A method for fabricating three-dimensional microstructures is presented. The method includes: disposing a substantially planar reflow material between two molds; heating the reflow material while the reflow material is disposed between the two molds; and reflowing the reflow material towards the bottom surface of one of the molds by creating a pressure gradient across the reflow material. At least one of molds includes geometrics features that help to shape the reflow material and thereby form a complex three-dimensional microstructure.

An apparatus for forming a window of a display panel includes a mold configured to hold a plate in a concave portion, wherein the concave portion has a predetermined shape, and a transfer part configured to sequentially transfer the mold to a heating part, a forming part, and a cooling part. The heating part includes first and second heating modules respectively positioned on top and bottom portions of the mold and configured to apply heat to the top and bottom portions of the mold. The forming part is positioned above the mold and configured to jet a high-temperature gas onto the heated plate. The cooling part includes first and second cooling modules respectively positioned on the top and bottom portions of the mold and configured to cool the top and bottom portions of the heated plate. The mold is tilted at a predetermined angle relative to a horizontal plane.

Disclosed here are a glass forming apparatus and a method of forming a glass. A glass forming apparatus of the present invention includes a transfer unit which moves a material, a preheating unit which preheats the material supplied by the transfer unit, a curved surface forming unit which forms the material in a curved shape, and a cooling unit which cools the material in the curved shape transformed by the curved surface forming unit, wherein the curved surface forming unit includes a moving mold in which a plurality of curved surface-shaped cores configured to seat the preheated material are formed and the moving mold is provided to be movable, a first mold disposed to face the moving mold, a plurality of cavities formed between the moving mold and the first mold, and a pneumatic device which generates a vacuum pressure in the plurality of cavities to adhere the material to the curved surface-shaped cores.

The principles and embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to complexly curved laminates made from a complexly curved substrate and a flat substrate, such as automotive window glazings, and methods of cold forming complexly-curved glass products from a curved substrate and a flat substrate. In one or more embodiments, the laminate includes first complexly-curved glass substrate with a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, a second complexly-curved glass substrate with a third surface and a fourth surface opposite the third surface with a thickness therebetween; and a polymer interlayer affixed to the second convex surface and third surface, wherein the third surface and fourth surface have compressive stress values respectively that differ such that the fourth surface has as compressive stress value that is greater than the compressive stress value of the third surface.

A device for forming a glass includes a housing member, a support member, and an intake member. The housing member includes a first part, at least one suction hole, and a plurality of sidewalls. The first part is substantially parallel to a surface defined by first and second directions. The suction hole is defined in the first part. The sidewalls extend from the first part. The support member is disposed on the first part. The support member includes a first surface configured to support the glass, a second surface overlapping and facing the first surface in a thickness direction, and a plurality of side surfaces configured to connect the first surface to the second surface. Each of first and second side surfaces of the side surfaces face each other and have a curved shape. The intake member is configured to perform an intake operation through the suction hole.

A mold stack for forming 3D glass-based articles includes a plenum and a cooling structure integrated with the plenum. The mold stack includes a mold with a flange that can be used to mount the mold on the plenum. The mold stack includes features to reduce mold warp without significantly increasing thermal mass.

Methods for compensating for the warp exhibited by three-dimensional glass covers as a result of ion exchange strengthening are provided. The methods use a computer-implemented model to predict/estimate changes to a target three-dimensional shape for the 3D glass cover as a result of ion exchange strengthening. The model includes the effects of ion exchange through the edge of the 3D glass cover. In an embodiment, the inverse of the predicted/estimated changes is used to produce a compensated (corrected) mold which produces as-molded parts which when subjected to ion exchange strengthening have shapes closer to the target shape than they would have had if the mold had not been compensated (corrected).

A method of forming a 3D glass article from a glass sheet includes locating the glass sheet on a mold assembly including a mold surface with a 3D surface profile corresponding to that of the 3D glass article. The glass sheet is heated to a forming temperature. The forming temperature is greater than a temperature of the mold surface. The heated glass sheet is forced onto the mold surface by applying a pressurized gas to a first surface of the glass sheet opposite the mold surface to conform the glass sheet to the mold surface with the glass sheet at the forming temperature that is greater than the temperature of the mold surface.

Gyroscopes are sensors that measure angular rate and angular orientation. A three-dimensional fused silica micro shell rate-integrating gyroscope is presented. One aspect of the gyroscope includes the use of optical sensors to detect motion of the resonator. The proposed gyroscope is attractive because it achieves several magnitudes higher accuracy as well as high vibration and shock insensitivity from a novel resonator design as well as other unique manufacturing processes.

A process for forming an article having at least one precision surface is disclosed. The process includes providing a thin sheet in contact with a surface of a mandrel. The process then includes establishing a pressure differential between opposite sides of the thin sheet using a collapsible enclosure so that the thin sheet is drawn onto the mandrel surface, thereby causing the thin sheet to substantially conform to the shape of the mandrel surface. The shaped thin sheet is then secured to a support member to define the article. The article is then removed from the mandrel. The front surface of the thin sheet defines the precision surface of the article. A process for forming a dual-sided precision article is also disclosed, along with an adaptive optical system and method that employs the precision article.