Innovative glass bending technology for manufacturing expressive shaped glasses with sharp curvves

Three-dimensional formed glass products, manufacured from flat glass, are experiencing rapidly growing demand. Actual limitaions of bent glass products are shapes with sharp curves, meaning bending radii smaller than 50 mm are not available. Withing this work, we present an innovative and advanced bending process for manufacturing sharp curved glass. Using this technology designers and architects are able to create expressive shaped glass shells for products and buildings. We use a special glass bending facility to apply local heat to the glass. Numerical simulations with an advanced material model and a detailed desciption of the thermal conductance and temmperature distribution are perfomed during the development phase. Real samples were formed to demonstrate the potential for the use in modern facades and automotive applicastions.