A method of making a vacuum insulating panel, where the vacuum insulating panel may include a first glass substrate, a second glass substrate, a plurality of spacers provided in a gap between at least the first and second glass substrates, and a seal provided at least partially between at least the first and second glass substrates, wherein the seal may comprise a first seal layer and/or a second seal layer. The method may include at least one of: providing first seal material for the first seal layer at a location at least partially between at least the first and second glass substrates; pre-heating so as to cause at least one of (a) at least one of the glass substrates, (b) the second seal layer, and/or (c) the first seal material, to reach a pre-heat temperature; after said pre-heating, laser heating the first seal material in order to fire and/or sinter the first seal material and form the first seal layer in a manner so that the first seal layer may have a density of from about 2.8-4.0 g/cm.sup.3, wherein said laser heating may cause at least one of the first seal material and/or the second seal layer to reach a temperature above the melting point (Tm) of the first seal material for no more than about 5 seconds; and after forming the first seal layer, evacuating the gap to a pressure less than atmospheric pressure.

A method of making a vacuum insulating panel, the vacuum insulating panel including a first glass substrate, a second glass substrate, a plurality of spacers provided in a gap between at least the first and second glass substrates, and a seal provided between at least the first and second glass substrates, the seal comprising a first seal layer. The method may include: providing first seal material for the first seal layer in a location at least partially between at least the first and second glass substrates; laser heating, using a laser beam from a continuous wave near-IR laser, the first seal material in order to form the first seal layer; wherein said laser heating may comprise using the laser beam, having a size of from about 2-15 mm, so that the laser beam at least partially passes through at least one of the glass substrates to fire and/or sinter the first seal material thereby forming the first seal layer, in a manner so that the first seal layer a density of from about 2.8-4.0 g/cm.sup.3; and after forming the first seal layer, evacuating the gap to a pressure less than atmospheric pressure.

The present disclosure relates to a method of producing a vacuum insulated glazing (VIG) unit, a VIG unit produced by means of the method and a bonded assembly for providing to an evacuation hole in a glass pane of a VIG unit, where an evacuation tube has an outer diameter (Dtube) which is less that the smallest internal diameter of the evacuation hole, the method including providing a support a supporting structure over an evacuation hole in a glass pane of the VIG unit, and a proximal end of the evacuation tube rests on the supporting structure so that the position of the evacuation tube in the direction perpendicular to the outer surface of the first pane is defined by the supporting structure, and so that the proximal opening of the evacuation tube is in correspondence with the evacuation hole.

Provided is a vacuum insulation glass panel assembly manufacturing method and apparatus. The vacuum insulation glass panel assembly manufacturing method includes an edge sealing step of sealing an edge of a glass panel assembly of glass panels spaced apart at a predetermined interval, and an exhaust port sealing step of causing a lid member to seal an exhaust port of the glass panel assembly formed so as to communicate with a space between the glass panels whose edges are sealed. A glass solder having a high melting point is used in the edge sealing step, and a glass solder having a low melting point is used in the exhaust port sealing step. A specially designed lid member closing device is used for exhaust port sealing.

Certain example embodiments relate to seals for glass articles. Certain example embodiments relate to a composition used for sealing an insulted glass unit. In certain example embodiments the composition includes vanadium oxide, barium oxide, zinc oxide, and at least one additional additive. For instance, another additive that is a different metal oxide or different metal chloride may be provided. In certain example embodiments, a composition may be combined with a binder solution that substantially or completely burns out by the time the composition is melted. In certain example embodiments, a CTE filler is included with a frit material. In certain example embodiments, a vacuum insulated glass unit includes first and second glass substrates that are sealed together with a seal that includes the above-described composition.

A glass panel unit according to an example of the present disclosure includes a first glass panel and a second glass panel disposed to face the first glass panel. The glass panel unit includes: a seal having frame shape and hermetically binding the first glass panel and the second glass panel together; and a depressurized space surrounded by the first glass panel, the second glass panel, and the seal. The glass panel unit includes spacers between the first glass panel and the second glass panel. The spacers include a macromolecular resin material including molecular chains. Of the molecular chains, the number of molecular chains oriented in an orthogonal direction is larger than the number of molecular chains oriented in a counter direction. The orthogonal direction is a direction orthogonal to the counter direction, which is a direction in which the first and second glass panels face each other.

Certain example embodiments relate to vacuum insulating glass units having pump-out hole seals formed in connection with solder alloys that, when reactively reflowed, wet pre-coated metallic coatings, and/or associated methods. The alloys may be based on materials that form seals at temperatures that will not de-temper glass and/or decompose a laminate, and/or remain hermetic and lack porous structures in their bulks. SAC, InAg, and/or other preform materials may be used in different example embodiments.

Methods of making a vacuum insulating glass (VIG) window unit, including edge sealing techniques relating to the same, are provided. Certain example embodiments relate to providing an infrared (IR) absorbing element(s) such as a clip or clamp proximate an edge portion of a VIG assembly during formation of an edge seal. The IR absorbing element(s) absorb applied IR radiation and heat up during an edge seal formation process. Because the IR absorbing element(s) is/are thermally conductive and in contact with at least one of the glass substrates the element(s) causes/cause heat to be transferred from the element(s) to the adjacent glass substrate(s) and to the adjacent edge seal material thereby helping the edge seal material to heat up faster during the edge seal formation process and keeping other areas of glass at lower temperatures.

A glass panel unit having an inner space at a reduced pressure and a building component including such a glass panel unit are provided such that no traces of an exhaust pipe are left on their outer surface. To achieve this, a glass panel unit manufacturing method includes a bonding step, a pressure reducing step, and a sealing step. The bonding step includes bonding together a first substrate (10) and a second substrate (20) with a first sealant (410) to create an inner space (510). The pressure reducing step includes producing a reduced pressure in the inner space (510) through an exhaust port (50) that the first substrate (10) has. The sealing step includes melting a second sealant (420) inserted into the exhaust port (50) by locally heating the second sealant (420), and deforming the second sealant (420) by pressing the second sealant (420) toward the second substrate (20), to seal the exhaust port (50) up with the second sealant (420) melted and deformed. A glass panel unit manufacturing method includes a bonding step, a pressure reducing step, and a sealing step. The bonding step includes bonding together a first substrate and a second substrate with a first sealant to create an inner space. The pressure reducing step includes producing a reduced pressure in the inner space through an exhaust port that the first substrate has. The sealing step includes melting a second sealant inserted into the exhaust port by locally heating the second sealant, and deforming the second sealant by pressing the second sealant toward the second substrate, to seal the exhaust port up with the second sealant melted and deformed.

An object of the present invention is to provide a multi-layer glass with high degree of vacuum and high mass productivity. In order to achieve the object, the multi-layer glass according to the present invention includes a first glass substrate, a second glass substrate disposed facing the first glass substrate with a space therebetween, a sealing portion, which contains a glass composition and is disposed in a peripheral edge portion of the space between the first glass substrate and the second glass substrate, and column members disposed between the first glass substrate and the second glass substrate, wherein the column member is made of a metal or alloy, and a melting point of the metal or alloy is higher than a softening point of the glass composition and is lower than or equal to a temperature 20 C. higher than a flow point of the glass composition.