Overflow downdraw method

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The overflow downdraw method or fusion method is a technique for producing flat glass. The advantages of this technique as compared to the float glass process are the pristine surfaces, not touched by molten tin, and the low thickness of the sheet (0.7 mm and less) that can be achieved. The technique is used for the production of flat panel display glass by the companies Corning and Samsung Corning Precision Glass. Corning is currently investing in the construction of facilities to fabricate sheets as large as 120" x 112" (2850 mm x 3050 mm).

The fusion method was originally conceived by Corning in the 60's as a method for manufacturing automotive windshields. Shelved for years, the technology was reintroduced to supply the flat screen display market.

[edit] References

• US Patent 851627, June 15, 2004
• US Patent 6990834, January 31, 2006
• Huey-Jiuan Lin, Wei-Kuo Chang: Design of a sheet forming apparatus for overflow fusion process by numerical simulation; Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, Volume 353, Issues 30-31, 1 October 2007, Pages 2817-2825 Full text article
• Overflow downdraw method at Corning website

v • d • e Glass forming techniques Commercial techniques Float glass process · Blowing and pressing (containers) · Extrusion / Drawing (fibers, glasswool) · Drawing (optical fibers) · Overflow downdraw method · Pressing · Casting · Cutting · Flame polishing · Diamond turning · Rolling Artistic and historic techniques Beadmaking · Blowing · Blown plate · Broad sheet · Caneworking · Crown glass · Cylinder blown sheet · Etching · Fourcault process · Fusing · Lampworking · Machine drawn cylinder sheet · Millefiori · Polished plate · Slumping · Stained glass fusing · Stained glass production In addition, glass can be formed by other techniques that are common for ceramics or metals, including polishing, sintering, sawing, grinding, drilling, cutting, and bending. For application to glass these techniques may need to be adjusted.