Glass is a staple building product that is used everywhere from windows to luxury bathrooms. Many people wonder how glass is made and why controls during the manufacturing process are essential. Here’s a closer look at how glass companies make their products. 

An Introduction to Glass Manufacturing

What Is Glass? 

Glass is a transparent substance made from sand and other minerals. While most people think glass a solid, it is actually an amorphous solid, which means the substance is somewhere between a solid and a liquid.

If you were to look at a solid under a powerful microscope, you’d find rows of atoms lined up in a very organized pattern. However, liquids have a loose atomic design. While atoms inside glass have a solid’s built structure, they also have a liquid’s loose pattern.

Although it’s hardly perceptible to the human eye, glass gradually moves. In old homes, for instance, window panes will typically be slightly thicker at the bottom than at the top thanks to the long-term effects of gravity. 

How Is Glass Made? 

The first step is for a glass factory to combine silica sand, soda ash, sodium oxide, calcium oxide, dolomite, and feldspar and melt these ingredients to 1,500 degrees Celsius. After mixing and melting the ingredients together, they deposit them as sheets into a water bath. Glassworkers then cool the sheets down to 650 degrees Celsius.

Workers add coatings if necessary and anneal the sheets to eliminate stresses inside the glass. Alternatively, they can temper the glass to strengthen it and ensure it breaks into crumbles rather than sharp, jagged pieces. 

They can also add colorants and films. After inspecting the sheets, they cut them to size, and a glass company can sell them.  

Whether you need new windows in your house or you are thinking about updating a few mirrors, the team at Furniture City Glass & Mirror Co. can help. Since its inception more than 56 years ago, this trusted glass company has provided the Triad area of North Carolina with custom glass, shower enclosures, and commercial storefront panels. Learn more about how this glass company can help by visiting their website or by giving their office a call at (336) 841-5333.