Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 6.7: The principles of the production of machine glass. Source: Saten 1980
Machine glass
Figure 6.7 shows the production process for machine glass. The glass mass is
cooled to 950°C to become a little tougher. It is then drawn through a flat nozzle
out of the kiln and vertically up between a set of asbestos rolls in a cooling shaft
about 12 m long. At the end of the shaft the glass is cut into the required lengths
and slowly cooled.
Float glass
Instead of pulling up the glass substance vertically it is poured out over a bath of
floating tin. This produces a totally flat sheet which it is cut and cooled. This is
the method used by most glass manufacturers today.
