A compressible pillar for the preparation of a vacuum insulated glazing (VIG) unit, having a longitudinal extent in the pre-compressed state and including a deformable part having an open structure, which open structure will at least partially collapse when the pillar is subject to a compression force acting in the longitudinal direction of the pillar, the compression force being of at least one value selected within the range of 60 N to 320 N, the pillar will exhibit a partly irreversible deformation causing a reduction in the longitudinal extent of the pillar when the pillar is subjected to the compression force, so that when the compression force is fully released the pillar will exhibit an expansion in the longitudinal direction of the pillar which is less that the reduction in the longitudinal extent of the pillar. Further is shown a process for manufacturing of a compressible pillar, a method of producing a VIG unit as well as a VIG unit.

A glass panel unit assembly includes: glass substrates; a peripheral wall having a frame shape and disposed between the glass substrates; a partition; an evacuation port; and a plurality of air passages. The partition partitions an internal space into an evacuation space, a ventilation space, and a coupling space. The evacuation port connects the ventilation space to an external environment. The plurality of air passages includes: a first air passage connecting the evacuation space to the coupling space; and a second air passage connecting the coupling space to the ventilation space. The second air passage includes a particular air passage having a larger dimension than any of the first air passage.

The assembling step is a step of preparing an assembly. The setting step is a step of setting a plurality of holder installation areas along an outer peripheral edge of the peripheral wall. The determining step is a step of determining a first area in which the slit and the peripheral wall are not adjacent to each other in the first area and a second area in which the slit and the peripheral wall are adjacent to each other. The installation step is a step of providing a holder in the first area without providing the holder in the second area.

An apparatus for filling insulating glass with gas which has a fixed panel and a movable panel is provided. The fixed panel and the movable panel have respective working surfaces for holding glass panes and are configured to be juxtaposed along a direction perpendicular to the working surfaces to join the glass panes one to the other. The apparatus has closure elements forming a chamber impermeable to fluids between the fixed panel and the movable panel, and suction elements establishing and maintaining a predetermined pressure value inside the chamber.

The method for manufacturing the gas adsorption unit includes a preparation step, an activation step, and a sealing step. The preparation step is a step of wrapping a getter with a package material. The activation step is a step of heating the getter wrapped with the package material to activate the getter. The sealing step is a step of melting the package material by heating the package material so as to seal, with the package material, the getter activated in the activation step.

A method for manufacturing a glass panel unit includes a working step, an assembling step, a bonding step, and a gas exhausting step. The working step includes a getter material making step including obtaining a getter material containing a zeolite and a cerium compound. The assembling step includes preparing an assembly. The bonding step includes melting a peripheral wall to hermetically bond a first glass pane and a second glass pane. The gas exhausting step includes exhausting a gas from an internal space through an exhaust port to turn the internal space into a vacuum space.

A robotic work cell to manufacture insulated glass units including a robotic gripper supported by a robot positioned and structured to lift a first glass lite from a first workstation by applying a robotic gripper to a first surface of the first glass lite; a second workstation including a spacer material applicator structured to apply spacer material to a perimeter of the supported first glass lite presented to the second workstation while supported by the robotic gripper; a third workstation reachable by the robot including a second conveyor; and the third workstation further including an edge sealant applicator; wherein the first workstation, the second workstation and the third workstation are within reach of the robotic gripper as manipulated by the robot

The present invention refers to a Vacuum Insulating Glazing (VIG) able to provide excellent thermal insulation to the transparent components of curtain walling systems in buildings and to cabinets for domestic or commercial refrigerators, and to a process for its manufacture.

High-strength vacuum glass is provided. The vacuum glass includes an air-cooled tempered first glass plate; an air-cooled tempered second glass plate that faces the first glass plate via a depressurized layer; and an outer peripheral sealing portion joining an outer peripheral edge portion of the first glass plate and an outer peripheral edge portion of the second glass plate together so as to seal the depressurized layer. The outer peripheral sealing portion contains solder.

An object is to enable sealing of a peripheral portion of a glass panel with less effort and time. A first metal introduction device 5A is moved from one first corner A at which two sides intersect each other of a pair of rectangular glass plates, toward another end of a first side Vab of the two sides, while performing filling with a metal material. Before the metal material filling the first corner A is solidified, a second metal introduction device 5B is moved from the first corner A toward another end of another second side Vad, while performing filling with a metal material. After the first side Vab and the second side Vad are filled with the metal material, both glass plates are rotated by 180 degrees, and the first metal introduction device 5A is moved toward another end of a fourth side Vcd of two sides intersecting each other at a second corner C diagonal to the first corner A, while performing filling with a metal material. Before the metal material filling the second corner C is solidified, the second metal introduction device 5B is moved from the second corner C toward another end of another third side Vbc, while performing filling with a metal material.