阅读说明：本技术 玻璃制造设备和方法 (Glass manufacturing apparatus and method ) 是由 艾伦·马克·弗雷德霍尔姆 罗曼·詹森 尼古拉斯·斯科特·瑞安 于 2020-01-09 设计创作，主要内容包括：提供了玻璃制造设备,所述玻璃制造设备可以包括限定与辊的外周表面相交的激光路径的激光设备。在一些实施例中,清洁玻璃制造设备的辊的方法可包括：用激光束辐照在形成在所述辊上的表面材料上的目标位置；以及在利用所述激光束从所述辊的所述外周表面的区域去除所述表面材料的一部分的同时,在所述辊与所述目标位置之间产生相对运动。在一些实施例中,制造玻璃带的方法可包括：使玻璃成形材料通过限定在第一旋转辊与第二旋转辊之间的间隙；以及利用第一激光束从所述第一辊的外周表面的区域去除表面材料。(Glass manufacturing apparatus are provided that may include a laser apparatus defining a laser path that intersects a peripheral surface of a roller. In some embodiments, a method of cleaning a roller of a glass manufacturing apparatus can comprise: irradiating a target location on a surface material formed on the roller with a laser beam; and generating relative motion between the roller and the target location while removing a portion of the surface material from a region of the peripheral surface of the roller with the laser beam. In some embodiments, a method of making a glass ribbon may comprise: passing the glass forming material through a gap defined between a first rotating roll and a second rotating roll; and removing surface material from an area of the peripheral surface of the first roller with a first laser beam.)

1. A glass manufacturing apparatus comprising:

a first roller rotatable about a first axis of rotation;

a second roller rotatable about a second axis of rotation; and

a laser apparatus defining a first laser path that intersects the outer peripheral surface of the first roll at a first target location.

2. The glass manufacturing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the outer peripheral surface of the first roller comprises an Ra surface roughness of about 0.02 microns to about 15 microns.

3. The glass manufacturing apparatus of any of claims 1 to 2, wherein a surface material is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the first roller.

4. The glass manufacturing apparatus of any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the laser apparatus comprises a second laser path intersecting the outer peripheral surface of the second roller at a second target location.

5. The glass manufacturing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the outer peripheral surface of the second roller comprises an Ra surface roughness of about 0.02 microns to about 15 microns.

6. The glass manufacturing apparatus of any of claims 4 to 5, wherein a surface material is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the second roller.

7. The glass manufacturing apparatus of any of claims 4 to 6, wherein the laser apparatus is configured to move the second target position in a direction along the second axis of rotation.

8. The glass manufacturing apparatus of any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the laser apparatus is configured to move the first target position in a direction along the first axis of rotation.

9. The glass manufacturing apparatus of any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the first and second rollers are configured to size the glass forming material to a predetermined thickness across a width of the ribbon of glass forming material.

10. The glass manufacturing apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a source of molten glass forming material positioned to feed molten glass forming material into a gap defined between the first roller and the second roller.

11. A method of cleaning a roller of a glass manufacturing apparatus, the roller including an outer peripheral surface and a surface material formed on a region of the outer peripheral surface, the method comprising:

irradiating a target location on the surface material with a laser beam; and

creating relative motion between the roller and the target location while removing a portion of the surface material from the region of the peripheral surface of the roller with the laser beam.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the region of the outer peripheral surface of the roller comprises an Ra surface roughness of about 0.02 microns to about 15 microns.

13. The method of any one of claims 11 to 12, wherein the relative movement comprises rotating the roller about an axis of rotation of the roller.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the relative motion further comprises moving the target position in a direction along the axis of rotation of the roller.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the target position moves in the direction of the rotational axis of the roller as the roller rotates about the rotational axis of the roller.

16. The method of any one of claims 11 to 15, wherein the laser beam does not damage the region of the peripheral surface of the roller.

17. A method of making a glass ribbon comprising:

passing a glass forming material through a gap defined between a first roller rotating about a first axis of rotation and a second roller rotating about a second axis of rotation, wherein a surface material is formed on an area of a peripheral surface of the first roller;

irradiating a first target location on the surface material with a first laser beam; and

removing the surface material from the region of the peripheral surface of the first roll with the first laser beam while passing additional glass forming material through the gap.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein removing the surface material further comprises: moving the first target position in a direction of the first axis of rotation of the first roller.

19. The method of any one of claims 17 to 18, wherein the first laser beam does not damage the region of the peripheral surface of the roller.

20. The method of any one of claims 17-19, wherein the region of the outer peripheral surface of the first roller comprises an Ra surface roughness of about 0.02 microns to about 15 microns.

21. The method of any one of claims 17 to 20, wherein a surface material is formed on a region of the outer peripheral surface of the second roller, and further comprising: irradiating a second target location on surface material formed on the region of the peripheral surface of the second roller with a second laser beam, and removing the surface material from the region of the peripheral surface of the second roller with the second laser beam while passing the additional glass forming material through the gap.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein removing the surface material from the region of the outer peripheral surface of the second roller further comprises: moving the second target position in a direction of the second axis of rotation of the second roller.

