters when the glass is loaded and process parameters of the glass thermal bending forming process, and k represents the position number of the glass measurement point.

[0024] In the glass forming process, a small change in the parameters will cause the actual shape of the glass to deviate from the desired shape, which can be represented by the following mathematical expression:

[0025] M k = S k (Q1+ΔQ1,Q2+ΔQ2,...,Q n +ΔQ n )-S k (Q1,Q2,...,Q n )+a(ref)X k +b(ref)Y k +c(ref) (1)

[0026] where M k is the deviation between the actual shape and the desired shape of the glass measured by a measuring device such as a gauge, which includes the deviation S k (Q1+ΔQ1,Q2+ΔQ2,...,Q n +ΔQ n )-S k (Q1,Q2,...,Q n ) between the actual shape and the desired shape of the glass after production, and the correction term a(ref)X k +b(ref)Y k +c(ref) generated by the stud reference position when the glass is placed on the gauge. ΔQ i (i = 1...n) represents the change in each parameter, X k and Y k are the position coordinates of the detection point k on the glass.

[0027] Since the change in ΔQ i is a small change during production, equation (1) can be linearized, i.e.

[0028]

[0029] In some specific embodiments, the deviation of the glass shape is mainly caused by the position parameters during production, and in these embodiments, Q iMore specifically, three parameters are considered: the rotation angle a of the glass at the inlet of the furnace, the translation AX in the X direction of the glass t and the translation AY in the Y direction of the glass t . According to equation (1), the position measurement at M k can be written as follows:

[0030] M k = S(X' k , Y' k ) - S(X k , Y k ) + a (reference position) X k + b (reference position) Y k + c (reference position) + e k

[0031] where M k represents the deviation from the ideal or desired position due to the translation AX t , AY t and the rotation angle a, X' k , Y' k are the coordinates of the point (X k , Y k ) after a small change in the position parameters at the glass loading. It includes the deviation from the desired glass shape plus the correction depending on the stud position (reference position) and the deviation e k due to other process parameters (e.g. tempering air pressure).

[0032] According to the principle described by equation (2), for a given point M k , two quantities can be defined: the slope of the mold surface at the point M k in the x and y directions

[0033]

[0034]

[0035] Expanding S(X' k , Y' k ) - S(X k , Y k ) to first order gives:

[0036]

[0037] X' k - X k = AX t + X k cos a - Y k sin a - X k≈ ΔX t - Y k α

[0038] Y' k - Y k = ΔY t + X k cos α + X k sin α - Y k ≈ ΔY t + X k α

[0039]

[0040]

[0041]

[0042] are the three reference points or stud points (j = 1, 2, 3). It is assumed that the glass is rigid enough to have only three equilibrium points. The equation of the stud plane is defined as follows:

[0043]

[0044] Solving the above equations gives a, b, and c. Note that these coefficients are functions of This can be rewritten as

[0045]

[0046]

[0047]

[0048] The T matrix depends on the position of the studs and the slope of the mold surface at these positions.

[0049]

[0050]

[0051] This equation shows that M k is an affine function of the rotation angle a and the X and Y translations. More specifically, this mathematical model can be represented by the following equation, where the contribution of each parameter is represented.

[0052] M k = R k a + S k ΔX t + V k ΔY t + ε k (6)

[0053] where R k = A k + X k t 11 + Y k t 21 + t 31 denotes a coefficient associated with the influence of the rotation angle, denotes a coefficient associated with the influence of the translation in the X direction, denotes a coefficient associated with the influence of the translation in the Y direction, and ε k denotes a coefficient associated with other parameters and / or a model error.

[0054] Equations (4)-(6) can be applied in a glass production process with mold bending. In the application, the position coordinates of each measurement point and stud on the glass and the slope information at the mold surface can be used to calculate the R k , S k and V k terms in equation (6). The symmetry of the glass model can be used to simplify the calculation.

[0055] For a roller bending process, the general equations (4)-(6) can also be used to calculate the sensitivity of the position measurements to the change in entry angle, α. Since the glass shape is not sensitive to the translation of the glass position with loading in a roller bending process, the influence of the glass translation (i.e., ΔX t = ΔY t = 0) is not considered here, and only the influence of the change in entry angle is considered. In the application, the position coordinates of each measurement point and stud on the glass and the information of the major radius of the glass can be used to calculate the R k term in equation (6).

[0056] After the model coefficients are determined, an optimization function can be established to optimize the production parameters. The optimization function can determine a new set of parameters to minimize the deviation between the desired shape and the actual shape. For example, the optimization function can be denoted as f opt (M k (α), M k_lim ), where M k_lim is the tolerance requirement for the glass shape, f k is smaller if M opt (α, D) is smaller, and f k tends to infinity if |M k_lim (α, D)| > M opt . The new parameters determined by the optimization function will be used in the glass bending process.

[0057] Figure 3A flowchart of a method 300 of glass bend forming according to some embodiments of the disclosure is shown. At block 302, a deviation between an actual shape of the formed glass and a desired shape is measured, which can be achieved by various measuring devices (e.g., gauges).

