Abstract: A method for drawing glass objects from glass feedstock, wherein a dimension of the glass object is measured on-line and controlled by a control structure which compensates for the deadtime between a change to the drawing speed and the measurement of the effect of that change to the measured dimension. The model which compensates for the deadtime is preferably nonlinear, and the control gains and model parameters are preferably continuously calculated during the drawing process. The invention is particularly applicable to drawing optical waveguide cane from optical waveguide preforms.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are set forth for forming a substantially enclosed longitudinal path along the cutting surface of a workpiece and substantially enclosing a cutting wire of electrical discharge machining equipment so as to confine and direct dielectric fluid supplied thereto along such cutting wire to flush out eroded particles formed during the cutting of a slot in the surface of the workpiece.

Abstract: A process of wire cutting electrical discharge machining is set forth including the steps of initially machining a counter slot to a depth greater than 0.03" in the surface of a workpiece having a width at least 1.5 times the width of a desired slot, machining the desired slot with dielectric fluid beginning at the bottom of the counter slot, utilizing the counter slot to facilitate the flushing out of such fluid, and removing the counter slot.