23. The method of any one of claims 21 to 22, wherein the second laser beam does not damage the region of the peripheral surface of the roller.

24. The method of any one of claims 21 to 23, wherein the region of the outer peripheral surface of the second roller comprises an Ra surface roughness of about 0.02 microns to about 15 microns.

25. The method of any one of claims 17 to 24, wherein the first and second rollers are sized to a predetermined thickness across a width of the ribbon of glass forming material traveling downstream from the gap.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the glass-forming material comprises molten glass-forming material fed into the gap.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to glass manufacturing apparatuses and methods, and more particularly, to glass manufacturing apparatuses and methods that remove surface material from rollers of the glass manufacturing apparatuses.

Background

It is known to manufacture glass ribbons by passing a glass-forming material through a gap between a pair of rotating rolls. During the manufacture of the belt, a surface material may be formed on the outer circumferential surface of the roller. For example, the surface material may include a metal oxide layer on the surface of the roll due to exposure to high temperatures. Additionally or alternatively, the formed surface material may also include deposits of glass-forming material (e.g., coagulated or adhered particles) on the surface of the roll. Surface material can build up over time and ultimately significantly affect the performance of the roll. For example, the original predetermined surface roughness, emissivity, or heat transfer coefficient of the roll may change, thereby changing the heat transfer characteristics of the roll. Altering the heat transfer characteristics of the rollers with the forming surface material can result in temperature differences in the glass forming material passing through the gap between the pair of rollers, resulting in surface defects (e.g., surface cracks or other optical surface defects) that can negatively impact the performance of the resulting glass ribbon.

It is known to remove the roll from the glass manufacturing apparatus and grit blast it to remove surface material from the roll and apply a new surface roughness to the roll. However, such blasting sometimes damages the roll and also removes a small outer layer of the roll, thereby changing the diameter of the roll. Such a drawback is unacceptable in precision rolling applications where the thickness of the rolled strip needs to be within tight tolerances. In addition, removing the rollers from the glass manufacturing apparatus interrupts the formation of the ribbon and thus affects the number of ribbons that can be formed over a period of time.

Disclosure of Invention

The following presents a simplified summary of the disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding of some embodiments described in the detailed description.

In some embodiments, a laser beam may be used to remove surface material from the peripheral surface of the roller. The use of a laser beam can remove surface material from the peripheral surface of the roller without damaging the peripheral surface of the roller. In a further embodiment, the laser beam may remove surface material from the outer peripheral surface of the roller during production of the belt, thereby improving productivity by allowing the roller to be cleaned while forming the belt.

In some embodiments, a glass manufacturing apparatus can comprise: a first roller rotatable about a first axis of rotation; a second roller rotatable about a second axis of rotation; and a laser apparatus defining a first laser path intersecting the outer peripheral surface of the first roll at a first target location.

In some embodiments, the outer peripheral surface of the first roller can comprise an Ra surface roughness of about 0.02 microns to about 15 microns.

In some embodiments, the surface material may be formed on the outer peripheral surface of the first roller.

In some embodiments, the laser apparatus comprises a second laser path intersecting the outer circumferential surface of the second roller at a second target location.

In some embodiments, the outer peripheral surface of the second roller may comprise an Ra surface roughness of about 0.02 microns to about 15 microns.

In some embodiments, the surface material may be formed on an outer peripheral surface of the second roller.

In some embodiments, the laser device may be configured to move the second target position in the direction of the second axis of rotation.

In some embodiments, the laser device may be configured to move the first target position in the direction of the first axis of rotation.

In some embodiments, the first and second rollers are configured to size the glass forming material to a predetermined thickness across a width of the ribbon of glass forming material.

In some embodiments, the glass manufacturing apparatus further comprises a source of molten glass forming material positioned to supply molten glass forming material into the gap defined between the first roller and the second roller.

In some embodiments, a method of cleaning a roller of a glass manufacturing apparatus is provided, wherein the roller includes an outer peripheral surface and a surface material formed on a region of the outer peripheral surface. The method may comprise the step of irradiating a target location on the surface material with a laser beam. The method may further comprise the step of creating relative motion between the roller and the target location while removing a portion of the surface material from an area of the peripheral surface of the roller with the laser beam.

In some embodiments, the outer peripheral surface of the second roller may comprise an Ra surface roughness of about 0.02 microns to about 15 microns.

In some embodiments, the relative motion may include rotating the roller about its axis of rotation.

In some embodiments, the relative movement further comprises moving the target position in the direction of the axis of rotation of the roller.

In some embodiments, the target position may be moved in the direction of the rotational axis of the roller as the roller rotates about the rotational axis of the roller.

In some embodiments, the laser beam does not damage areas of the peripheral surface of the roller.

In some embodiments, a method of making a glass ribbon may comprise: the glass forming material is passed through a gap defined between a first roller rotating about a first axis of rotation and a second roller rotating about a second axis of rotation. The surface material may be formed on the outer peripheral surface of the first roller. The method may further comprise the step of irradiating a first target location on the surface material with a first laser beam. The method may further comprise: a first laser beam is used to remove surface material from a region of the peripheral surface of the first roll while passing additional glass-forming material through the gap.

