Glass Formula Development

• Composition engineering to meet customer requirements
• Development phase partnering
• Scale up melting

Quality Production Methods

• Preproduction verification with lab melting/milling & characterization
• Melting in platinum crucibles (acid cleaned to prevent cross contamination)
• Appropriate selection of raw materials
• Careful batching procedure
  • computerized adjustments for equivalencies and minor ingredients
  • computerized bar code guided batching
  • lot identification, control and traceability
• Careful melt control
  • composition-specific production procedures
  • three continuous temperature readings: ambient, top & bottom of glass
  • preset time-temperature profiles with PID controllers
  • temperature control w/alarms for consistent thermal history
• Appropriate quenching depending upon glass
  • de Ionized water quenched
  • dry roller quenched
  • constant temperature throughout pour
  • rapid quenching for crystallization-sensitive glasses
• Closed system for water frit casting/drying/prepacking
• Quality powder processing
  • composition-specific milling procedures
  • wet, dry ball mills, vibratory mills
  • grind to specific median particle size and/or surface area
  • dry or wet screening, various mesh sizes
  • consistent quality, high volume spray drying

In-House Analytical Support

• Density (displacement or picnometry)
• Softening Point (Labino)
• Thermal Mechanical Analysis
  • Coefficient of Thermal Expansion
  • Dilatometric Softening Point
  • Glass Transition Temperature
• TG/DTA
  • Crystallization Peaks
  • Gravimetric Loss
  • Glass Transition
• Powder Particle Size Distribution
• Surface Area
• Moisture Content
• Dielectric Constant and Loss Tangent

Quality Control of Critical Characteristics

• Strict calibration program
• Measurement Systems Analysis
• Statistical Process Control (SPC)
  • Control Charts
  • Cpk Tracking

Other Capabilities

• Range of furnace sizes for scale up: 18 liter to 186 liter
• Ability to handle heavy metal oxides and other toxic materials
• Operate to all applicable environmental and safety regulations
• Air collection at dozens of critical process points
• Appropriate bag houses and scrubbers
• Plant wide central vacuum cleaning system
• Plant wide central water collection and treatment

The VIOX Mission Program

• A total quality management system
• A continuous improvement system
• Led to receiving the Washington State Quality Award for 1996 (uses the full Malcolm Baldrige criteria).