A method of drawing a material into sheet form includes forming a preform comprising at least one material as a large aspect ratio block wherein a first transverse dimension of the preform is much greater than a second transverse dimension substantially perpendicular to the first transverse dimension. A furnace having substantially linearly opposed heating elements one spaced from the other is provided and the heating elements are energized to apply heat to the preform to create a negative thermal gradient from an exterior surface along the first transverse dimension of the preform inward toward a central plane of the preform. The preform is drawn in such a manner that the material substantially maintains its first transverse dimension and deforms across its second transverse dimension.

A method of drawing a material into sheet form includes forming a preform comprising at least one material as a large aspect ratio block wherein a first transverse dimension of the preform is much greater than a second transverse dimension substantially perpendicular to the first transverse dimension. A furnace having substantially linearly opposed heating elements one spaced from the other is provided and the heating elements are energized to apply heat to the preform to create a negative thermal gradient from an exterior surface along the first transverse dimension of the preform inward toward a central plane of the preform. The preform is drawn in such a manner that the material substantially maintains its first transverse dimension and deforms across its second transverse dimension.

Disclosed is a clamping device at an edge of a substrate glass during molding based on an overflow technique and an operation method thereof. The clamping device comprises a primary clamping unit and a secondary edge drawing unit that are clamped on edges of two sides of a glass plate, respectively. The primary clamping unit is arranged above the secondary edge drawing unit and is closer to a guide plate than the secondary edge drawing unit. The operation method comprises during the molding of the glass plate, enabling clamping wheels of the primary clamping unit and wheels for cooling and edge drawing of the secondary edge drawing unit to clamp the edges of the two sides of the glass plate to make liquid glass at the edges merge and bond together to obtain a bonded glass plate; and introducing cooling air to cool edges of the bonded glass plate.

Disclosed is a clamping device at an edge of a substrate glass during molding based on an overflow technique and an operation method thereof. The clamping device comprises a primary clamping unit and a secondary edge drawing unit that are clamped on edges of two sides of a glass plate, respectively. The primary clamping unit is arranged above the secondary edge drawing unit and is closer to a guide plate than the secondary edge drawing unit. The operation method comprises during the molding of the glass plate, enabling clamping wheels of the primary clamping unit and wheels for cooling and edge drawing of the secondary edge drawing unit to clamp the edges of the two sides of the glass plate to make liquid glass at the edges merge and bond together to obtain a bonded glass plate; and introducing cooling air to cool edges of the bonded glass plate.

A method for producing thing glass strips is provided that avoids camber defects. The method includes using a glass strip forming device that has a drawing device; drawing, using the drawing device, the thin glass strip away from the glass strip forming device; measuring, using a measuring device, variables that are dependent on a differing length of edges of the thin glass strip at at least two measurement locations spaced apart transversely to a longitudinal extension of the thin glass strip; determining a difference or a quotient of the variables. The difference or the quotient is used to determine a control variable by which the glass strip forming device is controlled so as to counteract a difference in velocities of the thin glass strip between the two opposite edges.

A method includes heating a glass preform having a plurality of glass layers and drawing the glass preform in a distal direction to form a drawn glass sheet extending distally from the glass preform and having the plurality of glass layers. The drawn glass sheet is thinner than the glass preform. The drawn glass sheet can be rolled onto a collection spool. At least a portion of a glass layer can be removed from the drawn glass sheet. An exemplary glass sheet includes a first glass layer, a second glass layer adjacent to the first glass layer, and a thickness of at most about 0.1 mm. An exemplary ion exchanged glass sheet includes a thickness of at most about 0.1 mm and a surface layer that is under a compressive stress and extends into an interior of the glass sheet to a depth of layer.

A method includes heating a glass preform having a plurality of glass layers and drawing the glass preform in a distal direction to form a drawn glass sheet extending distally from the glass preform and having the plurality of glass layers. The drawn glass sheet is thinner than the glass preform. The drawn glass sheet can be rolled onto a collection spool. At least a portion of a glass layer can be removed from the drawn glass sheet. An exemplary glass sheet includes a first glass layer, a second glass layer adjacent to the first glass layer, and a thickness of at most about 0.1 mm. An exemplary ion exchanged glass sheet includes a thickness of at most about 0.1 mm and a surface layer that is under a compressive stress and extends into an interior of the glass sheet to a depth of layer.

Provided is a method of manufacturing a glass article, including: a preparation step of preparing a glass preform (1) including a first thin-walled portion (1a) and a first thick-walled portion (1b) at different positions in a width direction; a forming step of drawing the glass preform (1) downward while heating the glass preform (1) through use of a redraw method, to thereby form a glass ribbon (2) including a second thin-walled portion (2a) and a second thick-walled portion (2b) at different positions in the width direction; and an article formation step of obtaining a glass roll (3) serving as a glass article from the glass ribbon (2).

Provided is a method of manufacturing a glass article, including: a preparation step of preparing a glass preform (1) including a first thin-walled portion (1a) and a first thick-walled portion (1b) at different positions in a width direction; a forming step of drawing the glass preform (1) downward while heating the glass preform (1) through use of a redraw method, to thereby form a glass ribbon (2) including a second thin-walled portion (2a) and a second thick-walled portion (2b) at different positions in the width direction; and an article formation step of obtaining a glass roll (3) serving as a glass article from the glass ribbon (2).