In some embodiments, the step of removing surface material may further comprise moving the first target location in the direction of the first axis of rotation of the first roller.

In some embodiments, the first laser beam does not damage an area of the outer peripheral surface of the first roller.

In some embodiments, the region of the outer peripheral surface of the first roller can comprise an Ra surface roughness of about 0.02 microns to about 15 microns.

In some embodiments, the surface material may be formed on an outer peripheral surface of the second roller. The method may further comprise the step of irradiating a second target location on the surface material formed on the area of the outer circumferential surface of the second roller with a second laser beam. The method may further comprise: a second laser beam is used to remove surface material from the region of the peripheral surface of the second roller while passing additional glass-forming material through the gap.

In some embodiments, the step of removing surface material from the region of the outer circumferential surface of the second roller may further comprise moving the second target location in the direction of the second axis of rotation of the second roller.

In some embodiments, the second laser beam does not damage regions of the outer peripheral surface of the second roller.

In some embodiments, the region of the outer peripheral surface of the second roller may comprise an Ra surface roughness of about 0.02 microns to about 15 microns.

In some embodiments, the first and second rollers size the glass forming material to a predetermined thickness across a width of the entire ribbon of glass forming material traveling downstream from the gap.

In some embodiments, the glass forming material comprises a molten glass forming material that can be fed into the gap.

Additional features and advantages of the embodiments disclosed herein will be set forth in the detailed description which follows, and in part will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from that description or recognized by practicing the embodiments described herein, including the detailed description which follows, the claims, as well as the appended drawings. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are intended to provide embodiments, and are intended to provide an overview or framework for understanding the nature and character of the embodiments disclosed herein. The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate various embodiments of the disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles and operations thereof.

Drawings

These and other features, embodiments and advantages will be better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a glass manufacturing apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the glass manufacturing apparatus taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a schematic perspective view of another embodiment of a roller for cleaning the glass manufacturing apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of cleaning the rollers of the glass manufacturing apparatus of FIG. 1.

Detailed Description

Embodiments will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which example embodiments are shown. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. This disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a glass manufacturing apparatus 101. In some embodiments, the glass manufacturing apparatus 101 can include one or more pairs of rollers 103a, 103 b. For example, fig. 1 shows two pairs of rollers 103a, 103b, but in further embodiments a single pair of rollers or three or more pairs of rollers may be provided. Each pair of rollers 103a, 103b may comprise a first roller 105a, 105b rotatable about a first axis of rotation 107a, 107b, and a second roller 109a, 109b rotatable about a second axis of rotation 111a, 111 b. As shown, the first axes of rotation 107a, 107b of the first rollers 105a, 105b may be parallel to the second axes of rotation 111a, 111b of the second rollers 109a, 109b, although non-parallel configurations may be provided in other embodiments.

Further, as shown, for the first pair of rollers 103a, the first roller 105a may be substantially identical to the second roller 109 a. Further, for the second pair of rollers 103b, the first roller 105b may be substantially identical to the second roller 109 b. In some embodiments, the first roller 105a of the first pair of rollers 103a may be substantially identical to the first roller 105b of the second pair of rollers 103 b. In further embodiments, the second roller 109a of the first pair of rollers 103a may be substantially identical to the second roller 109b of the second pair of rollers 103 b. In some embodiments, a first roller 105a, 105b of the pair of rollers 103a, 103b may comprise a cylinder, e.g., a right cylinder, having a first peripheral surface 113a, 113 b. In some embodiments, the second roller 109a, 109b of the pair of rollers 103a, 103b may comprise a cylinder, e.g., a right cylinder, having a second peripheral surface 115a, 115 b. In some embodiments, the length of the outer peripheral surfaces 113a, 113b, 115a, 115b of the pair of rollers 103a, 103b in the direction of the axis of rotation 107a, 107b, 111a, 111b in contact with the glass forming material may be: from about 50mm to about 2.5 meters (m), from about 60mm to about 1.6m, and all ranges and/or subranges therebetween, although other lengths may be provided in further embodiments.

In some embodiments, the first roller 105a and the second roller 109a of the first pair of rollers 103a may include the same radius "R1". In some embodiments, the first roller 105b and the second roller 109b of the second pair of rollers 103b may comprise the same radius "R2". In the illustrated embodiment, the radius "R1" is substantially the same as the radius "R2", but in other embodiments different radii may be provided. In some embodiments, the radius "R1" and/or the radius "R2" may be in a range from about 25 millimeters (mm) to about 250mm, from about 50mm to about 225mm, from about 50mm to about 150mm, and all ranges and/or subranges therebetween, although radii outside of these ranges may be provided in further embodiments.

