A glass manufacturing apparatus including a forming apparatus, the forming apparatus including an edge separation assembly. The edge separation assembly includes a scoring device with a scoring tool coupled thereto, a backing roller, a pair of stabilizing rollers configured to pinch a central portion of the glass ribbon therebetween, and a separation roller configured to apply a separation force against an edge portion of the glass ribbon to separate the edge portion from the central portion. The edge separation apparatus may further include a first plurality of guide rollers arranged to direct the separated edge portion away from the central portion and a second plurality of guide rollers configured to guide the central portion. The forming apparatus further includes a cross-cut assembly configured to separate a glass sheet from the central portion.

Methods and apparatuses for steering flexible glass webs are disclosed. In one embodiment, a steering device for non-contact steering of a glass web having a conveyance direction and a cross direction normal to the conveyance direction includes a fluid injection bar having an elongate axis oriented in a cross direction of the glass web. The steering device also includes a pivot bearing assembly coupled to the fluid injection bar such that the fluid injection bar is pivotable in a plane perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the glass web, an actuator coupled to the fluid injection bar for adjusting the orientation of the fluid injection bar with respect to the glass web, and an edge detection device positioned proximate to an edge of the glass web for evaluating a position of an edge of the glass web.

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.

Methods can include controlling a support device while supporting a ribbon. The method can include controlling the support device to maintain a downward force (F.sub.x) in a direction of an X-axis within a first range of forces. The method can further include controlling the support device to provide a force profile (F.sub.z) in a direction of aZ-axis that reduces a moment (M.sub.x) about the X-axis. The method can further include controlling the support device to reduce a force differential (F.sub.y) in the direction of the Y-axis that reduces a moment (M.sub.z) about the Z-axis.