The Art of Glass Production



Posted: Friday, April 29, 2011

by David Meisel

The art of glass production lies from the first stage of glass production until it is ready to wear. The nature of the glassware is best known as its weakness point, its fragility. Its susceptibility against collision or friction constrains an accurate treatment in each stage of glass production. Exceptional craftsmanship inflicts on acceptable aspects required for the result, including the accurate pressure and temperature during its production process. Methodical examination and assessment of its endurance conclude a significant evaluation prior to its process.

The main components of glass material consist of limestone, soda ash, and quartz sand. The inclusion of oxide as catalyst for the melting process necessitates precise proportion per batch by routing the oxide into the raw material inside the tank furnace. The mixing process of oxide and raw material executed in an extremely high temperature reaching 1500° C (2732 °F) which then resulting the melted glass create a new unique figure called gob. This is what previously considered as the first stage of the art of glass production. The smoldering gob retracted from the furnace is plunged into a vacant mould. In conventional technique, this gob is shaped through blowing process to obtain narrow-neck container or other certain forms. In modern glass industry where it demands to run a mass production, the shaping technique is done differently, by pressing and blowing the smoldering gob inside a solid plunger through mechanical feeder. This process appertains as the art of glass production due to its high craftsmanship required during this process.

After the gob is completely shaped into the designated form, it goes to coating process by applying tin oxide and stannic-chloride. The hot glass will then go through an annealing process to obtain its even and maximum endurance. There are two methods applied for this process, first is by griping the hot glass on a critical temperature for a certain time to decrease its inner strain, and second is by cooling the hot glass in a room temperature to obtain its minimum strain. The uneven-cooling process will result on uneven solidification. In modern glass industry, the hot glass is replaced in an annealing oven called Lehr, and then it is heated at the temperature of 580° C (1076 °F) and reduces the temperature for more than 20 minutes to 100 hours long depends on its thickness.

The last stage of the art of glass production lies on the final process of cutting, cleaning, enameling, grading, and polishing. Second coating is applied by polishing a polyethylene wax in a water-based liquid, which is also expectedly to raise its endurance. The ragged surface of glass will go through grading process. For certain requirement, the glass is passing through cutting, enameling and polishing process after it is cleaned. The enameling or labeling is required for adding more patterns and creating characteristic product. The detail inspection for any fraction is crucial considering that this fraction at any size can result a fatal impact when heated. Blisters or tiny bubbles as well as a tear are commonly found on the glass resulting from the blowing and pressing process using the solid mould. This overall process is obviously considered as the art of glass production.

For more information on glass and glass suppliers visit my site @ www.glasssuppliers.blogspot.com
This Article has been viewed 111 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
No comments yet.
We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.