A method of continuous processing of flexible glass ribbon having a thickness of no more than 0.35 mm using a glass processing apparatus. The method includes providing the glass processing apparatus having at least three processing zones, including a first processing zone, a second processing zone and a third processing zone. The flexible glass ribbon is continuously fed from the first processing zone, through the second processing zone to the third processing zone. The feed rate of the flexible glass ribbon is controlled through each of the first processing zone, the second processing zone and the third processing zone using a global control device. Lateral position of the flexible glass ribbon is controlled through the second processing zone using a multi-axis steering apparatus comprising a first roller set and a second roller set, located downstream of the first roller set.

A method of continuous processing of flexible glass ribbon having a thickness of no more than 0.35 mm using a glass processing apparatus is provided. The method includes providing the glass processing apparatus having at least three processing zones including a first processing zone, a second processing zone and a third processing zone. The flexible glass ribbon is continuously fed from the first processing zone, through the second processing zone to the third processing zone. Rate of the flexible glass ribbon is controlled through each of the first processing zone, second processing zone and third processing zone using a global control device. The second processing zone has a conveyance path for the flexible glass ribbon through a cutting zone having a radius of curvature of from about 100 inches to about 400 inches.

A chamfering apparatus includes: a laser beam transmissive member allowing a laser beam to be transmitted therethrough and contacting one surface of a workpiece, the laser beam transmissive member including an inclined surface that is inclined in an opposite direction to a chamfering direction relative to the one surface in a state where the laser beam transmissive member is in contact with the one surface; and a laser machining head configured to emit an ultrashort pulse laser beam for forming a laser filament inside an edge portion to the inclined surface of the laser beam transmissive member. The ultrashort pulse laser beam is transmitted through the laser beam transmissive member, incident on the one surface of the workpiece from the laser beam transmissive member, transmitted through the edge portion in the chamfering direction, and forms a laser filament inside the edge portion, the laser filament extending in the chamfering direction.

Methods of fabricating formed glass articles are described herein. In one embodiment, a method for fabricating a formed glass article may include forming a glass ribbon, forming a parison, and shaping the parison to form a glass article. The glass article may be attached to the glass ribbon at an attachment region defining an edge of the glass article. The process may also include contacting the attachment region with a focal line of a laser beam and separating the glass article from the glass ribbon at the attachment region. The attachment region may be perforated by the laser beam and the focal line may be substantially perpendicular to the plane of the glass ribbon.

A method for separating a portion from a sheet glass element having a thickness of at least 2 millimeters along an intended separation line that divides the sheet glass element into the portion and a remaining main part is provided. The method includes producing filamentary damages comprising sub-micrometer hollow channels in a volume of the glass sheet element adjacently aligned along the separation line; and heating and/or cooling the glass sheet element to cause expansion and/or contraction so that the portion detaches from the main part along the separation line. The portion and the remaining main part each remain intact as a whole. The step of producing the filamentary damages includes generating a plasma within the volume with laser pulses of an ultrashort pulse laser; and displacing points of incidence of the laser pulses over a surface of the glass sheet element along the separation line.

A laser cutting apparatus and a laser cutting method are provided. A laser cutting method includes: preparing an object on a stage; cutting the object into a set shape by relatively moving and irradiating a laser beam along the set shape with respect to the object; and performing uniform heating compensation to reduce accumulation of thermal energy of the laser beam resulting from a change of speed at a shift point where a travelling direction of the laser beam with respect to the object changes.

The present invention relates to a process for cutting and separating interior contours in thin substrates of transparent materials, in particular glass. The method involves the utilization of an ultra-short pulse laser to form perforation or holes in the strengthened (e.g., ion exchanged) glass substrate, that may be followed by use of another, focused, laser beam to promote full separation about the perforated line.

A method and apparatus for forming a glass ribbon comprising a forming body configured to form a continuously moving glass ribbon that is drawn therefrom, a first heating or cooling apparatus to initiate a crack in a viscoelastic region of the continuously moving glass ribbon, and a second heating or cooling apparatus to locate or stop the initiated crack in the continuously moving glass ribbon.

Provided is a glass film ribbon manufacturing device (1), including: a transverse conveyance unit (4), which is configured to convey a glass film ribbon (G) in a transverse direction; and a cleaving unit (5), which is arranged on a conveyance path of the transverse conveyance unit (4), and is configured to cleave the glass film ribbon (G) along a preset cleaving line extending in a longitudinal direction, the transverse conveyance unit (4) including a wrinkle-smoothing unit (14) configured to smooth a wrinkle generated in the glass film ribbon (G) before the glass film ribbon (G) is cleaved by the cleaving unit (5).

A method for cutting a flexible glass ribbon includes directing the flexible glass ribbon to a flexible glass cutting apparatus including a laser. The flexible glass ribbon includes a first broad surface and a second broad surface that extend between a first edge and a second edge of the flexible glass ribbon. A laser beam is directed from the laser onto a region of the flexible glass ribbon. A crack is formed through the flexible glass ribbon using the laser beam. The crack is propagated along the flexible glass ribbon using the laser beam and a local mechanical deformation in the flexible glass ribbon.