Provided is a float glass manufacturing apparatus comprising a float bath configured to accommodate molten metal and to allow a glass ribbon to flow on a liquid surface of the molten metal in a first direction; a ceiling unit spaced upward apart from the float bath and elongated in the first direction; and a cooling module in at least a part of an entire region of the ceiling unit and configured to supply downward a cooling gas that cools the glass ribbon.

Device for manipulating the edge of a ribbon of glass comprising a wheel, and float glass installation comprising such a device. A device for manipulating the edge of a ribbon of pasty glass travelling on a bath of liquid in a float chamber, comprising a wheel (1) positioned at a distal end of a barrel (2), the wheel (1) being turned about its own axis, this axis being concurrent with the longitudinal geometric axis of the barrel and making therewith a permanent fix angle determined by design, the barrel (2) having a possibility for adjustment in rotation about its longitudinal axis, and installation comprising such a device.

A controller, process, and glass manufacturing apparatus can be configured to minimize defects. Embodiments can be adapted to control injection of nitrogen and/or argon and a mixture of nitrogen and hydrogen or nitrogen, hydrogen, and argon during glass float manufacturing to facilitate a pre-selected hydrogen concentration within a tin bath furnace while also minimizing glass surface defects that can be caused from tin condensation and tin bath impurity concentrations. Empirical use data can also be collected and provided to a pre-defined machine learning element of a host device to update a pre-defined control scheme of a controller for adapting the operational condition set points or other target values to account for furnace operation history and performance.

A glass substrate comprising a rectangular glass sheet having a first main surface and a second main surface opposite the first main surface, the glass substrate having a first side and a second side which are adjacent to each other in a view along a thickness direction of the glass sheet, in which a thickness tolerance is less than 6.26 m in a first cross section which is a cross section in the thickness direction of the glass sheet along a straight line parallel to the first side, the thickness tolerance being a difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the thickness of the glass sheet.

Glass production process whereby at least part of a reducing gas composition (100) introduced into a float chamber (4) receiving molten glass (3) from a melting chamber heated by combustion of fuel (27) with oxidant (28), is preheated by heat exchange with fumes (25) evacuated from a melting furnace (2) before said part of the reducing gas composition (100) is introduced in the float chamber (4) and installation for use in said glass production process.

Glass production process whereby at least part of a reducing gas composition (100) introduced into a float chamber (4) receiving molten glass (3) from a melting chamber heated by combustion of fuel (27) with oxidant (28), is preheated by heat exchange with fumes (25) evacuated from a melting furnace (2) before said part of the reducing gas composition (100) is introduced in the float chamber (4) and installation for use in said glass production process.

Device for manipulating the edge of a ribbon of glass comprising a wheel, and float glass installation comprising such a device. A device for manipulating the edge of a ribbon of pasty glass travelling on a bath of liquid in a float chamber, comprising a wheel (1) positioned at a distal end of a barrel (2), the wheel (1) being turned about its own axis, this axis being concurrent with the longitudinal geometric axis of the barrel and making therewith a permanent fix angle determined by design, the barrel (2) having a possibility for adjustment in rotation about its longitudinal axis, and installation comprising such a device.

A method of controlling defects in a glass product produced in a tin bath furnace includes measuring at least one parameter of an atmosphere associated with the tin bath furnace, wherein the parameter is selected from the group consisting of dew point and density, correlating the measured parameter with defects in the glass product, and controlling the measured parameter in a direction corresponding to decreased defects in the glass product by controlling a flow rate of a process gas relative to the furnace wherein the process gas includes one or more of hydrogen and nitrogen.

A method of controlling defects in a glass product produced in a tin bath furnace includes measuring at least one parameter of an atmosphere associated with the tin bath furnace, wherein the parameter is selected from the group consisting of dew point and density, correlating the measured parameter with defects in the glass product, and controlling the measured parameter in a direction corresponding to decreased defects in the glass product by controlling a flow rate of a process gas relative to the furnace wherein the process gas includes one or more of hydrogen and nitrogen.

A controller, process, and glass manufacturing apparatus can be configured to minimize defects. Embodiments can be adapted to control injection of nitrogen and/or argon and a mixture of nitrogen and hydrogen or nitrogen, hydrogen, and argon during glass float manufacturing to facilitate a pre-selected hydrogen concentration within a tin bath furnace while also minimizing glass surface defects that can be caused from tin condensation and tin bath impurity concentrations. Empirical use data can also be collected and provided to a pre-defined machine learning element of a host device to update a pre-defined control scheme of a controller for adapting the operational condition set points or other target values to account for furnace operation history and performance.