Apparatuses for manufacturing glass and methods of managing pulling forces applied to glass ribbon

摘要

Methods and apparatuses for managing pulling forces applied to a glass ribbon in a draw apparatus are disclosed. The method includes applying a front-side and a rear-side drive torque to a glass. The method further includes calculating automatically with the at least one electronic controller a front-side and a rear-side average pulling force applied to the glass ribbon and corresponding to a first time period of at least one rotation of the front-side or rear-side stub roller, respectively. The front-side average pulling force and the rear-side average pulling force are compared to establish a pulling force differential between the front-side average pulling force and the rear-side average pulling force. One or more of the front-side drive torque or the rear-side drive torque are modified to decrease the pulling force differential between the front-side average pulling force and the rear-side average pulling force.

主权项

1. A method of managing pulling force applied to a glass ribbon in a draw apparatus, the method comprising:
applying a front-side pulling force to a front side of the glass ribbon with a front-side stub roller; applying a rear-side pulling force to the glass ribbon with a rear-side stub roller that contacts a rear side of the glass ribbon opposite the front-side stub roller; receiving with at least one electronic controller a front-side instantaneous drive torque signal indicative of a front-side drive torque applied by the front-side stub roller to the glass ribbon, wherein the front-side instantaneous drive torque signal is based on an electrical current directed to a front-side motor coupled to the front-side stub roller; receiving with the at least one electronic controller a rear-side instantaneous drive torque signal indicative of a rear-side drive torque applied by the rear-side stub roller to the glass ribbon wherein the rear-side instantaneous drive torque signal is based on an electrical current directed to a rear-side motor coupled to the rear-side stub roller; calculating automatically with the at least one electronic controller a front-side average pulling force applied to the glass ribbon and corresponding to a first time period of at least one rotation of the front-side stub roller; calculating automatically with the at least one electronic controller a rear-side average pulling force applied to the glass ribbon and corresponding to a second time period of at least one rotation of the rear-side stub roller; comparing the front-side average pulling force to the rear-side average pulling force to establish a pulling force differential between the front-side average pulling force and the rear-side average pulling force; and modifying one or more of the front-side pulling force or the rear-side pulling force to adjust the pulling force differential between the front-side average pulling force and the rear-side average pulling force.