The production process of tempered glass mainly includes the following steps:
1. Preparation of raw materials: High quality float glass is selected as raw material.
2. Cutting glass: According to the required size and shape, the raw glass is placed on the cutting machine for precise cutting.
3. Glass Grinding: After cutting, the edges of the glass are polished to ensure that they are smooth all around to improve the precision and aesthetics of the product.
4. Glass cleaning: clean the cut and edged glass with water to remove the dust and impurities on the surface, in preparation for the subsequent tempering process.
5. Glass toughening:
5.1. Heating stage: The cleaned glass is sent into the tempering furnace for heating. During the heating process, as glass is a poor conductor of heat, the temperature difference between the inner and outer layers will occur, causing the outer layer to start expanding while the inner layer does not, thus generating stress. Continued heating until both the inner and outer layers of the glass reach the tempering temperature (620°C - 640°C), the stresses within the glass sheet reach equilibrium.
5.2. Cold stage: The glass sheet enters the air grill from the tempering furnace and is blown into the air, the temperature of the surface layer drops rapidly and starts to contract, while the temperature of the centre layer is still high and has not contracted, so the surface layer is suppressed by the centre layer, resulting in compressive stresses, while tensile stresses are formed in the centre layer. As the cooling process continues, the temperature of the inner and outer layers of the glass further decreases, which ultimately hardens the surface layer of the glass and forms a stable stress state between the inner and outer layers, i.e. compressive stress on the outer surface and tensile stress on the inner layer, thus improving the strength and thermal shock resistance of the glass.
Benefits of using tempered Glass as a protective cover for touch panels.
1. High strength and impact resistance: tempered glass is specially treated to increase its strength by 5-10 times compared with ordinary glass, and the impact strength is also greatly improved, which can effectively resist external impacts and scratches and protect the touch screen from damage.
2. High light transmission and clarity: tempered glass has high optical transparency, which can maintain the original display effect of the touch screen and provide a clear and accurate visual experience.
3. Wear-resistant and scratch-resistant: Tempered glass has a high surface hardness, wear-resistant and scratch-resistant, which can maintain the smoothness and clarity of the touch screen for a long time and prolong the service life of the equipment.
4. Chemical Stability: Tempered glass is not easily affected by chemical corrosion or ultraviolet rays of sunlight, and will not turn yellow or be affected by chemical substances over time, maintaining stable performance.
5. Safety: Tempered glass produces fine particles without sharp edges when broken, reducing the risk of injury to the human body and improving the safety of use.
6. Thin and light design: Tempered glass can be manufactured very thin (e.g. 0.55mm), which helps to reduce the weight and thickness of the device, enhancing portability and aesthetics.
The use of toughened glass as a protective cover for touchscreens has multiple advantages that can significantly improve the durability, safety and user experience of the device.