JP6484468B2 - Glass plate manufacturing method and glass plate manufacturing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a glass plate manufacturing method and a glass plate manufacturing apparatus.

  A glass plate used for manufacturing a flat panel display (FPD) such as a liquid crystal display and a plasma display is manufactured by, for example, an overflow down draw method. In the overflow downdraw method, molten glass that has been poured into the molded body and overflowed flows down along the surface of the molded body, and merges in the vicinity of the lower end of the molded body, so that a glass plate is continuously formed. The formed glass plate is cooled while being drawn downward, and is cut into a predetermined size. The cut glass plate is packed and shipped through an end face processing step, a surface cleaning step, an inspection step, and the like.

  In the step of cutting the formed glass plate into a predetermined size, a cutting method using a cutter or a laser is generally used. In the method of cutting a glass plate with a cutter, the glass plate is mechanically cut and cut. Therefore, a crack having a depth of about several μm to 100 μm is formed on the end surface of the cut glass plate. This crack causes deterioration of the mechanical strength of the glass plate. Moreover, in the cutting method of the glass plate by a laser, a glass plate is cut | disconnected by making a cut into a glass plate using a thermal stress. Therefore, the end surface of the cut glass plate is sharp and easily chipped. A layer in which cracks and sharp portions are formed on the end face of the cut glass plate is called a horizontal crack and a brittle fracture layer, and needs to be removed by grinding and polishing the end face. That is, in order to increase the mechanical strength of the glass plate, suppress the occurrence of defects in the glass plate, and facilitate handling in the subsequent process, an end face processing step of the glass plate is performed.

  As an example of the end face processing step of the glass plate, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-110648) discloses a method of chamfering the end face by moving the chamfering grindstone along the end face of the cut glass plate. Has been. In this method, the position of the end surface of the glass plate fixed to the table is measured by a laser displacement meter, and the processing start position and processing end position of the end surface by the chamfering grindstone are calculated. Specifically, the coordinates of the machining start position and machining end position of the end face are calculated by extrapolation from the measurement values obtained by the laser displacement meter. The machining start position and machining end position of the end face are corrected based on the difference between the calculated coordinates and the reference coordinates and the desired grinding allowance.

  However, generally, the straightness of the end face of the glass plate is lowered by the end face processing step. That is, minute irregularities are formed on the end surface of the glass plate that has been chamfered along the direction in which the end surface extends. Minute irregularities are waviness of the end face. The decrease in the straightness of the end face is mainly due to the mechanical accuracy of the apparatus for moving the chamfering grindstone along the end face. Further, in order to remove the horizontal crack and the brittle fracture layer from the end face of the glass plate in the end face processing step, a processing accuracy of ± 10 μm is required along the direction orthogonal to the end face. Therefore, it is important to improve the processing accuracy of the end surface of the glass plate and improve the straightness of the chamfered end surface.

  Moreover, in order to improve the bending strength of a glass plate, it is necessary to make small the surface width difference of the glass plate by which the end surface was chamfered. The surface width difference is a difference between the width of a region removed from one main surface by chamfering and the width of a region removed from the other main surface. However, due to the accuracy of the surface of the table to which the glass plate is fixed and the mechanical accuracy of the device for moving the chamfering grindstone along the end surface, it is difficult to reduce the surface width difference in the end surface processing step. is there. Therefore, it is important to improve the processing accuracy of the end surface of the glass plate and reduce the surface width difference of the glass plate whose end surface is chamfered.

  The objective of this invention is providing the glass plate manufacturing method and glass plate manufacturing apparatus which can improve the processing precision of the end surface of a glass plate.

  The glass plate manufacturing method according to the present invention includes an end surface processing step, an end surface measurement step, a processing line calculation step, and a processing line correction step. In the end face processing step, the end face is chamfered by bringing the chamfering grindstone into contact with the end face of the fixed glass plate and moving the chamfering grindstone relative to the glass plate. The end face measurement step measures the shape of the end face that has been chamfered in the end face processing step. In the processing line calculation step, a processing line that is a locus of the chamfering grindstone with respect to the glass plate in the end surface processing step is calculated based on the shape of the end surface measured in the end surface measurement step. The adjustment line calculation step calculates an adjustment line based on the processing line calculated in the processing line calculation step. The adjustment line is used to uniformly chamfer the end face. In the end face processing step, when the adjustment line is calculated in the adjustment line calculation step, the end face is chamfered so that the locus of the chamfering grindstone with respect to the glass plate follows the adjustment line.

