Methods of Finishing a Sheet of Material With Magnetorheological Finishing

Abstract

Methods of finishing a sheet of material, such as a glass sheet, include finishing an edge portion of the sheet of material with magnetorheological finishing. In one example, the average thickness of the sheet of material between a first face and a second face is from 50 μm to about 500 μm. In another example, the method consists essentially of a single step of finishing the edge portion of the glass sheet with magnetorheological finishing such that the entire edge portion is shaped between the first face and the second face during the a single magnetorheological finishing step.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of finishing a sheet of material comprising the steps of:
 (I) providing a sheet of material with a first face and a second face, wherein an average thickness of the sheet of material between the first face and the second face is from about 50 μm to about 500 μm; and   (II) finishing an edge portion of the sheet of material with magnetorheological finishing.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (I) provides the sheet of material as a glass sheet. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (I) provides the average thickness of the sheet of material from about 50 μm to about 300 μm. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein step (I) provides the average thickness of the sheet of material from about 75 μm to about 200 μm. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein step (I) provides the average thickness of the sheet of material from about 75 μm to about 150 μm. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (I) provides the sheet of material positioned along a plane at a predetermined orientation within an angular range of from about +45° to about −45° with respect to a vertical axis. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the predetermined orientation of the sheet of material is maintained during step (II). 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (I) provides the edge portion extending along a peripheral portion of the sheet of material between the first face and the second face. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising a step of strengthening the edge portion before step (II). 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising a step of separating the sheet of material to provide the edge portion before step (II). 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the step of separating occurs after step (I). 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising a step of strengthening the edge portion after the step of separating and before step (II). 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising a step of edging the sheet of material to provide the edge portion before step (II). 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the step of edging occurs after step (I). 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising a step of separating the sheet of material before the step of edging the sheet of material. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising a step of strengthening the edge portion after the step of edging and before step (II). 
     
     
         17 . A method of finishing an edge portion of a glass sheet having a first face and a second face with the edge portion extending along a peripheral portion of the glass sheet between the first face and the second face, the method consisting essentially of a single step of:
 finishing the edge portion of the glass sheet with magnetorheological finishing such that the entire edge portion is shaped between the first face and the second face during the a single magnetorheological finishing step.   
     
     
         18 . A method of finishing an edge portion of a glass sheet consisting essentially of the steps of:
 (I) providing a glass sheet with a first face and a second face, wherein an average thickness of the glass sheet between the first face and the second face is from about 50 μm to about 500 μm; and   (II) finishing an edge portion of the glass sheet with magnetorheological finishing.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein, during step (II), the entire edge portion is shaped between the first face and the second face during a single magnetorheological finishing step. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein step (I) provides the average thickness of the glass sheet from about 75 μm to about 150 μm.