Further, as shown with reference to the first pair of rollers 103a, the first axis of rotation 107a of the first roller 105a may be spaced apart from the second axis of rotation 111a of the second roller 109a by a distance "D1," which distance "D1" may include the sum of the radius "R1" of the first roller 105a, the radius "R1" of the second roller 109a, and the gap "G1" between the rollers 105a, 109a of the first pair of rollers 103 a. In further embodiments, as shown with reference to the second pair of rollers 103B, the first axis of rotation 107B of the first roller 105B may be spaced apart from the second axis of rotation 111B of the second roller 109B by a distance "D2," which distance "D2" may comprise the sum of the radius "R2" of the first roller 105B, the radius "R2" of the second roller 109B, and the gap "G2" between the rollers 105B, 109B of the second pair of rollers 103B. In some embodiments, gap "G2" may be smaller than gap "G1" to allow a reduction in the thickness of the strip, from a thickness "T1" substantially equal to gap "G1" of the first pair of rollers 103a to a thickness "T2" substantially equal to gap "G2" of the second pair of rollers 103 b. In some embodiments, the gap "G1" and/or "G2" may be from about 0.5 millimeters (mm) to about 6mm, from about 0.7mm to about 6mm, from about 1mm to about 6mm, from about 2mm to about 6mm, from about 3mm to about 6mm, and all ranges and/or subranges therebetween, although in further embodiments, the gaps "G1", "G2" may include other dimensions outside of these ranges.

Any of the rollers 105a, 105b, 109a, 109b of the pair of rollers 103a, 103b may comprise various materials, such as metals or ceramics. In some embodiments, the rollers may be made of steel (e.g., stainless steel), nickel-based superalloys, platinum or precious metals, or other material types. In some embodiments, one or more of the one or more pairs of rollers 103a, 103b may be fluid cooled. For example, in other embodiments, the rollers may be cooled with a gas (e.g., air) or a liquid (e.g., water), although other fluids may alternatively be used to cool the rollers.

The outer peripheral surface of any of the rollers of the present disclosure may have a predetermined range of Ra surface roughness. The predetermined Ra surface roughness may be provided over the entire outer peripheral surface of the roll, or may be provided over a length "L" (e.g., see fig. 4) of the outer peripheral surface of the roll that is expected to contact the glass forming material. Throughout this disclosure, the Ra surface roughness is calculated as the average roughness of the measured microscopic peaks and valleys on the outer peripheral surface of the roll. Throughout this disclosure, Ra surface roughness was measured using a non-skid Mitutoyo SJ-410 roughness profilometer with a 5 micron (micron) diameter probe tip, an upper cutoff limit of 2.5 millimeters, and a lower cutoff limit of 8 microns. Further, Ra surface roughness throughout the present disclosure is considered to be the average Ra surface roughness of four Ra surface roughness measurements measured along the length of the outer peripheral surface 113a, 113b, 115a, 115b in the direction of the axis of rotation 107a, 107b, 111a, 111b of the rollers 105a, 105b, 109a, 109 b.

In some embodiments, the peripheral surfaces 113a, 113b, 115a, 115b of the rollers 105a, 105b, 109a, 109b in any of the pairs of rollers 103a, 103b can have an Ra surface roughness of from about 0.02 microns to about 15 microns, from about 0.02 microns to about 10 microns, from about 0.02 microns to about 5 microns, from about 0.1 microns to about 3 microns, from about 0.2 microns to 3 microns, from about 0.3 microns to about 2 microns, from about 0.4 microns to about 2 microns, from about 0.5 microns to about 2 microns, from about 1 micron to about 2 microns, and/or any range or subrange therebetween, although in further embodiments another Ra surface roughness can be provided. In some embodiments of the apparatus for producing a glass ribbon, the Ra surface roughness of the rollers can be from about 0.02 microns to about 2 microns, although other Ra surface roughness values can be provided in further embodiments. For example, in some embodiments, the Ra surface roughness of the peripheral surfaces 113a, 113b, 115a, 115b of the rollers 105a, 105b, 109a, 109b can be in the range of about 0.02 microns to about 0.5 microns to provide a glass ribbon having a smooth major surface. In further embodiments, the rollers can have an Ra surface roughness of about 1 micron to about 1.5 microns, wherein the glass ribbon can then be further ground and polished to further machine the major surfaces of the glass ribbon. In further embodiments, some applications may use rollers having an Ra surface roughness of from about 5 microns to about 15 microns, although other Ra surface roughness values may be provided in further embodiments. In some embodiments, a roller having an Ra surface roughness of greater than or equal to 10 micrometers can help produce a glass ribbon suitable for downstream processing.

