Abstract: An assembly is provided that includes a mineral-based monolithic support for full-surface supporting of a workpiece during processing and transportation and a workpiece supported thereon, wherein the surface of the support is designed so that adherence of the supported workpiece is prevented, and wherein the support has provisions with means inserted therein, which permit to lift the workpiece from the support from below and/or to shift the workpiece laterally, and furthermore relates to a mineral-based monolithic support suitable for this purpose.

Abstract: A glass sheet forming system (10) has two parallel forming lines (12) that can utilize any two of three forming stations (18) to provide versatility in use for forming different glass sheet jobs of different sizes and shapes while reducing switchover time from one job to the next.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for manufacturing high purity polysilicon. The apparatus includes a vacuum chamber; first and second electron guns disposed at an upper side of the vacuum chamber to irradiate electron beams into the vacuum chamber; a silicon melting unit which is placed on a first electron beam-irradiating region corresponding to the first electron gun and to which powdery raw silicon is fed and melted by the first electron beam; and a unidirectional solidification unit placed on a second electron beam-irradiating region corresponding to the second electron gun. The unidirectional solidification unit is provided therein with a start block driven in a downward direction to transfer molten silicon in the downward direction and is formed at a lower side thereof with a cooling channel. The start block includes a dummy bar having a silicon button joined to an upper portion of the dummy bar.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing a vitreous slag including rotating a cone about a vertical cone axis, the cone including an external shell having a lateral surface; cooling the lateral surface of the external shell; pouring molten slag onto the lateral surface of the cone to form a film of slag by gravity, which is solidified as it is entrained in rotation by the cone about the cone axis; and detaching pieces of the film from the lateral surface and removing solidified slag in the form of the pieces after the film has been entrained through between 0.6 and 0.9 revolutions of the cone, the molten slag being poured onto the lateral surface in a pouring zone and spreads to form a film over substantially the entire length of the lateral surface, preferably over between 75% and 95% of the length of the lateral surface.

Abstract: A casting device for producing semiconductor material foil includes a casting frame and a substrate band. The casting frame is arranged for holding a molten semiconductor material and includes sidewalls of which an exit sidewall is located at an output position for the semiconductor material foil. The exit side wall is provided with an exit slit. The casting device further includes a local force exerting means to exert at the location of the exit slit a locally enlarged external force on the molten semi-conductor material to enlarge an outer pressure on the molten material at the exit slit.

Abstract: Embodiments of a system and method for melting feedstock and casting ingots are disclosed. The system comprises a feedstock source, a stationary melting furnace, and one or more solidification modules capable of receiving molten feedstock from the melting furnace. In some embodiments, the system further includes a feed system for transferring feedstock from the feedstock source to the melting furnace. Feedstock is fed into the melting furnace and heated to produce molten feedstock. Molten feedstock flows into a solidification crucible within the solidification module. The solidification crucible is cooled to provide directional solidification and production of an ingot. The melting furnace may include a thermal valve system to prevent molten feedstock from flowing into the solidification crucible until substantially all of the feedstock within the melting furnace is molten. In some embodiments, the feedstock consists essentially of silicon and a multi-crystalline silicon ingot is produced.

Abstract: Task of the invention is a method and the required auxiliary devices for producing foamed glass, in particular for producing foamed glass plate. The method is characterized by several steps. In step 1, the raw mixture (1) is supplied from a mixture container (2) via an application apparatus (3) and applied to a glass fleece strip (4) in the form of segments (5). The glass fleece strip (4) lies on a linked chain. The application height is adjusted by a wiper (6). In step 2, the segments (5) on the glass fleece strip (4) pass through the expansion oven (7) with various heat zones (8). In step 3 at the end of the expansion oven (7) pre-cooling takes place. The externally hardened segments (5) are tilted onto a cross slide (10) and transported into an annealing lehr (11). Specific auxiliary devices are an application apparatus (3), a special expansion oven (7) and equipment for transporting foamed glass blocks during the production of foamed glass.

Abstract: In the formation of sheet glass by the overflow downdraw process, the width of usable sheet glass is maximized by downwardly flowing edge portions of the sheet over web-like members and thereafter over extensions which intersect with and are downwardly inclined relative to the web-like members to thin edge portions of the glass flow and maintain sheet width. The extension members are preferably removably attached to the web-like members, greatly facilitating replacement of the more easily damaged extension members.

Abstract: According to the invention, a) at least the first and second compositions of this material in the fluid phase are prepared, b) a sheet (61) of the first composition is poured continuously onto a flat support (4), c) a sheet (62) of the second composition is poured continuously onto sheet (61) of the first composition, and d) the thermal interdiffusion of the materials of the two sheets is ensured so as to obtain the desired gradient of composition in the cooled bar.

Abstract: A block assembly for a lehr includes a plurality of blocks extending longitudinally, each of the blocks having a seal surface for mating and overlapping with an adjacent one of the blocks.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method in a sequential bending furnace for bending glass sheets. According to the method, carriages are advanced in the furnace into a section downstream in the traveling direction of the carriages for a subsequent bending cycle essentially by using at least two transfer assemblies, providing a transfer mechanism and including first and second locking elements which are in a transfer-force transmitting relationship during the course of a transfer. This is followed by disengaging the locking elements and then transfer and locking rods included in the transfer assemblies are returned to a transfer commencing position in such a manner that at least one transfer assembly is in a locking position during transfers.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing practically stria-free, bubble-free, and homogeneous quartz-glass plates of any desired configuration and with a surface area that exceeds the cross-section of the full circular quartz-glass cylinder that is employed as a starting material. The cylinder is continuously lowered into a furnace shell flooded with an inert gas, in which it is heated to a flowing temperature in the range of 1700.degree. to 1900.degree. C. until some of the quartz-glass flows off into a graphite crucible. The crucible is preferably clad with zirconium-oxide.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for the continuous production of glass articles characterized by the ability to form a single sheet of glass having two layers of different compositions, double glass panels having an air space between the panels or to produce tubes having either circular or eliptical cross-sections. The apparatus and method utilizes a molding body having a trough means which may be used to divide the glass mass into two cooperating flows over the working surfaces of an upper and lower molding body portions. The glass mass flows downwardly along an outer working surface of the upper body portion onto the inner working surfaces of the lower portion. A nozzle means provided with a ceramic shell or other refractory material may be disposed in an opening provided in the bottom portion of the molding body to provide a means for forming a closed double panel of sheet glass or a tube shaped article.