Systems and methods for texturing substrates (e.g., glass, metal, and the like) and the textured substrates produced using such systems and methods are disclosed. An exemplary system for texturing a substrate includes a first roller and a second roller. The first roller has a first textured surface. The first textured surface has a root mean square roughness between 40 to 1000 microns and an autocorrelation function greater than 0.5 for distances less than 50 microns.

Systems and methods for texturing substrates (e.g., glass, metal, and the like) and the textured substrates produced using such systems and methods are disclosed. An exemplary system for texturing a substrate includes a first roller and a second roller. The first roller has a first textured surface. The first textured surface has a root mean square roughness between 40 to 1000 microns and an autocorrelation function greater than 0.5 for distances less than 50 microns.

A method and apparatus for forming a glass parison are disclosed. The method of forming a glass container in accordance with one aspect of the disclosure includes flowing molten glass to a glass feeder spout located immediately upstream of die rollers; feeding molten glass through an annular space established between an orifice ring of the glass feeder spout and a plunger of the glass feeder spout; blowing gas through the plunger into the molten glass to form a continuous tube of molten glass; and die rolling the continuous tube into a continuous string of glass containers.

A method and apparatus for forming a glass parison are disclosed. The method of forming a glass container in accordance with one aspect of the disclosure includes flowing molten glass to a glass feeder spout located immediately upstream of die rollers; feeding molten glass through an annular space established between an orifice ring of the glass feeder spout and a plunger of the glass feeder spout; blowing gas through the plunger into the molten glass to form a continuous tube of molten glass; and die rolling the continuous tube into a continuous string of glass containers.

A method of manufacturing glass ribbon can comprise feeding molten material through a minimum width of a first gap defined between a first roller and a second roller of a first pair of rollers. A first pool of molten material can be formed upstream from the minimum width of the first gap. A ribbon of molten material can exit the first gap. The methods can further include passing the ribbon of molten material through a minimum width of a second gap defined between a first roller and a second roller of a second pair of rollers. The minimum width of the first gap can be greater than the minimum width of the second gap. A second pool of molten material can be formed upstream from the minimum width of the second gap.

A transparent substrate includes a texture in relief on at least one of its two main faces, such that when the substrate is textured on a single face, the average slope P.sub.m in degrees of this textured face is lower than 2, and when the substrate is textured on both its faces, the sum of the two average slopes (Pm1, Pm2) of the respective faces is lower than 3.

A transparent substrate includes a texture in relief on at least one of its two main faces, such that when the substrate is textured on a single face, the average slope P.sub.m in degrees of this textured face is lower than 2, and when the substrate is textured on both its faces, the sum of the two average slopes (Pm1, Pm2) of the respective faces is lower than 3.

An apparatus for producing a glass workpiece includes: a device configured to heat a glass until it softens; an inner molding tool configured to mold inner lateral surfaces of the workpiece; an outer molding tool configured to mold outer lateral surfaces of the workpiece, the outer molding tool having a shaping roller with a shaping surface; an accommodating device configured to accommodate the shaping roller, the shaping roller being mounted in a freely rotatable manner in the accommodating device and is fixable during a shaping process by a lockable locking device, the shaping roller being locked with a releasable connection such that the shaping roller can be released and rotated through an angle in the locking device between individual shaping processes; and an apparatus configured to apply a lubricating oil to the shaping surface of the shaping roller and having an outlet opening configured to dispense the lubricating oil.

An apparatus for producing a glass workpiece includes: a device configured to heat a glass until it softens; an inner molding tool configured to mold inner lateral surfaces of the workpiece; an outer molding tool configured to mold outer lateral surfaces of the workpiece, the outer molding tool having a shaping roller with a shaping surface; an accommodating device configured to accommodate the shaping roller, the shaping roller being mounted in a freely rotatable manner in the accommodating device and is fixable during a shaping process by a lockable locking device, the shaping roller being locked with a releasable connection such that the shaping roller can be released and rotated through an angle in the locking device between individual shaping processes; and an apparatus configured to apply a lubricating oil to the shaping surface of the shaping roller and having an outlet opening configured to dispense the lubricating oil.

A system for levitating a softened, viscous or viscoelastic material by near field acoustic levitation. The system includes a support structure having a rigid surface, and a vibration generator operatively connected to the rigid surface. The vibration generator transmits acoustic waves to the rigid surface at a frequency and an amplitude sufficient to vibrate the rigid surface and create a gas squeeze film between the material and the rigid surface. The gas squeeze film has a pressure greater than ambient air pressure and sufficient to levitate the material. The system is particularly suited for transporting, forming, or casting heated glass. Also disclosed are methods for transporting, forming, and casting heated glass using near field acoustic levitation.