The raw Ra surface roughness of the roll can be protected from contact with the glass forming material by a surface material formed on the roll when the ribbon is produced. The surface material may include a metal oxide layer formed on (e.g., oxidized on) the surface of the roll due to exposure to high temperatures. Additionally or alternatively, the surface material may also include surface material (e.g., coagulated or adhered particles) formed on (e.g., deposited on, etc.) the outer peripheral surface of the roller. For example, as shown in fig. 1, after the glass forming material rolls through the gaps "G1", "G2", surface material 117 may form on the peripheral surfaces 113a, 113b, 115a, 115b of the rollers 105a, 105b, 109a, 109 b. In some embodiments, the surface material 117 may form a coating on the rollers having a lower Ra surface roughness than the Ra surface roughness of the peripheral surfaces 113a, 113b, 115a, 115b of the rollers 105a, 105b, 109a, 109 b. In some embodiments, the surface material 117 may change the emissivity of the rollers 105a, 105b, 109a, 109 b. In some embodiments, the surface material 117 may alter the heat transfer characteristics of the rollers 105a, 105b, 109a, 109 b. Thus, the accumulation of surface material 117 over time, such as a coating of surface material 117 on the peripheral surfaces 113a, 113b, 115a, 115b of the rollers 105a, 105b, 109a, 109b, can significantly affect the performance of the rollers 105a, 105b, 109a, 109 b. For example, the original predetermined surface roughness, emissivity, or heat transfer coefficient of the rolls may be altered by the surface material 117, thereby altering the heat transfer characteristics of the rolls 105a, 105b, 109a, 109 b. Altering the heat transfer characteristics of the rollers with the forming surface material can result in temperature differences in the glass forming material passing through the gap between the pair of rollers, resulting in surface defects (e.g., surface cracks or other optical surface defects) that can negatively impact the performance of the resulting glass ribbon. Thus, the surface material 117 formed on the peripheral surfaces 113a, 113b, 115a, 115b of the rollers 105a, 105b, 109a, 109b can undermine the benefits achieved by the predetermined Ra surface roughness initially provided on the peripheral surfaces 113a, 113b, 115a, 115 b. In addition, the surface material 117 may change the size of the gaps "G1", "G2", which may adversely affect the desired thickness of the tape passing through the gap.

The embodiment of the present disclosure shown in fig. 1-4 provides a laser apparatus for removing surface material from a roll. Fig. 1 diagrammatically depicts a first pair of rollers 103a including a first laser apparatus 118a and a second pair of rollers 103b including a second laser apparatus 118b, although in further embodiments a single laser apparatus or more than two laser apparatuses may be used for the pair of rollers 103a, 103 b.

As shown, the first laser apparatus 118a may define a first laser path 119a at a first target location 121a that intersects the outer peripheral surface 113a of the first roller 105a of the first pair of rollers 103 a. The first laser apparatus 118a may also define a second laser path 119b at a second target location 121b that intersects the outer peripheral surface 115a of the second roller 109a of the first pair of rollers 103 a. As further shown, the second laser apparatus 118b can define a first laser path 123a at the first target location 125a that intersects the outer peripheral surface 113b of the first roller 105b of the second pair of rollers 103 b. The second laser apparatus 118b may also define a second laser path 123b at a second target location 125b that intersects the outer peripheral surface 115b of the second roller 109b of the second pair of rollers 103 b.

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a first laser apparatus 118a including a first laser generator 127a, the first laser generator 127a designed to generate a first laser beam 129a traveling along a first laser path 119a of the first laser apparatus 118 a. In the illustrated embodiment, the first laser apparatus 118a can further include a second laser generator 127b, the second laser generator 127b designed to generate a second laser beam 129b to travel along a second laser path 119b of the first laser apparatus 118 a. As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the second laser apparatus 118b can include a first laser generator 131a designed to generate a first laser beam 133a to travel along a first laser path 123a of the second laser apparatus 118 b. In the illustrated embodiment, the second laser apparatus 118b can further include a second laser generator 131b, the second laser generator 131b designed to generate a second laser beam 133b to travel along a second laser path 123b of the second laser apparatus 118 b. Although not shown, each laser device 118a, 118b alternatively includes a single laser generator or more than two laser generators. Further, a single laser generator may be provided for all of the rollers of the first and second laser apparatuses 118a, 118 b. For example, although not shown, in some embodiments, optical components such as mirrors may be used to reduce the number of laser generators. For example, a single laser generator may be used to generate or split a single laser beam into multiple laser beams that may be directed by optics to travel along respective laser paths 119a, 119b, 123a, 123 b. The type and power of the laser generator can be designed to produce a laser beam having a desired spot size and power to remove surface material 117 without damaging the peripheral surfaces 113a, 113b, 115a, 115b of the rollers 105a, 105b, 109a, 109 b.

The laser devices 118a, 118b may be configured to move the target positions 121a, 121b, 125a, 125b relative to respective ones 105a, 105b, 109a, 109b of the pairs of rollers 103a, 103 b. For example, fig. 2 shows an example configuration of the first laser device 118a to move the first laser generator 127a, but it is understood that similar configurations may be provided for the second laser generator 127b of the first laser device 118a, the first laser generator 131a of the second laser device 118b, and/or the second laser generator 131b of the second laser device 118 b. For example, the first laser device 118a can be configured to move the first laser generator 127a in the direction 205 of the first axis of rotation 107a of the first roller 105 a. In any embodiment of the present disclosure, the actuator may move the laser generator relative to the roller. In the embodiment shown, the first laser device 118a may comprise a carriage 201 which travels along a track 203 in the direction 205 of the rotation axis 107a, so that the first target position 121a is also moved in the direction 205 of the first rotation axis 107 a. Although fig. 2 illustrates a single laser generator 127a, in some embodiments, two or more laser generators may be provided to reduce the distance each laser generator travels to effectively treat the entire length of the peripheral surface. Fig. 3 schematically illustrates a further embodiment, wherein the first laser apparatus 118a may be configured to move the target location 121a relative to the first roller 105a of the first pair of rollers 103a in the direction 205 of the first axis of rotation 107a by moving (e.g., rotating) optics (e.g., the mirror 301) while the first laser generator 127a of the first laser apparatus 118a may remain stationary relative to the first roller 105a of the first pair of rollers 103 a.