  In this glass plate manufacturing method, first, the end surface of the glass plate for adjustment is chamfered with a chamfering grindstone. Next, the shape of the chamfered end face of the adjustment glass plate is measured, and a processed line is calculated. A process line represents the locus | trajectory of the chamfering grindstone with respect to a glass plate at the time of the chamfering process of the glass plate for adjustment. Next, an adjustment line is calculated based on the calculated processing line. The adjustment line represents the locus of the chamfering grindstone with respect to the glass plate in order to make the grinding amount of the end face of the glass plate uniform. Next, the chamfering process of the end surface of the glass plate different from the glass plate for adjustment is performed. At this time, a chamfering process for uniformly grinding the end surface of the glass plate is performed by moving the chamfering grindstone with respect to the glass plate along the calculated adjustment line. Therefore, this glass plate manufacturing method can improve the processing accuracy of the end surface of the glass plate.

  In the end face measurement step, it is preferable to measure the shape of the end face by setting a plurality of measurement points on the end face along the end face and measuring the shape parameter at each measurement point. In this case, the machining line correction step calculates the machining line based on the shape parameter at each measurement point. The adjustment line calculation step calculates an adjustment line having an adjustment point corresponding to each measurement point.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the chamfering grindstone is movable along the first axis from the chamfering grindstone toward the end surface. In this case, the end face measurement step measures the coordinates of the first axis as shape parameters at each measurement point. The adjustment line calculation step calculates an adjustment line in which the coordinate of the first axis of the corresponding adjustment point is smaller as the value of the shape parameter of each measurement point is larger.

  Further, the chamfering grindstone is movable from the first main surface of the glass plate toward the second main surface on the back side of the first main surface and along a second axis perpendicular to the first main surface. preferable. In this case, the end face measurement step measures, as a shape parameter, a face width difference that is a value obtained by subtracting the second chamfer width from the first chamfer width at each measurement point. The adjustment line calculation step calculates an adjustment line with a smaller coordinate of the second axis of the corresponding correction point as the value of the shape parameter of each measurement point is larger. The first chamfer width is the width of the region removed from the first main surface in the end face processing step. The second chamfer width is the width of the region removed from the second main surface in the end face processing step.

  The glass plate manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention includes a table for fixing the glass plate, a chamfering grindstone for chamfering the end surface of the glass plate, a processing control unit, and a measurement control unit. A process control part makes a chamfering grindstone contact the end surface of the glass plate fixed to the table, and chamfers an end surface by moving a chamfering grindstone relatively with respect to a glass plate. The measurement control unit measures the shape of the end face. A process control part calculates the process line which is a locus | trajectory of the chamfering grindstone with respect to the glass plate at the time of a chamfering process based on the shape of the end surface measured by the measurement control part. The processing control unit calculates an adjustment line based on the calculated processing line. A process control part chamfers an end surface so that the locus | trajectory of the chamfering grindstone with respect to a glass plate may follow an adjustment line, when an adjustment line is calculated.

  The glass plate manufacturing method and the glass plate manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention can improve the processing accuracy of the end face of the glass plate.

It is a flowchart of a glass plate manufacturing process. It is a top view of an end surface processing apparatus. It is a side view of an end surface processing apparatus. It is a figure showing the state which the glass plate conveying apparatus has mounted the glass plate on the adsorption | suction table. It is a top view of an end face measuring device. It is a figure showing the measurement point set to an end surface. It is a figure showing the measurement point set to an end surface. It is a flowchart of the process by which the end surface is chamfered. It is a graph which shows the measurement result of the measurement point of an end surface, and the calculated adjustment line. It is a graph which shows the measurement result of the measurement point of the end surface chamfered along the adjustment line. It is a figure for demonstrating the surface width difference of the end surface of a glass plate. It is a figure for demonstrating the surface width difference of the end surface of a glass plate. It is a measurement result of the 1st chamfering width of an end surface, the 2nd chamfering width, and a surface width difference. It is a measurement result of the 1st chamfering width | variety of the end surface chamfered along the adjustment line, the 2nd chamfering width | variety, and a surface width difference.

