How it Works - Fusion Glass Manufacturing Process

At Corning, we envision a display-driven future, where human connections are strengthened, productivity is augmented, and smart surfaces are seamlessly integrated. Key to the technologies that are making this future possible is Corning’s proprietary fusion glass manufacturing process. Even after decades of development, we haven’t finished perfecting this revolutionary glassmaking method, invented by Corning.  

Fusion glass manufacturing has become the industry’s most efficient method for producing pristine, thin, stable flat glass – all in midair.  

Our process starts with sand. A precise recipe of pure sand and other inorganic materials mix together to form a homogenous batch of raw materials. The mixture is poured into a large, brick-walled melting tank – heated with a majority of electricity versus natural gas – where raw materials turn molten. In a continuous flow, the molten glass pours into a large collection trough with a V-shaped bottom, known as an isopipe.  

Molten glass flows evenly over the top edges of the isopipe, forming two thin, sheet-like streams along the outer surfaces. The two sheets meet at the V-shaped bottom point of the isopipe and fuse into a single sheet. 

The sheet then begins to cool in midair as it is drawn downward by gravity and a series of precise controls.  

When the sheet reaches the bottom of the fusion draw, it has cooled and stabilized. The continuous stream of thin glass is cut into sheets at the bottom of the draw. 

Fusion-formed glass is remarkably flat, uniform in thickness, and thermally stable. To ensure each substrate meets these and other precise requirements, the glass moves through a series of processing steps.  

First, glass sheets are trimmed to exact size. The trimmings are collected and returned to the top of the draw, where they can be reincorporated at the melting stage to become part of the next batch of molten glass. 

After trimming, each sheet is carefully beveled, which strengthens the substrate’s edges. The sheets are then thoroughly cleaned before moving through a series of high-precision quality inspections to ensure every sheet is ready for delivery. 

For customers of our largest glass substrates, Corning’s Gen 10.5 glass – measuring about 3 meters by 3 meters – fill reusable crates and travel by skybridge directly into the customer’s display-panel production facility, fully avoiding single-use packaging and emissions from standard shipping methods. 

Through decades of dedicated innovation and learning, Corning has developed the most efficient method for producing pristine, thin, and large advanced glass ideally suited to enable displays of today and tomorrow. From LCD to OLED to infinite possibilities, Corning’s fusion-formed glass is ushering in the display-driven future.