A glass sheet processing system for processing a glass sheet includes a conveyor for conveying the glass sheet in a direction of conveyance, and a positioning apparatus for adjusting position of the glass sheet on the conveyor. The positioning apparatus includes a movable carriage having first and second carriage bodies. The first carriage body is translatable in the direction of conveyance, and the second carriage body is supported by the first carriage body such that the second carriage body is movable in a direction generally transverse to the direction of conveyance. The positioning apparatus further includes a first drive assembly for moving the first carriage body in the direction of conveyance, a second drive assembly for moving the second carriage body with respect to the first carriage body, and a positioner member connected to the second carriage body for contacting the glass sheet to adjust position of the glass sheet.

Provided is method of producing a glass roll, the method including: a conveying step of conveying a glass film (G) along a longitudinal direction thereof; a cutting step of irradiating the glass film (G) with a laser beam (L) from a laser irradiation apparatus (19) while conveying the glass film (G) by the conveying step, to thereby separate the glass film (G) into a non-product portion (Gc) and a product portion (Gd); and a take-up step of taking up the product portion (Gd) into a roll shape, to thereby form a glass roll (R). The cutting step includes winding a thread-like peeled material (Ge) generated from an end portion of the product portion (Gd) in a width direction around a rod-shaped collecting member (20a), to thereby collect the thread-like peeled material (Ge).

A method of forming a 3D mirror for a heads-up display (HUD) system includes providing a glass-based preform having a first major surface, a second major surface, and a minor surface connecting the first and second major surfaces, and further includes disposing the glass-based preform on a mold having a concave surface such that the first and second longitudinal side surfaces are adjacent to a longitudinal wall of a housing. The longitudinal wall extends from the concave surface to at least a height of the second major surface of the glass-based preform. The method further includes supplying a vacuum and conforming the second major surface to the concave surface of the mold using the vacuum. The first and second transverse side surfaces have a curved shape corresponding to a curve of the concave surface a remain coincident with the concave surface during the conforming of the second major surface.

A glass sheet acquisition and positioning system and associated method are utilized in a glass sheet optical inspection system installed in-line in a glass sheet processing system. The acquisition and positioning system include an exterior support frame and a moveable glass sheet support frame connected to the exterior support frame such that the glass sheet support frame may be selectively positioned from first orientation whereby a glass sheet is removed from a conveyor and retained on the support frame, to a second orientation whereby the glass sheet is positioned for processing by the optical inspection system. The system may also include a glass sheet part identifier and a programmable control including logic for analyzing acquired image data and identifying the glass sheet as one of a set of known part types and thereafter securing and positioning the glass sheet on the glass sheet support frame based upon the part-shape analysis.

A device and a method for bending, by gravity, a sheet of glass or a stack of sheets of glass including a plurality of sides, called the glass, including a skeleton for supporting the glass in its peripheral zone by a contact track, the contact track including concave curvatures on each of the sides of the skeleton, and a counter-skeleton capable of entering into contact with the glass in the zone of the middle of at least one side of the peripheral zone of the top main face of the glass.

Various embodiments of methods and related equipment are provided, comprising: delivering a molten material into a forming and sizing assembly, processing the molten glass via the at least one pair of forming and sizing rollers to form a glass ribbon having a width and a thickness; imparting, at least one pinch region into the cross-sectional thickness of the glass ribbon to provide a pinched glass ribbon, rolling a pressure roller over the pinched glass ribbon on the sequentially spaced mold surfaces to impart a characteristic into the pinched glass ribbon to form a glass ribbon product.

A glass processing may include a heating station to heat glass sheets, and a bending station disposed downstream of the heating station to bend the heated glass sheets. The bending station may include first and second independent movement mechanisms configured to independently move first and second molds when the glass processing system is operated in a first mode, and to cooperate to move a third mold when the glass processing system is operated in a second mode. The system further includes a control system to control the movement mechanisms so that they operate independently when the glass processing system is operated in the first mode, and so that they operate simultaneously when the glass processing system is operated in the second mode.

Systems and methods for automated, sequential processing of a continuous glass ribbon by conveying the glass ribbon in a ribbon travel direction, forming a score line in the glass ribbon, separating a glass sheet from the glass ribbon at the score line while supporting the glass sheet with a transfer device, lowering the glass sheet onto a conveyor, and conveying the glass sheet in a sheet travel direction differing from the ribbon travel direction. By transferring and then conveying the glass sheet in a direction differing from the ribbon travel direction (e.g., a 90 degree turn) immediately after glass sheet separation, the systems and method of the present disclosure are conducive to streamlined production of glass sheets utilizing a unique production floor footprint.

A glass sheet processing system for processing a glass sheet includes a conveyor for conveying the glass sheet in a direction of conveyance, and a positioning apparatus for adjusting position of the glass sheet on the conveyor. The positioning apparatus includes a movable carriage having first and second carriage bodies. The first carriage body is translatable in the direction of conveyance, and the second carriage body is supported by the first carriage body such that the second carriage body is movable in a direction generally transverse to the direction of conveyance. The positioning apparatus further includes a first drive assembly for moving the first carriage body in the direction of conveyance, a second drive assembly for moving the second carriage body with respect to the first carriage body, and a positioner member connected to the second carriage body for contacting the glass sheet to adjust position of the glass sheet.

The invention relates to a method for producing an optical element from glass, wherein a portion of glass or a glass blank is blank-pressed, in particular on both sides, to form the optical element, wherein the optical element is then placed on a transport element and passes through a cooling path with the transport element, without the optical surface of the optical element being touched.