Lecture # 11

Ceramics, Glasses, and Superconductors:

Processing and Equipment
Manufacturing Processes
MEE-312

CUI Wah Campus

Mechanical Engineering
Department
 Chapter 18
Processing of Ceramics, Glass, and
Superconductors

Manufacturing, Engineering & Technology, Fifth Edition, by Serope Kalpakjian and Steven R. Schmid.
ISBN 0-13-148965-8. © 2006 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Introduction
• The methods employed for ceramics consist of crushing
the raw materials; shaping them by various means; and
drying, firing, and then applying finishing operations,
as needed, to achieve the required dimensional
tolerances and surface finish.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYw5zUyiS7M
• For glasses, the processes involve mixing and melting
the raw materials in a furnace and shaping them in
molds and by various techniques, depending on the
shape and size of the part.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXEUB5DQOmc
 Ceramic and Glass
Parts

(a)
(b)

Figure 18.1 Photos of typical (a) ceramic and (b) glass parts. Source: Courtesy of Sanwa
Components USA. (b) Courtesy of Corning Glass Works.
Manufacturing, Engineering & Technology, Fifth Edition, by Serope KalpakJian and Steven R. Schmid.
ISBN 0-13-148965-8. © 2006 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Characteristics of Ceramics
Processing

Manufacturing, Engineering & Technology, Fifth Edition, by Serope KalpakJian and Steven R. Schmid.
ISBN 0-13-148965-8. © 2006 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Steps in Making Ceramic Parts

Figure 18.2 Processing steps involved in making ceramic parts.

Manufacturing, Engineering & Technology, Fifth Edition, by Serope KalpakJian and Steven R. Schmid.
ISBN 0-13-148965-8. © 2006 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Slip-casting a Ceramic Part

Figure 18.3 Sequence of operations in slip-casting a ceramic part. After the slip has been poured, the
part is dried and fired in an oven to give it strength and hardness. Source: After F. H. Norton

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smPunE44wQk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1YCRs6QtEY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZzOTX9Ihqs
Manufacturing, Engineering & Technology, Fifth Edition, by Serope KalpakJian and Steven R. Schmid.
ISBN 0-13-148965-8. © 2006 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Doctor-Blade Process

Figure 18.4 Production

of ceramic sheets
through the doctor-
blade process

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aH_ag40WmU Doctor-Blade Process

 Extruding and Jiggering

Figure 18.5 (a) Extruding and (b) jiggering operations. Source: After R. F. Stoops

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DPwAjH-p9g Ceramics Extrusion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0s6FZtgmXbw Ceramics Jiggering

Manufacturing, Engineering & Technology, Fifth Edition, by Serope KalpakJian and Steven R. Schmid.
ISBN 0-13-148965-8. © 2006 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Methods of Pressing Ceramics
– Dry Pressing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3ZH9Fgvr8U
– Wet Pressing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkpHAa4STQA
– Isostatic Pressing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRP6NHOf-s0
– Jiggering
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iwzs6zN7RNk
– Injection Molding
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hI7wVDa9Ww
– Hot Pressing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-Cg1SYY2Rc
Manufacturing, Engineering & Technology, Fifth Edition, by Serope KalpakJian and Steven R. Schmid.
ISBN 0-13-148965-8. © 2006 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Drying and Firing
Shrinkage of Wet Clay

Figure 18.6 Shrinkage of wet clay caused by the removal of water during drying. Shrinkage
may be as much as 20% by volume. Source: After F. H. Norton.

Manufacturing, Engineering & Technology, Fifth Edition, by Serope KalpakJian and Steven R. Schmid.
ISBN 0-13-148965-8. © 2006 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Finishing Operations
• Firing causes dimensional changes in ceramics parts, additional
operations may be performed to
(a) give the ceramic part its final shape,
(b) improve its surface finish and dimensional tolerances, and
(c) remove any surface flaws.
• The finishing processes employed can be one or more of the following
operations:
1. Grinding (using a diamond wheel)
2. Lapping and honing
3. Ultrasonic machining
4. Drilling (using a diamond-coated drill)
5. Electrical-discharge machining
6. Laser-beam machining
7. Abrasive water-jet cutting
8. Tumbling (to remove sharp edges and grinding marks)
Manufacturing, Engineering & Technology, Fifth Edition, by Serope KalpakJian and Steven R. Schmid.
ISBN 0-13-148965-8. © 2006 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Forming and Shaping of Glass
• Glass is processed by melting and then shaping it, either in
molds, with tools, or by blowing.
• Glass shapes produced include flat sheets and plates, rods,
tubing, glass fibers, and discrete products such as bottles, light
bulbs, and headlights.
• Glass products may be as thick as those for large telescope
mirrors and as thin as those for holiday tree ornaments.
• All glass forming and shaping processes begin with molten
glass, typically in the range from 1000° to 1200°C (1830° to
2200°F).
• The glass has the appearance of a red-hot, viscous syrup and
is supplied from a melting furnace or tank.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMGkbrETU8M
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gINVBdW4cc0
 Flat-sheet and Plate Glass
Float Method

Figure 18.7 The float method of forming sheet glass.