  The glass plate manufacturing method as an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The glass plate manufacturing method in the present embodiment uses an end face processing device 100 for processing the end face of the glass plate and an end face measuring device 110 for measuring the shape of the end face of the glass plate.

(1) Outline of Manufacturing Process of Glass Plate A manufacturing process of the glass plate 10 processed by the end face processing apparatus 100 used in this embodiment will be described. The glass plate 10 is used for manufacturing flat panel displays (FPD) such as liquid crystal displays, plasma displays, and organic EL displays. The glass plate 10 has a thickness of 0.2 mm to 0.8 mm, for example, and has a size of 680 mm to 2200 mm in length and 880 mm to 2500 mm in width.

  As an example of the glass plate 10, the glass which has the following compositions (a)-(j) is mentioned.

(A) SiO ₂ : 50% by mass to 70% by mass,
(B) Al ₂ O ₃ : 10% by mass to 25% by mass,
(C) B ₂ O ₃ : 1% by mass to 18% by mass,
(D) MgO: 0% by mass to 10% by mass,
(E) CaO: 0% by mass to 20% by mass,
(F) SrO: 0% by mass to 20% by mass,
(G) BaO: 0% by mass to 10% by mass,
(H) RO: 5% by mass to 20% by mass (R is at least one selected from Mg, Ca, Sr and Ba),
(I) R ′ ₂ O: 0% by mass to 2.0% by mass (R ′ is at least one selected from Li, Na and K),
(J) At least one metal oxide selected from SnO ₂ , Fe ₂ O ₃ and CeO ₂ .

  The glass having the above composition is allowed to contain other trace components in the range of less than 0.1% by mass.

  FIG. 1 is an example of a flowchart showing a manufacturing process of the glass plate 10. The manufacturing process of the glass plate 10 mainly includes a forming process (step S1), a plate-making process (step S2), a cutting process (step S3), a roughening process (step S4), and an end face processing process (step). S5), a shape measurement process (step S6), a cleaning process (step S7), an inspection process (step S8), and a packing process (step S9).

  In the forming step S1, a glass sheet is continuously formed from a molten glass obtained by heating a glass raw material by a downdraw method or a float method. The molded glass sheet is cooled to a glass annealing point or lower while the temperature is controlled so that distortion and warpage do not occur.

  In the plate-drawing step S2, the glass sheet formed in the forming step S1 is cut to obtain a base plate glass having a predetermined dimension.

  In the cutting step S3, the base glass obtained in the plate-drawing step S2 is cut to obtain a glass plate 10 having a product size. The base glass is cut with high processing accuracy using a laser.

  In the roughening step S4, a roughening treatment is performed to increase the surface roughness of the glass plate 10 obtained in the cutting step S3. The roughening treatment of the glass plate 10 is, for example, wet etching using an etchant containing hydrogen fluoride.

  In the end face processing step S5, chamfering of the end face of the glass plate 10 that has been subjected to the roughening process in the roughening step S4 is performed. A part of the chamfered end surface has an R shape. The end surface processing step S5 is performed by the end surface processing apparatus 100.

  In the shape measurement step S6, the shape of the end face chamfered in the end face processing step S5 is measured. Data on the measured shape of the end face is used in the end face processing step S5. The shape measuring step S6 is performed by the end face measuring device 110. In addition, shape measurement process S6 should just be performed with respect to the first glass plate 10 of each manufacturing lot at least.

  In the cleaning step S7, the glass plate 10 that has been subjected to the end surface processing in the end surface processing step S5 is cleaned. On the glass plate 10, foreign substances such as fine glass pieces generated by cutting the base plate glass and end face processing of the glass plate 10, and organic substances existing in the atmosphere are attached. These foreign substances are removed by cleaning the glass plate 10.