[0058] At block 304, it is determined whether the deviation is less than a threshold. If it is determined that the deviation is less than the threshold, it indicates that the shape of the glass has met the requirements and production can be made using these process parameters. If the deviation is not less than the threshold, the method 300 proceeds to block 306.

[0059] At block 306, a change in at least one parameter associated with the glass bend forming process is calculated based at least in part on the deviation between the actual shape and the desired shape. For example, the parameter can be at least one positional parameter of the glass at the entrance of the furnace, such as a rotation angle and / or a translation of the glass. In addition, the parameter can also include process parameters in the glass bend forming process, such as temperature, air speed, and / or a dwell time. In some embodiments, after the glass reaches the forming ring, the glass is formed by gravity forming on the forming ring before being press-formed with the upper mold, and the gravity forming time is the dwell time.

[0060] For example, the contribution of each parameter to the deviation can be decoupled to determine the impact of one or more parameters on the deviation (i.e., the sensitivity of the deviation to one or more parameters). Based on the deviation and the impact of one or more parameters on the deviation, a change in the one or more parameters can be determined.

[0061] In some embodiments, the contribution of the one or more parameters to the deviation is represented by a first function of the at least one parameter, and the contribution of the one or more other parameters to the deviation is represented by a second function of the one or more other parameters, and the deviation is a sum of the first function, the second function, and a term independent of the at least one parameter and the one or more parameters. For example, as shown in equation (5), the deviation M k is a sum of a function of the rotation angle, a function of the translation, and a term independent of the rotation angle and the translation.

[0062] In some embodiments, the deviation is an affine function of the at least one parameter and the one or more other parameters. For example, as shown in equation (5), M k is an affine function of the rotation angle a and the X-translation and Y-translation. Thus, the impact of the at least one parameter on the deviation can be determined by determining the coefficients of the affine function with respect to the at least one parameter.

[0063] In some glass bending processes, a mold is applied to the glass to bend the glass. In such embodiments, the influence of the respective parameter or the coefficient of the affine function on the respective parameter can be determined by the reference position used when measuring the deviation (e.g., the position or coordinates of a stud), the slope of the surface of the mold at the reference position, the measurement position used when measuring the deviation, and the slope of the surface of the mold at the measurement position. For example, equation (5) shows the relationship of the individual coefficients to the respective quantities.

[0064] In a roll bending process, the influence of the parameter can be determined by the major radius of the glass, the reference position used when measuring the deviation, the measurement position used when measuring the deviation, and the radius of the roll used in the roll bending process. For example, the influence of at least one parameter can be determined based on only the following variables: the major radius of the glass, the reference position used when measuring the deviation, and the measurement position used when measuring the deviation.

[0065] The bending processes are described above primarily in connection with mathematical models, however, the parameter variations of the bending processes can also be determined by machine learning methods. For example, the relationship between the deviation and the parameters can be established by a machine learning model. In this way, the variation of the parameters can be determined by the machine learning model based on the deviation. The machine learning model can include a neural network model, a support vector machine model, an ensemble decision tree model (random forest and boosting decision tree), etc.

[0066] At block 308, the parameters of the glass bending process are adjusted based on the variation to compensate for the deviation of the shape. For example, the original parameters can be added to the variation to determine the adjusted parameter values.

[0067] At block 310, the glass can be manufactured according to the adjusted parameters. For example, the glass bending process can be applied according to the adjusted parameters. The shaped glass can be provided to block 302 for further evaluation.

[0068] Figure 4 A schematic block diagram of an apparatus 400 that can be used to implement embodiments of the disclosure is shown. As Figure 3 The method 300 shown can be implemented by the apparatus 400. The apparatus 400 can receive the measurement data from the measurement apparatus and calculate the adjusted glass bending parameters based on the measurement data.

[0069] As Figure 4As shown, the device 400 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 401 which can perform various suitable actions and processes in accordance with computer program instructions stored in a read-only memory (ROM) 402 or computer program instructions loaded from a storage unit 408 into a random access memory (RAM) 403. Various programs and data required by the device 400 for operation can also be stored within the RAM 403. The CPU 401, ROM 402, and RAM 403 are connected to each other by a bus 404. An input / output (I / O) interface 405 is also connected to the bus 404.

[0070] Various components in the device 400 are connected to the I / O interface 405, including an input unit 406, such as a keyboard, mouse, etc.; an output unit 407, such as various types of displays, speakers, etc.; a storage unit 408, such as a magnetic disk, optical disk, etc.; and a communication unit 409, such as a network card, modem, wireless communication transceiver, etc. The communication unit 409 allows the device 400 to exchange information / data with other devices through a computer network, such as the Internet, and / or various telecommunication networks.

[0071] The various processes and processes described above, such as the method 300, can be performed by the processing unit 401. For example, in some embodiments, the method 400 can be implemented as a computer software program tangibly embodied in a machine-readable medium, such as the storage unit 408. In some embodiments, part or all of the computer program can be loaded and / or installed on the device 400 via the ROM 402 and / or the communication unit 409. When the computer program is loaded into the RAM 403 and executed by the CPU 401, one or more steps of the method 400 described above can be performed. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the CPU 401 can be configured to perform the method 300 by any other suitable means, such as by means of firmware.

