A method and apparatus for fabrication of mirror facesheets that uses a hot thermal forming process, or slumping. Rather than relying on an accurate negative form to slump the glass into, the glass is allowed to slump freely within a support ring that is outside the final required optical diameter of the shell. Such an approach allows for creation of shells over a variety of radii of curvature, simply by changing details of the heating process. However, to create an approximately parabolic shape, an additional force is required. The expected deformation can be modeled to show that a top weight with a given force just outside the optical diameter creates close to the desired shape. Experimental verification has been demonstrated for shells 120 mm in diameter. The forming fixtures and processes can be optimized and scaled to larger facesheets needed for upcoming ASM's.

A device for bending glass panes, includes a lower press-bending mould with a frame-shaped contact surface, an upper press-bending mould arranged opposite the contact surface, wherein the lower press-bending mould and the upper press-bending mould are suitable for reshaping a glass pane situated therebetween by pressing, wherein the side edge of the glass pane rests on the contact surface along a contact line, wherein during pressing, the contact line migrates from a first contact line all the way to a pressing line, and wherein the contact surface between the first contact line and the pressing line is convexly curved.

A system and process for forming a curved glass laminate article is provided. The process and system utilizes a separation material, such as solid lubricating material and/or a spray applied separation material that Applicant has determined reduces bending dot formation during co-sagging shaping of glass sheets. The bending dot reduction provided by the separation materials discussed herein is particularly seen when the pair of glass sheets have significantly different thicknesses and/or viscosities from each other.

A device for bending sheets of glass, includes conveying rollers that convey the sheets one after another in a longitudinal direction, carrying them under an upper bending die and onto a receiving surface formed by the upper level of the rollers under the die. The device includes an intermediate support including a contact path for supporting the sheet of glass to be pressed lying under the die. The contact path has, parallel to the edge of the sheet to be pressed, a curvature that is less accentuated than the curvature that is to be imparted by the upper die. The intermediate support can rise above the receiving surface and support the sheet to be pressed until the sheet breaks contact with the rollers. The intermediate support can be lowered down below the receiving surface. A sheet-pressing system can press the periphery of the sheet against the upper bending die.

An automotive laminated glass includes a thermoplastic interlayer film, a curved first glass sheet, and a curved second glass sheet. The thermoplastic interlayer film is disposed between the first and second glass sheets. The first glass sheet is a 0.7- to 3-mm thick non-chemically strengthened glass sheet including a convex-side first main surface and a concave-side second main surface facing the thermoplastic interlayer film. The second glass sheet is an ion-exchanged, 0.3- to 1.5-mm thick chemically strengthened glass sheet including a convex-side third main surface facing the thermoplastic interlayer film and a concave-side fourth main surface. The second glass sheet is thinner than the first glass sheet. The convex-side third main surface has a compressive stress layer thicker than that on the concave-side fourth main surface, and the second glass sheet is adjusted to fit the curvature of the first glass sheet.

A device for picking up, shaping, and placing a thin glass pane, includes a frame with an upper side and a lower side, which is suitable to be directed at a glass pane with a thickness of less than 1 mm, and which is provided with a plurality of picking up pins that are arranged substantially parallel to one another and whose end directed at the glass pane is equipped with a suction cup, wherein the picking up pins are movable along their direction of extension independent of one another in order to adapt the arrangement of the suction cups to an intended shape of the glass pane.

A laminated glazing comprising a first ply of glazing material and a second ply of glazing material joined by at least one ply of adhesive interlayer material is disclosed. The first ply of glazing material comprises a sheet of glass having a first composition and the second ply of glazing material comprises a sheet of glass having a second composition different to the first composition. The laminated glazing has (i) a peripheral region extending around the periphery of the laminated glazing, the laminated glazing having a surface compression stress in the peripheral region and (ii) an edge compression, wherein the magnitude of edge compression is greater than the magnitude of the surface compression stress in the peripheral region. A method of making such a laminated is provided. A glass sheet suitable for being incorporated in such a laminated glazing is also disclosed.

A bending tool for bending at least one glass pane by means of suction, comprising a frame-like convex contact surface and a cover having a peripheral air guide plate that surrounds the contact surface at least in regions is described. The bending tool is suitable for generating a first, reduced pressure in a first pressure region between the air guide plate and the contact surface; a second reduced pressure in a second pressure region. The second pressure is less than the first pressure; and a third pressure in a third pressure region, wherein the third pressure is greater than the first pressure.

Methods and systems are provided for automated shaping of a glass sheet. The methods comprise preheating the glass, bending the glass through selective, and focused beam heating through the use of an ultra-high frequency, high-power electromagnetic wave, and computer implemented processes utilizing thermal and shape (positional) data obtained in real-time, and cooling the glass sheet to produce a glass sheet suitable for use in air and space vehicles.

Apparatus and methods for bending thin glass sheets are described. The methods and apparatus described include positioning an auxiliary heater between a furnace and an entrance to glass bending station and/or positioning a downstream auxiliary heater between a glass bending station and a quench station. Also described are apparatus and methods for bending thin glass sheets by compensating for heat loss and maintaining the glass viscosity within a workable range for the bending or forming operation. Auxiliary heating elements can be placed in locations that would otherwise provide for excessive heat loss.