Development of Self-Learning Program for the Bending Process of Quartz Glass

Abstract

Abstract-Quartz glass is a high-performance glass material with its high heat and chemical resistance, wide optical transparency ranging from ultraviolet light to infrared light, and the high formativeness as a glass material. Because it has high morphological stability due to its heat resistance and low thermal expansion, it is widely used as material for specialized research and development or high-precision components. There are several techniques to process quartz glass material, and an important process among them is the fire processing. The fire processing requires technology to heat and mold glass material in high temperature, and high-quality processing is done by the manual works of experts. In this study, we focused on bending work, which is the process that demands particularly high skill among the fire processing. We developed a self-learning program for beginners to improve their skill in short time by using the bending know-hows of the experts that were clarified through process analysis, product evaluation and an interview with the expert, and examined its effectiveness. As a result, a consistent educational effect was observed in the bending skill improvement of the beginner in a short period of time.