Glass Edge Clamping Device for Overflow Molding Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in substrate glass manufacturing using the overflow technique is the difficulty in maintaining molding quality control, particularly with increased plate width and drawing speed, which leads to issues like hollow edges, misalignment, and sudden thickness changes due to rapid cooling and inward contraction.
Innovation Solution
A clamping device comprising a primary clamping unit and a secondary edge drawing unit is employed to clamp the edges of a substrate glass during molding. The primary clamping unit is arranged above the secondary edge drawing unit, with clamping wheels and cooling wheels respectively used to promote edge bonding and rapid cooling, thereby stabilizing the glass edges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If rapid cooling is applied to the glass plate edges to increase production efficiency, then the drawing speed increases, but the edge portion is prone to hollowing and misalignment due to inward contraction
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is divided into multiple independent cooling zones along the glass plate edge, with each zone controlled by separate cooling air supply. This segmentation allows different cooling rates at different positions, preventing uniform rapid cooling that causes hollowing while maintaining overall production efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the glass plate edge receive differentiated cooling treatment. The cooling air supply is directed to specific locations where cooling is needed, while other regions maintain warmer temperatures to prevent inward contraction and bonding defects. This local quality control ensures edge stability during high-speed drawing.
2Productivity
If the plate width is increased to meet market demand for large-size substrate glass, then the production capacity increases, but the difficulty of molding quality control increases
Solution Approach 1:
The clamping device is divided into multiple clamping units distributed across the widened glass plate. Each clamping unit independently controls the edge at its specific location, ensuring uniform clamping force and temperature distribution across the entire width, thereby maintaining molding quality control despite increased plate width.
Solution Approach 2:
Cooling air ducts are introduced as intermediary elements between the heat source (molten glass) and the environment. These ducts precisely control heat removal at different locations across the wide plate, enabling quality control by mediating the thermal field distribution during the molding process.
3Temperature
If cooling air is applied to cool the glass plate edges, then the cooling efficiency increases, but the cooling air affects the temperature field of the drainage region causing crystallization
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling air supply system is strategically positioned and directed to extract heat only from the glass plate edge regions where cooling is required. The cooling air flow paths are designed to bypass the drainage region, preventing interference with the temperature field stability in that critical area and avoiding crystallization.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates temperature monitoring and control mechanisms that adjust cooling air supply based on real-time temperature field conditions. When the drainage region temperature approaches critical levels, the cooling air supply is automatically modulated to maintain temperature field stability and prevent crystallization while preserving cooling efficiency at the edges.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The proposed solution effectively promotes the bonding of high-temperature glass edges, improves the quality and stability of the glass plate edges, and enhances production stability by controlling edge shrinkage and cooling processes.
Implementation Method 1
introducing cooling air into a cooling air duct to cool edges of the bonded glass plates
Implementation Method 2
clamping wheels of the primary clamping unit and wheels for cooling and edge drawing of the secondary edge drawing unit to clamp the edges of the two sides of the glass plate
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a clamping device at an edge of a substrate glass during molding based on an overflow technique and an operation method thereof. The clamping device comprises a primary clamping unit and a secondary edge drawing unit that are clamped on edges of two sides of a glass plate, respectively. The primary clamping unit is arranged above the secondary edge drawing unit and is closer to a guide plate than the secondary edge drawing unit. The operation method comprises during the molding of the glass plate, enabling clamping wheels of the primary clamping unit and wheels for cooling and edge drawing of the secondary edge drawing unit to clamp the edges of the two sides of the glass plate to make liquid glass at the edges merge and bond together to obtain a bonded glass plate; and introducing cooling air to cool edges of the bonded glass plate.