Glass Annealing Oven
Glass Annealing Oven
| Glass annealing ovens, or furnace, are used by glassblowers to eliminate stresses created in glassware during the glassblowing process. Under controlled conditions the oven slowly and evenly heats the glass to annealing temperature. After a brief soaking period to ensure even heat distribution throughout the glassware, the oven temperature is slowly returned to room temperature. |
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A typical glass annealing oven. This particular make/model is known as a bell type oven. The "bell" is in the lowered and operational position in this photo. |
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Annealing oven with the bell in the raised position. Some advantages of this design are easy access to the oven interior for placing your work, and the economy of trapping heat within the raised bell when opened at operating temperatures. |
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Annealing oven bed. The surface (glass/ceramic fiber blanket) shown is a material known as Fiber-Fax. Vermiculite is another commonly used material in some ovens, though there have been some health related issues concerning its use. |
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Looking up into the bell. This particular oven is used for annealing borosilicate glass. The electrical heating elements are controlled by a processor. The process may be a simple on/off control, or may be a series of temperature / time stages to reach annealing temperature. |
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