An electric glass hot shop system is described herein that has at least one electrically powered heating unit (e.g., electric furnace, electric glory hole, electric pipe warmer, electric color box, electric annealer, electric crucible kiln) used in the processing of glass.

Disclosed is an apparatus and method of making molten glass. The apparatus includes a vessel for conveying the molten glass and at least one flange configured to supply an electric current to the vessel through the flange, the flange including a first ring extending completely around the vessel in a closed loop, the first ring comprising a first portion including a first thickness and a second portion including a second thickness different from the first thickness, wherein the first portion and the second portion overlap in a plane of the flange such that at least a portion of the first portion is positioned between at least a portion of the second portion and the vessel wall, and neither the first portion nor the second portion extends completely around the vessel. Also disclosed is a method of making glass using the disclosed flange.

In illustrative implementations of this invention, a crucible kiln heats glass such that the glass becomes or remains molten. A nozzle extrudes the molten glass while one or more actuators actuate movements of the nozzle, a build platform or both. A computer controls these movements such that the extruded molten glass is selectively deposited to form a 3D glass object. The selective deposition of molten glass occurs inside an annealing kiln. The annealing kiln anneals the glass after it is extruded. In some cases, the actuators actuate the crucible kiln and nozzle to move in horizontal x, y directions and actuate the build platform to move in a z-direction. In some cases, fluid flows through a cavity or tubes adjacent to the nozzle tip, in order to cool the nozzle tip and thereby reduce the amount of glass that sticks to the nozzle tip.

An electric glass hot shop system is described herein that has at least one electrically powered heating unit (e.g., electric furnace, electric glory hole, electric pipe warmer, electric color box, electric annealer, electric crucible kiln) used in the processing of glass.

According to the present invention, provided is a heater including a heat generating member being conductive and configured to radiate heat rays by being fed with electric power, a tubular member constituted by a metal and accommodating the heat generating member, and an intermediate member arranged between the heat generating member and the tubular member and constituted by an electrically insulating material, wherein the intermediate member is arranged and/or configured to allow, among the heat rays radiated from the heat generating member, at least light having a wavelength of from 1 m to 2 m to pass through the intermediate member to reach the tubular member.

In illustrative implementations of this invention, a crucible kiln heats glass such that the glass becomes or remains molten. A nozzle extrudes the molten glass while one or more actuators actuate movements of the nozzle, a build platform or both. A computer controls these movements such that the extruded molten glass is selectively deposited to form a 3D glass object. The selective deposition of molten glass occurs inside an annealing kiln. The annealing kiln anneals the glass after it is extruded. In some cases, the actuators actuate the crucible kiln and nozzle to move in horizontal x, y directions and actuate the build platform to move in a z-direction. In some cases, fluid flows through a cavity or tubes adjacent to the nozzle tip, in order to cool the nozzle tip and thereby reduce the amount of glass that sticks to the nozzle tip.

In embodiments, a method for operating a glass manufacturing apparatus may include heating a delivery conduit with resistive windings positioned around an exterior surface of the delivery conduit, the delivery conduit extending between a mixing vessel and a delivery vessel. The method may also include injecting electric current through the delivery conduit while heating the delivery conduit with resistive windings and prior to flowing molten glass through the delivery conduit thereby increasing a temperature of the of the delivery conduit, wherein an input heat flux into the delivery conduit is greater than an output heat flux away from the delivery conduit prior to flowing molten glass through the delivery conduit.

According to the present invention, provided is a heater including a heat generating member being conductive and configured to radiate heat rays by being fed with electric power, a tubular member constituted by a metal and accommodating the heat generating member, and an intermediate member arranged between the heat generating member and the tubular member and constituted by an electrically insulating material, wherein the intermediate member is arranged and/or configured to allow, among the heat rays radiated from the heat generating member, at least light having a wavelength of from 1 m to 2 m to pass through the intermediate member to reach the tubular member.

A heater for melting glass includes: a heating member containing carbon (C) configured to emit heat rays upon power feeding; and a tubular member made of metal configured to have one end closed, and to house the heating member. The heating member includes a first heat generating part and a second heat generating part along an extending axis direction of the heater, and the first heat generating part is arranged at a position closer to the one end of the tubular member than is the second heat generating part. Denoting a unit-length resistance of the first heat generating part along the extending axis direction by X (/m), and denoting a unit-length resistance of the second heat generating part by Y (/m),
( 1/30)X<Y<()XFormula (1)
is satisfied.

A heater for melting glass includes: a heating member containing carbon (C) configured to emit heat rays upon power feeding; and a tubular member made of metal configured to have one end closed, and to house the heating member. The heating member includes a first heat generating part and a second heat generating part along an extending axis direction of the heater, and the first heat generating part is arranged at a position closer to the one end of the tubular member than is the second heat generating part. Denoting a unit-length resistance of the first heat generating part along the extending axis direction by X (/m), and denoting a unit-length resistance of the second heat generating part by Y (/m),
( 1/30)X<Y<()XFormula (1)
is satisfied.