Method for production of glass components

Abstract

A method for the production of glass components, an apparatus for carrying out the method and a glass component that is obtainable through the method are provided. The method is a drawing method wherein a forming zone of a preform is heated to a temperature that allows drawing of the glass. The method is characterized in that the forming zone of the preform is very small. Thereby the width of the preform is decreased to a smaller extent than its thickness. The glass components that can be obtained by this method have very smooth surfaces.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for redrawing of glass, comprising the steps of:
 providing a blank of glass having an average thickness (D) and an average width (B),   heating a deformation zone of the blank, and   drawing the blank to an average thickness (d) and an average width (b), wherein the deformation zone is a part of the blank in which the blank has a thickness of between 0.95*D and 1.05*d and wherein the deformation zone has a height of at most 6*D.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the deformation zone has a height of at most 100 mm. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of heating heats the deformation zone to a temperature (T2) such that a viscosity (η2) of the glass is at most <107.6 dPas. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the glass is a technical glass or an optical glass. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the heating step comprises using a redrawing apparatus comprising a heating facility selected from the group consisting of a resistance heater, a burner arrangement, a radiation heater, a laser, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the blank is drawn in a region below the deformation zone by a drawing facility. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the blank is fed from a region above the deformation zone into a direction of deformation zone. 
     
     
         8 . A redrawing apparatus for conducting the method according to  claim 1 , comprising a deformation region and a heating facility for heating the deformation zone, wherein the heating facility and/or the deformation region are designed such that the deformation zone of the blank that is at least partially disposed in the deformation region can be heated to a temperature (T2) at which the glass has a viscosity (η2) of at most <107.6 dPas. 
     
     
         9 . The redrawing apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the deformation region has a height of at most 250 mm. 
     
     
         10 . A redrawn glass component produced according to the method according to  claim 1 , comprising a ratio of the average thickness (d) to the average width (b) of 1:2 to 1:20,000 and a fire-polished surface having a roughness (Ra) of at most 20 nm.