A review of research in numerical simulation for the glass-pressing process

Abstract

Pressing is one of the most versatile and important manufacturing processes capable of mass-producing complicated glass parts in net shape with excellent dimensional tolerance. Numerical simulation of glass pressing has been an active research area for many years, as part quality and yield requirements become more stringent. This paper reviews the research and development in numerical simulation of glass pressing. It organizes prior studies into three categories, namely, glass flow, heat transfer, and residual stresses. Based on the research progress to date, this paper suggests that the coupled and integrated simulation considering material, mould, and process, the use of empirical models and soft computing techniques to complement the numerical simulation, and small-scale experiments are the three most important areas for further advancement.