  In the inspection step S8, the glass plate 10 cleaned in the cleaning step S7 is inspected. Specifically, the shape of the glass plate 10 is measured, and a defect in the glass plate 10 is optically detected. The defects of the glass plate 10 are, for example, scratches and cracks existing on the surface of the glass plate 10, foreign matters adhering to the surface of the glass plate 10, and minute bubbles existing inside the glass plate 10. is there.

  In packing process S9, the glass plate 10 which passed the test | inspection in test process S8 is laminated | stacked on a pallet alternately with the slip sheet for protecting the glass plate 10, and is packed. The packed glass plate 10 is shipped to an FPD manufacturer or the like.

(2) Configuration of End Face Processing Device FIG. 2 is a plan view of the end face processing device 100. FIG. 3 is a side view of the end face processing apparatus 100 as seen from the direction of the arrow III shown in FIG. The end surface processing apparatus 100 chamfers the end surface of the fixed glass plate 10 in the end surface processing step S5.

  The end surface processing apparatus 100 is mainly composed of a glass plate conveying device 20, a suction table 30, a pair of chamfering grindstones 40 and 42, a pair of grindstone moving mechanisms 70 and 72, a grinding fluid supply device 80, and a water supply device 90. And a machining control unit (not shown).

  The glass plate 10 whose end face is chamfered by the end face processing apparatus 100 has a rectangular shape. The glass plate 10 has end surfaces 11 and 12 parallel to its long side and end surfaces 13 and 14 parallel to its short side.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a two-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system including an X axis and a Y axis is set on a plane parallel to the surface of the glass plate 10. As shown in FIG. 3, a Z-axis that is orthogonal to a plane including the X-axis and the Y-axis and is upward in the vertical direction is set. The direction of the X axis is a direction from the end face 13 toward the end face 14, as shown in FIG. The direction of the X axis is a direction in which the chamfering grindstones 40 and 42 move while contacting the end surfaces 11 and 12 in the end surface machining step S5. The direction of the Y-axis is a direction from the end face 11 toward the end face 12, as shown in FIG.

  Next, a process of chamfering the end surfaces 11 and 12 parallel to the long sides of the glass plate 10 by the end surface processing apparatus 100 will be described. However, the following description can also be applied to a process in which the end surface processing apparatus 100 chamfers the end surfaces 13 and 14 parallel to the short side of the glass plate 10.

(2-1) Glass plate conveyance device The glass plate conveyance device 20 is a robot that conveys the glass plate 10. The glass plate transport device 20 transports the glass plate 10 and places the glass plate 10 on the suction table 30 or lifts the glass plate 10 placed on the suction table 30 to make glass The board 10 is conveyed.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the glass plate conveying device 20 places the glass plate 10 on the suction table 30. The glass plate conveying apparatus 20 has a comb-shaped robot hand 22 having a plurality of teeth. The robot hand 22 can suck and hold the lower surface of the glass plate 10. The glass plate transport device 20 can change the position of the robot hand 22 holding the glass plate 10 or can rotate it in a plane parallel to the horizontal plane. As shown in FIG. 4, the glass plate conveying device 20 can insert the teeth of the robot hand 22 between the support pins 32 of the suction table 30.

(2-2) Suction Table The suction table 30 has a plurality of support pins 32 as shown in FIG. The support pins 32 are attached to the upper surface of the suction table 30 at predetermined intervals along the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. A large number of suction holes (not shown) for sucking the lower surface of the glass plate 10 placed on the suction table 30 are formed on the upper surface of the suction table 30. The suction table 30 fixes the placed glass plate 10 by the suction force by suction of the suction holes. The upper surface of the suction table 30 has a rectangular shape. The long side of the upper surface of the suction table 30 is parallel to the X axis, and the short side of the upper surface of the suction table 30 is parallel to the Y axis.

