A method for severing a glass sheet includes preferentially heating a region of the glass sheet to form a softened region. A slit is formed in the softened region of the glass sheet to form a slit region. The slit extends at least partially into a thickness of the glass sheet. Heat is preferentially applied to the slit region of the glass sheet.

A glass manufacturing apparatus may be configured to facilitate a process of separating a glass ribbon along a separation path extending across a width of the glass ribbon. In one example, the glass manufacturing apparatus comprises at least one anvil-side vacuum port defined by an elongated nose and an elongated anvil member. The anvil-side vacuum port is configured to remove glass debris during the process of separating the glass ribbon. In another example, the glass manufacturing apparatus comprises a scoring device and a score-side vacuum port configured to remove glass debris generated during the process of separating the glass ribbon.

The present disclosure relates to a process for cutting and separating arbitrary shapes of thin substrates of transparent materials, particularly tailored composite fusion drawn glass sheets, and the disclosure also relates to a glass article prepared by the method. The developed laser method can be tailored for manual separation of the parts from the panel or full laser separation by thermally stressing the desired profile. The self-separation method involves the utilization of an ultra-short pulse laser that can be followed by a CO.sub.2 laser (coupled with high pressure air flow) for fully automated separation.

An apparatus for processing a glass web can include a gas nozzle to generate a curtain of gas to entrain debris generated during a separation procedure. In further embodiments, apparatus for processing a glass web includes a washing device including a housing with a partition dividing an interior of the housing into a first area and a second area. In still further embodiments, apparatus for processing a glass web includes a coating chamber positioned down-stream from a washing device, wherein the coating chamber includes at least one port configured to dispense a coating on at least one major surface of the glass web. Methods can include entraining debris generated during a separation procedure into a gas curtain. Further methods include washing a glass sheet within a housing including two interior areas and coating a washed glass sheet with a protective coating.

Methods of separating a glass web that is moving at a glass web velocity. The method includes exposing a separation path on the glass web to at least one laser beam spot that moves with a laser beam spot velocity vector that is equal to a glass web velocity vector in a conveyance direction. The method also includes creating a defect on the separation path while the separation path is under thermal stress from the laser beam spot, whereupon the glass web spontaneously separates along the separation path in response to the defect. In further examples, a glass web separation apparatus includes a first reflector that rotates such that a laser beam spot repeatedly passes along a separation path and a second reflector that rotates such that the laser beam spot moves in a conveyance direction of the glass web.

A method includes indirectly engaging a surface of a moving ribbon of inorganic material with a non-contacting support unit. The ribbon is severed with a thermal separating unit while the non-contacting support unit is indirectly engaged with the ribbon.

A glass plate separating apparatus, as one example, includes: a trigger device that forms a start point flaw in a first main surface of a glass ribbon on a division-planned line; a pair of holding members disposed at the first main surface side of the glass ribbon; and a heater disposed at a second main surface side of the glass ribbon. The pair of holding members, each of which extends parallel to the division-planned line, is brought into contact with the glass ribbon at both sides of the division-planned line while being lowered together with the glass ribbon. The heater extends along the division-planned line, and is brought into contact with and pressed onto the glass ribbon on the division-planned line while being lowered together with the glass ribbon.

A method for producing a glass article includes forming a glass sheet from a molten glass source and separating the glass article from the glass sheet. During the step of separating the glass article from the glass sheet, the water content of the atmosphere surrounding the glass sheet is controlled to be below a predetermined value. Such control of the water content of the atmosphere surrounding the glass article can effectively reduce the density of particles adhered thereto.

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 glass manufacturing apparatus can include an elongated engagement surface rotatable through a rotation angle between a scoring position and a cleaning position. The glass manufacturing apparatus can further include a scoring device to score the glass substrate when the elongated engagement surface is positioned in the scoring position. The glass manufacturing apparatus can further include a cleaning device to clean the elongated engagement surface when the elongated engagement surface is positioned in the cleaning position. In further embodiments, a method of scoring a glass substrate can include, after producing a score line while the elongated engagement surface is positioned in the scoring position, rotating the elongated engagement surface from the scoring position to a cleaning position. The method can further include cleaning the elongated engagement surface while the elongated engagement surface is positioned in the cleaning position.