[0072] The present disclosure can be a method, device, system, and / or computer program product. The computer program product can include a computer readable storage medium (or media) having computer readable program instructions thereon for performing various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0073] Computer readable storage media can be tangible storage media which can retain and store instructions for use by an instruction execution device. Computer readable storage media can be, for example, but is not limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of computer readable storage media include the following: a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD), a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such as punch-cards or raised structures in a groove having instructions recorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. A computer readable storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construed as being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagating through a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulses passing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmitted through a wire.

[0074] Computer readable program instructions described herein can be downloaded to respective computing / processing devices from a computer readable storage medium or to an external computer or external storage device via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network and / or a wireless network. The network can comprise copper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wireless transmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and / or edge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in each computing / processing device receives computer readable program instructions from the network and forwards the computer readable program instructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium within the respective computing / processing device.

[0075] Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations of the present disclosure can be assembler instructions, instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state-setting data, or either source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language such as Smalltalk, Python, C++ or the like, and conventional procedural programming languages, such as the "C" programming language or similar programming languages. The computer readable program instructions can execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer can be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection can be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider). In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including, for example, programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or programmable logic array (PLA) can execute the computer readable program instructions by utilizing state information of the computer readable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry, in order to perform aspects of the present disclosure.

[0076] The computer readable program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide processes for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks.

[0077] These computer readable program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructions can also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can include random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other data storage device. When the computer readable program instructions are loaded into the computer and other programmable data processing apparatus, a series of operational steps are implemented that provide processes such that the instructions which operate on the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus provide processes for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks.

[0078] The computer readable program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable data processing apparatus or other device to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device implement the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks.

[0079] The computer readable program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable data processing apparatus or other device to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device implement the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks.

[0080] Embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, and the description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive, of the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations of the disclosed embodiments are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the disclosed embodiments, modifications and variations of the disclosed embodiments can be practiced. It is also to be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the processes disclosed is an illustration of exemplary processes. Based upon the description and illustrations provided herein, those skilled in the art will understand that changes can be made to the order of steps in the processes and that many of the individual steps can be modified or eliminated. Additionally, the description and illustrations provided herein are intended to describe and enable not enable only the particular embodiments, the general principles and the features of the technology.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for glass bending, comprising: Obtain the deviation between the actual shape of the glass and the desired shape of the glass, which is made by a glass bending process; The variation of at least one parameter associated with the glass bending process is determined at least in part based on the deviation between the actual shape and the desired shape; as well as The at least one parameter is adjusted based on the changes to compensate for the deviation. Determining the change includes: determining the effect of the at least one parameter on the deviation by decoupling the contribution of the at least one parameter to the deviation from the contribution of one or more other parameters associated with the glass bending process to the deviation; And the change is determined based on the deviation and the effect of the at least one parameter on the deviation. The glass bending process includes applying a mold to the glass, and the effect of at least one parameter on the deviation is determined based on the following quantities: a reference position used when measuring the deviation, the slope of the mold surface at the reference position, a measurement position used when measuring the deviation, and the slope of the mold surface at the measurement position.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the contribution of the at least one parameter to the deviation is represented by a first function of the at least one parameter, and the contribution of the one or more other parameters to the deviation is represented by a second function of the one or more other parameters, and the deviation is the sum of the first function, the second function, and terms independent of the at least one parameter and the one or more other parameters.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the deviation is an affine function of the at least one parameter and the one or more other parameters, wherein determining the effect of the at least one parameter on the deviation includes: Determine the coefficients of the affine function with respect to the at least one parameter.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one parameter includes at least one position parameter of the glass at the entrance of the heating furnace in the glass bending process.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one position parameter includes at least one of the rotation angle and translation of the glass.

6. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one parameter includes at least one process parameter in the glass bending process, which includes at least one of the following: temperature, wind speed, sinking time.

7. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the relationship between the deviation and the at least one parameter is simulated by a machine learning model, said machine learning model including a neural network model, a support vector machine model, an ensemble decision tree model, and wherein determining the change includes: The machine learning model determines the change based on the deviation.

8. A computing device, comprising: Processing unit; as well as A memory, coupled to the processing unit and storing instructions, which, when executed by the processing unit, cause the computing device to perform the method according to any one of claims 1-7.

9. A system for manufacturing glass, comprising: Glass bending and forming equipment for applying a glass bending and forming process based on at least one parameter to glass; A measuring device for measuring the deviation between the actual shape of the glass and the desired shape of the glass; as well as The computing device of claim 8 receives the deviation from the measuring device and provides the glass bending forming device with the adjusted at least one parameter.

10. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method according to any one of claims 1-7.

11. A method for manufacturing glass, comprising: Applying a glass bending process based on at least one parameter to glass; Measure the deviation between the actual shape of the glass and the desired shape of the glass; as well as The adjusted at least one parameter is determined by the method according to any one of claims 1-7.

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