Source: Courtesy of Corning Glass Works.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ig4G5WbOMLc

Manufacturing, Engineering & Technology, Fifth Edition, by Serope KalpakJian and Steven R. Schmid.
ISBN 0-13-148965-8. © 2006 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Flat-sheet and Plate Glass
Drawing Process and Rolling Process

Figure 18.8 (a) Drawing process for drawing sheet glass from a molten bath.
(b) Rolling process. Source: After W. D. Kingery.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDyeiePort0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOeHpqNGrq4
Manufacturing, Engineering & Technology, Fifth Edition, by Serope KalpakJian and Steven R. Schmid.
ISBN 0-13-148965-8. © 2006 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Glass Tubing Manufacturing

Figure 18.9 Manufacturing process for glass tubing. Air is blown through the mandrel to keep the
tube from collapsing. Glass tubes for fluorescent light bulbs are made by this method.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEfQ_Pj6Pjo
Manufacturing, Engineering & Technology, Fifth Edition, by Serope KalpakJian and Steven R. Schmid.
ISBN 0-13-148965-8. © 2006 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Steps in Manufacturing Glass Bottles

Figure 18.10 Stages in manufacturing an ordinary glass bottle. Source: After F. H. Norton.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_M8WBJMcM0
Manufacturing, Engineering & Technology, Fifth Edition, by Serope KalpakJian and Steven R. Schmid.
ISBN 0-13-148965-8. © 2006 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Manufacturing Glass by Pressing into Mold

Figure 18.11 Manufacturing a glass item by pressing glass into a mold.

Source: Courtesy of Corning Glass Works.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=314lZewvhKA

Manufacturing, Engineering & Technology, Fifth Edition, by Serope KalpakJian and Steven R. Schmid.
ISBN 0-13-148965-8. © 2006 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Pressing Glass into a Split Mold

Figure 18.12 Pressing glass into a split mold. Source: After E. B. Shand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiLaRZ8okms
Manufacturing, Engineering & Technology, Fifth Edition, by Serope KalpakJian and Steven R. Schmid.
ISBN 0-13-148965-8. © 2006 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Centrifugal Casting of Glass

Figure 18.13 Centrifugal casting of glass. Large telescope lenses and

television-tube funnels are made by this process. Source: Courtesy of
Corning Glass Works.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBWU7dEImTw
Manufacturing, Engineering & Technology, Fifth Edition, by Serope KalpakJian and Steven R. Schmid.
ISBN 0-13-148965-8. © 2006 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Discrete Glass Products
• Sagging
– Shallow dish-shaped or lightly embossed glass parts can be
made by the sagging process.
– A sheet of glass is placed over a mold and heated. The glass
sags by its own weight and takes the shape of the mold.
– Typical applications are dishes, sunglass lenses, mirrors for
telescopes, and lighting panels.
• Glass Ceramics Manufacture
– Glass ceramics (trade names: Pyroceram, Corningware)
contain large proportions of several oxides.
– Glass ceramics are shaped into discrete products (such as
dishes and baking pans) and then heat treated, whereby
glass becomes devitrified (recrystallized).
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dEiIWTK7UY

Manufacturing, Engineering & Technology, Fifth Edition, by Serope KalpakJian and Steven R. Schmid.
ISBN 0-13-148965-8. © 2006 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Glass Fibers
– Continuous glass fibers are drawn through multiple orifices
(200 to 400 holes) in heated platinum plates at speeds as high as
500 m/s (1700 ft/s).
– Fibers as small as in 2μm (80μ in ) diameter can be produced by
this method.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVlP2mZbXHM
– Short fibers (chopped) are produced by subjecting long fibers
to compressed air or steam as they leave the orifice.
– Glass wool (short glass fibers)—used as a thermal
insulating material or for acoustic insulation—is made by a
centrifugal spraying process in which molten glass is ejected (spun)
from a rotating head.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8twsmKdnBfM

Manufacturing, Engineering & Technology, Fifth Edition, by Serope KalpakJian and Steven R. Schmid.
ISBN 0-13-148965-8. © 2006 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Residual Stresses in Tempered-Glass Plate

Figure 18.14 Residual stresses in tempered-glass plate, and the stages involved
in inducing compressive surface residual stresses for improved strength.

Manufacturing, Engineering & Technology, Fifth Edition, by Serope KalpakJian and Steven R. Schmid.
ISBN 0-13-148965-8. © 2006 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Processing of Superconductors
• Although superconductors have major energy-saving potential in
the generation, storage, and distribution of electrical power, their
processing into useful shapes and sizes for practical applications has
presented significant difficulties.
• Metals, called low-temperature superconductors (LTSC), include
combinations of niobium, tin, and titanium. For example, niobium–tin
alloys, cooled by liquid helium, constitute the superconducting
magnet used in most magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners for
medical imaging.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onB0w3_Su9I
• Ceramics, called high-temperature superconductors (HTSC),
include various copper oxides. Here, “high” temperature means
“closer to ambient temperature,” although the commercially important
HTSCs maintain superconductivity above the boiling point of liquid
nitrogen (-196°C, or -321°F).
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKE8GsVres8
Manufacturing, Engineering & Technology, Fifth Edition, by Serope KalpakJian and Steven R. Schmid.
ISBN 0-13-148965-8. © 2006 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Production of High-temperature
Superconducting Tapes

Figure 18.15 Schematic illustration of the powder-in-tube process.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9_YyiScKhE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lJ6BLvbX8k

Manufacturing, Engineering & Technology, Fifth Edition, by Serope KalpakJian and Steven R. Schmid.
ISBN 0-13-148965-8. © 2006 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.