A float glass system includes a float bath having an entrance end and an exit end. At least one machine vision camera is located to view an interior of the float bath. At least one sensor is connected to the float bath to measure an operating parameter of the float bath. At least one operating device is connected to the float bath. The at least one machine vision camera, the at least one sensor, and the at least one operating device are connected to a control system configured to control the operating device based on input from the at least one machine vision camera and/or the at least one sensor.

A float glass system includes a float bath having an entrance end and an exit end. At least one machine vision camera is located to view an interior of the float bath. At least one sensor is connected to the float bath to measure an operating parameter of the float bath. At least one operating device is connected to the float bath. The at least one machine vision camera, the at least one sensor, and the at least one operating device are connected to a control system configured to control the operating device based on input from the at least one machine vision camera and/or the at least one sensor.

A novel apparatus and method for producing flat glass by floating molten glass on liquid tin, significantly improving the efficiency of heating the tin and reducing or eliminating the need to anneal by eliminating the stress introduced by pulling the glass across the tin bath. The apparatus directly heats and melts the tin by exposure to high-intensity infrared energy through surfaces of the tin-containing tub, said tub made from a material that is transmissive at selected infrared wavelengths.

A novel apparatus and method for producing flat glass by floating molten glass on liquid tin, significantly improving the efficiency of heating the tin and reducing or eliminating the need to anneal by eliminating the stress introduced by pulling the glass across the tin bath. The apparatus directly heats and melts the tin by exposure to high-intensity infrared energy through surfaces of the tin-containing tub, said tub made from a material that is transmissive at selected infrared wavelengths.

A hot-formed, chemically prestressable glass article having a low percentage of crystals or crystallites, in particular a plate-shaped, chemically prestressable glass article, as well as to a method and a device for its production are provided. The glass article has a composition including the components SiO.sub.2, Al.sub.2O.sub.3, and Li.sub.2O and a content of seed formers (ZrO.sub.2, SnO.sub.2, and TiO.sub.2) of at least 0.8 wt %, as well as at most ten crystals, including crystallites, per kilogram of glass, which have a maximum diameter greater than 1 m and up to at most 5 m.

A method and/or system is provided for detecting and/or identifying inclusions (e.g., nickel sulfide based inclusions/defects) in glass such as soda-lime-silica based float glass. In certain example instances, during and/or after the glass-making process, following the stage in the float process where the glass sheet is formed and floated on a molten material (e.g., tin bath) and cooled or allowed to cool such as via an annealing lehr, energy such as infrared (IR) energy is directed at the resulting glass and reflectance at various wavelengths is analyzed to detect inclusions.

A method and/or system is provided for detecting and/or identifying inclusions (e.g., nickel sulfide based inclusions/defects) in glass such as soda-lime-silica based float glass. In certain example instances, during and/or after the glass-making process, following the stage in the float process where the glass sheet is formed and floated on a molten material (e.g., tin bath) and cooled or allowed to cool such as via an annealing lehr, energy such as infrared (IR) energy is directed at the resulting glass and reflectance at various wavelengths is analyzed to detect inclusions.

Provided is a sheet glass production process for properly producing sheet glass having a convex shape in section in a width direction orthogonal to the advancing direction of a glass ribbon. A glass ribbon G2 advancing on molten metal 22 is heated so as to have both edge portions G2B heated more intensely than a central portion G2A in a width direction thereof in an upstream zone of the molten metal bath, and a plurality of rolls 23 are rotated in contact with both edge portions G2B of the glass ribbon G2 such that upstream rolls 23A in an advancing direction F1 have a lower peripheral speed than downstream rolls 23B in the advancing direction.

Provided is a sheet glass production process for properly producing sheet glass having a convex shape in section in a width direction orthogonal to the advancing direction of a glass ribbon. A glass ribbon G2 advancing on molten metal 22 is heated so as to have both edge portions G2B heated more intensely than a central portion G2A in a width direction thereof in an upstream zone of the molten metal bath, and a plurality of rolls 23 are rotated in contact with both edge portions G2B of the glass ribbon G2 such that upstream rolls 23A in an advancing direction F1 have a lower peripheral speed than downstream rolls 23B in the advancing direction.

Provided is a sheet glass production process for properly producing sheet glass having a convex shape in section in a width direction orthogonal to the advancing direction of a glass ribbon. A glass ribbon G2 advancing on molten metal 22 is heated so as to have both edge portions G2B heated more intensely than a central portion G2A in a width direction thereof in an upstream zone of the molten metal bath, and a plurality of rolls 23 are rotated in contact with both edge portions G2B of the glass ribbon G2 such that upstream rolls 23A in an advancing direction F1 have a lower peripheral speed than downstream rolls 23B in the advancing direction.