Referring to fig. 1, the method of the present disclosure may include the step of producing a glass ribbon 135 from a quantity of molten glass forming material 137. For purposes of this disclosure, a glass-forming material may include a molten glass-forming material that may be cooled into a glass article (e.g., a glass ribbon). The glass-forming material can also include a molten glass-forming material that has been cooled to a viscous state and can still be formed into alternative shapes, thicknesses, sizes (e.g., ribbons of glass-forming material) before the ribbon of glass-forming material transitions to a final cooled shape (e.g., a ribbon of glass). For example, a ribbon of glass forming material may be rolled to form a rolled ribbon of glass forming material having a reduced thickness. The rolled ribbon of glass-forming material may then be cooled to form a glass ribbon.

As shown in fig. 1, in some embodiments, a quantity of molten glass forming material 137 may be provided by a source 139 of molten glass forming material 137. The source 139 of molten glass-forming material 137 may include an elongated opening (e.g., a slit) extending in the direction of the rotational axis 107a, 111a of the rollers 105a, 109a of the first pair of rollers 103a, although in other embodiments the opening is circular, or an opening having another shape may be provided. As shown, the source 139 of molten glass forming material 137 may be positioned to feed the molten glass forming material 137 into the gap "G1" between the first and second rolls 105a, 109a of the first pair of rolls 103 a. One or more motors (e.g., motors 207a, 207b shown in fig. 2) may rotate each roller 105a, 109a of the first pair of rollers 103a in opposite directions 141a, 141b, wherein the portion of the peripheral surface 113a, 115a located at an elevation above the gap "G1" rotates toward the gap "G1". Subsequently, the rollers 105a, 109a size the glass forming material passing through the gap "G1" to have a first predetermined thickness "T1" of the ribbon 143 of glass forming material, the first predetermined thickness "T1" being generally between the opposing major surfaces 145a, 145b across the width "W" of the ribbon 143 of glass forming material from the first outer edge 209a to the second outer edge 209b of the ribbon 143 of glass forming material (see fig. 2).

Additionally or alternatively, the glass manufacturing apparatus 101 can include a second pair of rollers 103b that can adjust the size of the previously formed ribbon of glass forming material. For example, as shown, the second pair of rollers 103b may be located downstream of the first pair of rollers 103 a. The first roller 105b and the second roller 109b of the second pair of rollers 103b may then be driven by the motor to rotate in opposite directions 147a, 147b, with the portion of the outer peripheral surface 113b, 115b located at an elevation above the gap "G2" rotating toward the gap "G2". The rollers 105b, 109b then size the ribbon 143 of glass forming material to a second predetermined thickness "T2" between the opposed major surfaces of the ribbon substantially across the width of the ribbon, less than the first thickness "T1".

The rollers 105a, 105b, 109a, 109b of the pair of rollers 103a, 103b can be rotated at various rotational rates to roll the ribbon in the direction 149 at a desired rate for molding. In some embodiments, the rollers 105a, 105b, 109a, 109b may rotate about the respective axes of rotation 107a, 107b, 111a, 111b at a rate of from about 1 revolution per minute (rpm) to about 50rpm, from about 5rpm to about 50rpm, from about 10rpm to about 30rpm, and all ranges and/or subranges therebetween, although other rates of rotation may be provided in further embodiments.

The rollers 105a, 105b, 109a, 109b of the pair of rollers 103a, 103b can include an outer peripheral surface that can have an Ra surface roughness from about 0.02 microns to about 15 microns, from about 0.02 microns to about 10 microns, from about 0.02 microns to about 5 microns, from about 0.1 microns to about 3 microns, from about 0.2 microns to 3 microns, from about 0.3 microns to about 2 microns, from about 0.4 microns to about 2 microns, from about 0.5 microns to about 2 microns, from about 1 micron to about 2 microns, and/or any range or subrange therebetween, although another Ra surface roughness can be provided in further embodiments. However, as schematically illustrated in fig. 1, contact with the peripheral surfaces 113a, 113b, 115a, 115b of the rollers 105a, 105b, 109a, 109b may result in the formation of surface material 117 on the areas of the peripheral surfaces 113a, 113b, 115a, 115b of the rollers 105a, 105b, 109a, 109 b.

As the rollers 105a, 105b, 109a, 109b continue to rotate and continue to pass additional glass forming material through the gaps "G1", "G2" of the pair of rollers 103a, 103b, the method may further include the step of irradiating the target location of the surface material 117 with a laser beam. For example, as shown in fig. 1, a first laser beam 129a from a first laser apparatus 118a may be directed to travel along a first laser path 119a to irradiate a target location 151 of a surface material 117 formed on the first peripheral surface 113a of the first roller 105a of the first pair of rollers 103 a. As further shown, a second laser beam 129b from the first laser apparatus 118a may be directed to travel along a second laser path 119b to irradiate a target location 151 of the surface material 117 formed on the second peripheral surface 115a of the second roller 109a of the first pair of rollers 103 a.