  A process in which the glass plate conveying device 20 carrying the glass plate 10 places the glass plate 10 on the suction table 30 will be described. First, the robot hand 22 holding the glass plate 10 is lowered so that the teeth of the robot hand 22 are positioned between the support pins 32. The robot hand 22 is lowered to a height position at which the support pins 32 are in contact with the lower surface of the glass plate 10. Next, the suction of the glass plate 10 by the robot hand 22 is released. As a result, the glass plate 10 is supported only by the support pins 32. Next, the robot hand 22 is moved horizontally, and the robot hand 22 is extracted from between the support pins 32. Next, the support pin 32 is lowered and the glass plate 10 is placed on the suction table 30. Next, the glass plate 10 is fixed on the suction table 30 by suction of the suction holes.

  A process in which the glass plate conveying device 20 takes out the glass plate 10 placed on the suction table 30 will be described. First, the suction of the suction holes is released, the support pins 32 are raised, and the glass plate 10 is supported only by the support pins 32. Next, the robot hand 22 is moved in the horizontal direction and inserted between the support pins 32 of the suction table 30. Next, adsorption of the glass plate 10 by the robot hand 22 is started, the robot hand 22 is raised, and the glass plate 10 is lifted. Next, the glass plate 10 is transported to a subsequent process by the robot hand 22.

(2-3) Chamfering grindstones A pair of chamfering grindstones 40 and 42 are grinding wheels for chamfering the end surfaces 11 and 12 of the glass plate 10, respectively. The chamfering grindstones 40 and 42 are attached to the grindstone moving mechanisms 70 and 72, respectively.

  The chamfering grindstones 40 and 42 are movable along the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction. The positions of the chamfering grindstones 40 and 42 in the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction are adjusted by the grindstone moving mechanisms 70 and 72, respectively.

  The chamfering grindstones 40 and 42 are diamond wheels. The diamond wheel is, for example, a grinding wheel in which diamond abrasive grains are hardened with a metallic binder including iron and copper. The diamond abrasive grains are diamond abrasive grains having a particle size of # 300 to 600, for example. As shown in FIG. 3, machining grooves are formed in the circumferential direction on the side surfaces of the chamfering grindstones 40 and 42. The chamfering grindstones 40 and 42 rotate around a rotation axis parallel to the Z axis. The end surfaces 11 and 12 are chamfered by the end portions of the glass plate 10 coming into contact with the inner surfaces of the processing grooves of the rotating chamfering grindstones 40 and 42. Thereby, the end surfaces 11 and 12 which are chamfered in the cutting step S3 are shaped so as to have a round shape.

(2-4) Grinding Wheel Moving Mechanism The pair of grinding wheel moving mechanisms 70 and 72 are units that can move along the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction. The grindstone moving mechanism 70 is a unit to which the chamfering grindstone 40 is attached. The grindstone moving mechanism 70 can adjust the relative positions of the chamfering grindstone 40 with respect to the glass plate 10 in the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction. The grindstone moving mechanism 72 is a unit to which the chamfering grindstone 42 is attached. The grindstone moving mechanism 72 can adjust the relative positions of the chamfering grindstone 42 with respect to the glass plate 10 in the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction.

(2-5) Grinding Fluid Supply Device The grinding fluid supply device 80 is installed on the side of the glass plate 10 and in the vicinity of the chamfering grindstones 40 and 42 as shown in FIG. , 12 is a device for spraying a grinding fluid. The grinding fluid is, for example, water, water to which a surfactant is added, or water to which other chemicals are added. Note that the liquid that may remain on the glass plate 10 after the cleaning step S6 and the liquid that may promote the deterioration of the end face processing apparatus 100 are not used as the grinding liquid. Although not shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a cover for preventing the grinding liquid from adhering to the surface of the glass plate 10 may be provided above the glass plate 10. Although not shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a grindstone cover that covers the chamfering grindstones 40 and 42 may be provided. By installing the grindstone cover, the grinding fluid can be collected.

  Since the grinding liquid in which the surfactant is added to the water has a small surface tension, it easily enters a grinding point which is a contact portion between the end faces 11 and 12 of the glass plate 10 and the chamfering grindstones 40 and 42. Therefore, the grinding liquid has an effect of washing away foreign substances such as glass fine particles generated by grinding the glass plate 10. Further, the grinding fluid has an effect of cooling a grinding point that tends to become high temperature due to friction.

