Glass Processing Machinery Key Terms

Understand the basics of glass processing machinery

By Howard Robertson

Glass processing machinery is useful for crushing and shaping glass. In addition, you can use a glass processing machine for recycling old glass and creating new glass and fiber products.

While dealing with service providers in the glass processing industry, you must be conversant with technical terms associated with glass processing machines. This guide is meant to familiarize you with the important glass processing key terms, such as annealing, glass blowing, dry glazing, glass cullet, sandblasting and float glass process.

Annealing

In the annealing process, the glass is cooled slowly so that the internal temperature matches with the external temperature. The amount of internal stress developing in the glass product depends on the rate of cooling for the annealing process.
Try: Arrow Springs, an online retailer of glass and fiber products, offers an informative article on the annealing process in the glass industry.

Glass blowing

Glass blowing is an important technique for producing glass products with complex shapes. In the glass blowing process, a tubular instrument called a blowpipe is used to blow air into the raw glass material. The person blowing air into the glass material is called a glassblower, glassmith or gaffer.
Try: To learn more about the glass blowing technique, you can read through information at Bronze and Glass.com.

Dry glazing

Dry glazing (also called compression glazing) is a method of securing glass in a frame by using a dry, pre-formed and resilient gasket without the use of a compound.
Try: To understand the definition for this term, you can read through the glossary of technical terms at the Glass Association of North America. Elastomer Products Ltd, a manufacturer of silicone rubber products, explains the factors influencing glazing performance.

Sandblasting

Sandblasting is the process of smoothing, shaping and cleaning glass by forcing solid particles (like sand) across the surface at high speed. Generally, an air compressor is used to generate the force required to slam the particles.
Try: To learn the basics of the sandblasting process, read through information at Class Glass LLC, a reputable service provider in the field of sandblasting. UA Glass Ltd, a manufacturer of glass products, provides information about sandblasted glass.

Glass cullet

Glass cullet is the raw glass or pieces of broken glass intended for recycling. Glass cullet comes from various sources, like glass containers, breakages and inferior products made during glass manufacturing processes.
Try: You can read through detailed information about glass cullet at Glass Cullet, an information resource.

Float glass process

Float glass process is a process for manufacturing flat glass sheets from molten glass. In the float glass process, a sheet of glass is produced by floating molten glass on a bed of molten tin. This process produces glass sheets with uniform thickness and flatness.
Try: PFG Building Glass, a manufacturer of float and patterned glass, offers detailed descriptions of the float glass process.