In other embodiments, the first laser beam 133a from the second laser apparatus 118b may be directed to travel along the first laser path 123a to irradiate the target location 151 of the surface material 117 formed on the first peripheral surface 113b of the first roller 105b of the second pair of rollers 103 b. As further shown, a second laser beam 133b from a second laser apparatus 118b may be directed to travel along a second laser path 123b to irradiate a target location 151 of the surface material 117 formed on the second peripheral surface 115b of the second roller 109b of the second pair of rollers 103 b.

A method of removing surface material from the rollers 105a, 109a of the first pair of rollers 103a using the first laser apparatus 118a will be described, it being understood that this description may apply equally to any rollers, for example the first roller 105b and the second roller 109b of the second pair of rollers 103 b.

The method can include the step of irradiating a target location 151 on the surface material 117 formed on the first peripheral surface 113a of the first roller 105a with a first laser beam 129a traveling along a first laser beam path 119 a. Likewise, the method may include irradiating the target location 151 on the surface material 117 formed on the second peripheral surface 115a of the second roller 109a with a second laser beam 129b traveling along a second laser path 119 b. As shown in fig. 1, a single generator may be provided to generate each laser beam associated with the first roller 105a and the second roller 109a of the first pair of rollers 103a, but the laser beams 129a, 129b may be provided by different laser generators 127a, 127 b. In some embodiments, the laser beam generated by the laser generator may be split into a first laser beam 129a and a second laser beam 129 b. The split laser beams 129a, 129b can then be directed to desired target locations on the surface of the surface material 117 using optics (e.g., mirrors).

The first laser beam 129a can be irradiated at a first target location 151 on the surface material 117 formed on the first roller 105a until the surface material 117 is removed from an area on the first peripheral surface 113a of the first roller 105a near the first target location 121a on the first peripheral surface 113a of the first roller 105 a. Likewise, the second laser beam 129b can irradiate the target location 151 on the surface material 117 formed on the second roller 109a until the surface material 117 is removed from an area on the second peripheral surface 115a of the second roller 109a near the second target location 121b of the second peripheral surface 115a of the second roller 109 a.

In some embodiments, throughout the present disclosure, the target location of the irradiated surface material may remove surface material from the region of the roller by ablating the material. In some embodiments, throughout the present disclosure, the target location of the irradiated surface material may remove surface material from the region of the roller by a heating effect and/or an acoustic effect.

The step of removing surface material 117 from these areas of the peripheral surface 113a, 113b of the rollers 105a, 109a may include moving the respective target locations 151 in a direction 205 along the axes of rotation 107a, 111a of the respective rollers 105a, 109 a. For example, as shown in fig. 2, the carriage 201, along with the laser generator 127a, may be moved along the track 203 in a direction 205 to move the target location 151 on the surface material 117. The movement of the target location 151 on the surface material 117 may also be caused by rotation of the first roller 105a about the first axis of rotation 107 a. As shown, the movement of the target location 151 on the surface material 117 may be the result of movement of the target location 151 in the direction 205 of the first axis of rotation 107a and rotation of the first roller 105a about the first axis of rotation 107 a. Thus, when the laser beam ablates the surface material to expose the processed portion 211 of the first peripheral surface 113a again (see fig. 2), a spiral path 303 (see fig. 3) may be provided. Once the entire length of the first peripheral surface 113a has been treated, the first laser device 118a may cease using laser light for a predetermined period of time. Alternatively, the laser may continue to re-clean in the opposite direction, or may return to the original position and begin processing again in the same direction 205. In an alternative embodiment, the first laser beam 129a may travel rapidly over the length of the first peripheral surface 113a with minimal rotational movement of the first roller 105a to be processed with the beam. Subsequently, the first laser beam 129a may rapidly travel in the opposite direction over the length of the first peripheral surface 113a with a further smaller rotational movement of the first roller 105 a. In this manner, the first laser beam 129a may be rastered to process the first peripheral surface 113a, wherein the first laser beam 129a may travel along substantially parallel scan paths to process the entire length of the first peripheral surface 113a in the direction of the first axis of rotation 107a as the first roller 105a rotates about the first axis of rotation 107 a.

The laser beams 129a, 129b, 133a, 133b do not damage areas of the peripheral surfaces 113a, 113b, 115a, 115b of the pair of rollers 103a, 103b while removing the surface material 117 from the peripheral surfaces 113a, 113b, 115a, 115 b. For example, the laser beam does not significantly alter the original Ra surface roughness of the outer peripheral surface and does not remove the outer layer of material forming the outer peripheral surface. Rather, laser parameters (e.g., spot size, grating rate, power, spot overlap, etc.) can be designed to remove surface material without damaging (e.g., changing) the peripheral surface. In this manner, the laser treatment can reestablish the predetermined Ra surface roughness, emissivity, and/or heat transfer coefficient of the erected roll without changing the radius of the roll to provide the continued advantages of Ra surface roughness and stable heat transfer rate of the roll while also providing tight tolerances in the dimensions of the gap "G1", "G2" between the rolls.

