A cover window manufacturing apparatus includes a plurality of fixed plates, a plurality of moving plates, a plurality of molds and a driver. The plurality of fixed plates is layered and spaced apart at a distance from each other. The plurality of moving plates is layered, spaced apart at a distance from each other and respectively disposed under the plurality of fixed plates. A plurality of connection members integrally connects the plurality of moving plates with each other. The plurality of molds is respectively provided on the plurality of moving plates, and inner spaces for molding the cover window are respectively defined in the plurality of molds. The driver is coupled to one of the plurality of moving plates, and is configured to move the plurality of moving plates towards the plurality of fixed plates such that the plurality of molds are pressed to the plurality of fixed plates.

A curved glass and a preparation method is provided. The preparation method for curved glass includes: melting a glass batch into a glass liquid, and clearing the glass liquid; introducing the cleared glass liquid into a mold cavity with a preset shape, and forming, by using a compression molding process, a glass product with a shape corresponding to that of the curved glass, where a size of the glass product is greater than a size of the curved glass; annealing the molded glass product; and processing the annealed glass product into the curved glass based on the shape and the size of the curved glass.

A method of controlling an optical element manufacturing apparatus includes: heating a cavity formed of a pair of upper and lower dies to a first temperature where an optical element material softens and becomes formable by the pair of dies; heating the cavity to a second temperature where the optical element material is deformed due to a weight of the optical element material in a state of not being in contact with the upper die, the second temperature being higher than the first temperature; and pressing the pair of dies for transfer of forming surfaces of the pair of dies onto the optical element material, the forming surfaces being outside a range where a forming surface of a die has been transferred by the deformation due to the weight in the state where the optical element material is not in contact with the upper die at the second temperature.

A shape forming system according to one embodiment includes a mold assemblies; a heating unit; a pressing unit; a cooling unit; an isolation chamber configured to accommodate therein the heating unit, the pressing unit, and the cooling unit arranged in parallel with each other; and a conveyance unit configured to move the plurality of mold assemblies each of which is arranged on a plate provided in each of the heating unit, the pressing unit, and the cooling unit to thereby convey the mold assemblies in sequence.

The invention relates to a method for forming a glass item, in particular a three-dimensionally formed flat glass item, wherein the following steps are carried out: arranging a flat formation of glass, for example a flat glass pane of homogeneous thickness or a flat glass pane of inhomogeneous thickness or a preformed flat glass pane blank or liquid two-dimensionally spread glass, between a mould plunger and a melt of liquid metal, in particular tin; tempering of at least one part to be formed of the flat formation of glass to a forming temperature of the glass at which the glass has a viscosity in the range from 10 Pas to 106.5 Pas, preferably in the range from 10 Pas to 104 Pas and particularly preferably in the range from 10 Pas to 103 Pas; forming the flat formation of glass by moving the mould plunger and a surface of the molten metal towards each other, preferably by means of at least one linear movement, for example by means of a linear motor or servomotor, so that the flat formation of glass is pressurised either by the mould plunger on the one hand and by the molten metal on the other hand and is formed by the pressurisation on both sides and/or by suctioning and conforming the flat formation of glass onto the mould plunger; cooling the formed flat formation of glass to a handling temperature below the forming temperature at which the glass has a viscosity of ?107 Pas; and demoulding the cooled flat formation; as well as a device for carrying out the method and a use of a molten metal for carrying out the method.

A method for further processing of a glass tube semi-finished product includes: providing the glass tube semi-finished product, along with tube-specific data for the glass tube semi-finished product; reading the tube-specific data for the glass tube semi-finished product; and further processing of the glass tube semi-finished product including a step of thermal forming carried out at least in sections. At least one process parameter during the further processing of the glass tube semi-finished product including the step of thermal forming carried out at least in sections is controlled as a function of the tube-specific data for the glass tube semi-finished product. In this way, the further processing can be matched more efficiently to the particular characteristics of a glass tube semi-finished product to be processed or a particular subsection thereof, and the relevant characteristics of the particular glass tube semi-finished product do not need to be measured again.

A shape forming system according to one embodiment includes a mold assemblies; a heating unit; a pressing unit; a cooling unit; an isolation chamber configured to accommodate therein the heating unit, the pressing unit, and the cooling unit arranged in parallel with each other; and a conveyance unit configured to move the plurality of mold assemblies each of which is arranged on a plate provided in each of the heating unit, the pressing unit, and the cooling unit to thereby convey the mold assemblies in sequence.

The present invention provides an infrared-transmitting glass that is a chalcogenide glass, has a reduced Ge content, can sufficiently cover atmospheric windows, is free from highly toxic elements, such as Se and As, and is suitable for mold forming. Specifically, the present invention provides an infrared-transmitting glass suitable for mold forming, comprising, in terms of molar concentration: 0 to 2% of Ge, 3 to 30% of Ga, 10 to 40% of Sb, 45 to 70% of S, 3 to 30% of at least one member selected from the group consisting of Sn, Ag, Cu, Te, and Cs, and 0 to 30% of at least one member selected from the group consisting of Cl, Br, and I.

An apparatus for processing cover windows includes a first mold including a first support a second support spaced apart from the first support, where the first support and second support are configured to hold processing targets; a second mold; and a third mold spaced apart from the second mold. The second mold includes a first pressurizing portion overlapping with the first support, having a first thickness, and a second pressurizing portion connected with the first pressurizing portion and configured to overlap with the first support, having a second thickness thinner than the first thickness. The third mold includes a third pressurizing portion overlapping with the second support, having a third thickness, and a fourth pressurizing portion connected with the third pressurizing portion and overlapping with the second support, having a fourth thickness thinner than the third thickness.

Disclosed are various approaches to creating optical windows in glass covers. To create the glass cover with the optical window, a sheet of glass is reformed using a mold that includes a male portion having a first recess and a female portion having a second recess. The female portion of the mold mates with the male portion of the mold. The first recess is configured to form a first gas pocket and the second recess is configured to form a second gas pocket when the male and female portions of the mold are mated, where a cross sectional area of each of the first recess and the second recess is less than 15 square millimeters. A portion of the reformed glass corresponding to the optical window is positioned between the first gas pocket and the second gas pocket.