METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING GLASS PREFORM

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and apparatus for manufacturing glass preforms which improve the productivity in a heating treatment of the glass preforms and provide space saving.

SOLUTION: The apparatus for manufacturing the glass preforms has a heating furnace 10, a lifting device 20 for inserting/extracting the glass preforms into and from furnace core tubes 11 of the heating furnace, supporting rods 21 for supporting the glass preforms and an upper cap 22 for making the furnace body airtight when the glass preforms are inserted into the furnace core tubes 11, thereby enabling the heat treatment of the glass preforms 1 vitrified transparent by sintering. The heating furnace 10 is provided with a plurality of the furnace core tubes 11 for treating the glass preforms by housing the glass preforms therein. The furnace core tubes 11 are configured to be simultaneously heat treated by common heaters 12 disposed on their outer peripheral sides. The treatment capability of the heating furnace is improved and the saving of the energy and the space of the apparatus is achieved by such constitution.

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