Vacuum Chuck Flattening of Glass and Ceramic Thin Sheets
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current continuously fired ceramic (CFC) processes produce glass or ceramic thin sheets with areas of local curvature, leading to wrinkles that complicate downstream processing and require additional flattening steps, which are time-consuming and costly.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the application of a force to the glass or ceramic article at or above its creep temperature, followed by cooling while maintaining the force, using a vacuum chuck with specific porosity and pore size, to flatten the sheets in situ, eliminating the need for separate creep flattening processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional CFC processes are used to form glass or ceramic thin sheets, then the sheets can be produced continuously, but the sheets develop areas of local curvature and wrinkles that require additional flattening steps
Solution Approach 1:
The vacuum chuck applies a holding force to the green body during the binder burnout and sintering processes, before the material reaches its final state. This preliminary action prevents the formation of wrinkles and curvature during processing, eliminating the need for subsequent flattening steps while maintaining continuous production capability
2Manufacturing precision
If additional flattening steps are added to correct wrinkles and curvature, then the flatness of the sheets improves, but the processing time increases from seconds to hours
Solution Approach 1:
The vacuum chuck maintains a holding force throughout the entire processing sequence, performing the flattening action preliminarily during binder burnout and sintering rather than requiring separate post-processing steps. This eliminates time-consuming additional flattening operations while achieving the required flatness
3Force
If a vacuum chuck with high porosity is used to apply force to the green body, then the force can be effectively transmitted through the porous material, but the structural integrity of the chuck may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The vacuum chuck is constructed from porous material with controlled porosity characteristics that enable effective vacuum transmission and force application to the green body while maintaining sufficient structural integrity. The porous structure allows vacuum forces to penetrate and act uniformly on the workpiece without compromising the chuck's mechanical strength
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
This method significantly reduces processing time from hours to seconds, achieving flatness of less than 15 μm/in2 and surface roughness of 0.5 to 15.0 μm, improving the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of forming flat glass or ceramic thin sheets.
Implementation Method 1
drawing a vacuum through the vacuum chuck
Implementation Method 2
drawing a vacuum through the vacuum chuck
Implementation Method 3
at a temperature that is greater than or equal to a creep temperature of the glass or ceramic article
Data Source
AI summary
A method for finishing a glass or ceramic article includes applying a force to the glass or ceramic article. The force is applied to the glass or ceramic article at least when the glass or ceramic article is at a temperature that is greater than or equal to a creep temperature of the glass or ceramic article. Holding the force to the glass or ceramic article as the glass or ceramic article is cooled to a temperature that is less than the creep temperature of the glass or ceramic article.