In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the rollers 105a, 105b, 109a, 109b may be removed from the glass manufacturing apparatus 101, and the removed rollers may be subsequently cleaned. For example, one or more of the rollers 105a, 105b, 109a, 109b may be removed from the glass manufacturing apparatus 101 and installed in a cleaning frame 401 (see fig. 4). For illustrative purposes, fig. 4 shows the first roller 105a of the first pair of rollers 103a mounted in the cleaning frame 401, but any of the other rollers 105b, 109a, 109b may be similarly mounted in the cleaning frame 401 and cleaned as described below. The rollers, as installed, may include the characteristics of any of the rollers described above. For example, the mounted roller may include a peripheral surface having an Ra surface roughness of about 0.02 microns to about 15 microns, and the surface material 117 may be formed on a region of the peripheral surface, as described above.

A method of cleaning the first roller 105a installed in the cleaning frame 401 will now be described. The method may include the step of irradiating the target location 403 on the surface material 117 with a laser beam 405. The method may further provide for the step of relative movement between the first roller 105a and the target location 403 while removing a portion 117 of the surface material from an area of the peripheral surface 113a of the first roller 105a with the laser beam 405. In some embodiments, a motor (not shown) may rotate the first roller 105a about the rotational axis 107a of the first roller 105a to provide relative motion between the first roller 105a and the target location 403. In further embodiments, as the first roller 105a rotates, the target position 403 may move in the direction 205 of the first axis of rotation 107a as the first roller 105a rotates. In some embodiments, the laser generator 407 may be mounted on a carriage 409 to travel along a track 411 to move the target location 403 along the direction 205. Alternatively, as shown in fig. 3, the optics may be configured such that the laser beam travels in direction 205 while the laser generator may remain stationary. For example, mirror 301 or other optics may be configured to rotate such that the light beam travels in direction 205 while the laser generator may remain stationary. As such, referring to fig. 3, as the target location 403 moves in the direction 205 of the axis of rotation 107a, the surface material 117 may be removed along the spiral path 303 while the roller 105a also rotates about the axis of rotation 107 a. In the case of removing surface material 117 along the spiral path 303, the entire first peripheral surface 113a of the first roller 105a may be processed as the laser beam 405 travels from one end of the first roller 105a to the other end of the roller 105 a. In an alternative embodiment, the beam may travel rapidly the length of the first peripheral surface 113a to be treated with the laser beam with minimal rotational movement of the first roller 105 a. Subsequently, with a further smaller rotational movement of the first roller 105a, the laser beam may travel in the opposite direction rapidly over the length of the first peripheral surface 113 a. In this manner, the laser beam may be rastered to process the first peripheral surface 113a, wherein the laser beam may travel in substantially parallel scan paths to process the entire length of the first peripheral surface 113a in the direction of the first rotation axis 107a as the first roller 105a rotates about the first rotation axis 107 a.

Referring to fig. 2 and 4, the laser beam does not damage the regions of the outer circumferential surfaces 113a, 113b, 115a, 115b of the pair of rollers 103a, 103 b. For example, the laser beam does not alter the original Ra surface roughness of the peripheral surfaces 113a, 113b, 115a, 115b and does not remove the outer layer of material forming the peripheral surfaces 113a, 113b, 115a, 115 b. Rather, the laser parameters (e.g., spot size, grating rate, power, spot overlap, etc.) may be designed to remove surface material without damaging the peripheral surfaces 113a, 113b, 115a, 115 b. In this manner, the laser treatment can reestablish the predetermined Ra surface roughness, emissivity, and/or heat transfer coefficient of the mill rolls without changing the radius of the rolls to provide the continued advantages of Ra surface roughness and stable heat transfer rate of the rolls, while also providing tight tolerances in the dimensions of the gaps "G1", "G2" between the rolls 105a, 105b, 109a, 109 b.

Any of the embodiments of the present disclosure may be provided with vacuum vents 153 (see, e.g., fig. 1-2) to remove particles that may be generated during ablation of the surface material 117. For example, the conduit 155 can include an aperture 153 to provide suction to draw debris from the laser cleaning process into the conduit 155 to a remote waste collection area. The vacuum orifices 153 can help remove particles from the vicinity of the glass forming material (e.g., molten glass forming material 137) to avoid introducing debris that may contaminate the resulting glass ribbon or roll.

In addition to the sized rollers discussed above, the concepts of the present disclosure may be applied to rollers of a glass manufacturing apparatus. For example, the rolls may include edge rolls in a fusion down-draw process, wherein a ribbon of molten glass forming material is drawn from a wedge of a forming device. In some embodiments, the concepts of the present disclosure can be used with rollers that include glass-forming materials that do not absorb a significant amount of energy from the laser, but reflect the laser back into the surface material to further enhance ablation of the surface material without damaging the outer peripheral surface of the roller.

Although various embodiments have been described in detail with respect to certain illustrative and specific examples thereof, the disclosure should not be considered limited thereto as numerous modifications and combinations of the disclosed features are possible without departing from the appended claims.