(2-6) Water Supply Device As shown in FIG. 3, the water supply device 90 is a device that is installed above the glass plate 10 and sprays water toward the end surfaces 11 and 12 of the glass plate 10. By processing the end surfaces 11 and 12 of the glass plate 10 with the chamfering grindstones 40 and 42, cullet which is a small piece of glass is scattered from the end surfaces 11 and 12. The water supply device 90 ejects water from the inside of the surface of the glass plate 10 toward the end surfaces 11 and 12 to form a water film. Thereby, the water supply apparatus 90 can reduce the amount of cullet scattered toward the inside of the surface of the glass plate 10. Therefore, the water supply device 90 can suppress the amount of cullet that adheres to the surface of the glass plate 10.

(2-7) Processing Control Unit The processing control unit is a computer that controls the operation of the end surface processing apparatus 100. The processing control unit controls the glass plate conveying device 20, the suction table 30, the pair of chamfering grindstones 40 and 42, the pair of grindstone moving mechanisms 70 and 72, the grinding fluid supply device 80, and the water supply device 90.

  The processing control unit controls the position and posture of the robot hand 22 of the glass plate conveyance device 20. The processing controller starts and ends the suction of the glass plate 10 placed on the suction table 30. The processing control unit controls the rotation speed of the chamfering grindstones 40 and 42. The processing control unit controls the positions of the grindstone moving mechanisms 70 and 72 in the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction. The processing control unit controls the amount of grinding liquid sprayed on the glass plate 10 by the grinding liquid supply device 80. The processing control unit controls the amount of water sprayed on the glass plate 10 by the water supply device 90.

  Further, the processing control unit is connected to the end face measuring device 110. The machining control unit can receive data from the end face measuring apparatus 110 and transmit data to the end face measuring apparatus 110. For example, the processing control unit can receive data related to the shapes of the end surfaces 11 and 12 of the glass plate 10 measured by the end surface measuring device 110.

(3) Configuration of End Surface Measuring Device The end surface measuring device 110 measures the shapes of the end surfaces 11 to 14 of the glass plate 10 that are chamfered by the end surface processing device 100. Hereinafter, a process in which the end face measuring device 110 measures the shape of the end faces 11 and 12 parallel to the long side of the glass plate 10 will be described. However, the following description can also be applied to a process in which the end face measuring device 110 measures the shape of the end faces 13 and 14 parallel to the short side of the glass plate 10.

  FIG. 5 is a plan view of the end face measuring apparatus 110. The end face measuring apparatus 110 mainly includes a mounting table 120, a pair of position sensors 130 and 132, a pair of sensor moving mechanisms 140 and 142, and a measurement control unit (not shown).

(3-1) Mounting Table The mounting table 120 is a table on which the glass plate 10 whose end surface is chamfered by the end surface processing apparatus 100 is mounted. The glass plate 10 whose end surface is chamfered is lifted by the glass plate transport device 20, transported to the end surface measurement device 110, and placed on the mounting table 120.

(3-2) Position Sensor The pair of position sensors 130 and 132 are contact sensors that measure the shapes of the end surfaces 11 and 12 of the glass plate 10 placed on the placement table 120, respectively. The position sensors 130 and 132 contact the end surfaces 11 and 12, respectively, and can acquire the positions of the contact points with the end surfaces 11 and 12 as coordinates in the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction, respectively. 130a and 132a.

(3-3) Sensor Movement Mechanism The pair of sensor movement mechanisms 140 and 142 are units that can move along the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction. The sensor moving mechanism 140 is a unit to which the position sensor 130 is attached. The sensor moving mechanism 140 can adjust the relative positions of the position sensor 130 with respect to the glass plate 10 in the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction. The sensor moving mechanism 142 is a unit to which the position sensor 132 is attached. The sensor moving mechanism 142 can adjust the relative positions of the position sensor 132 with respect to the glass plate 10 in the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction.

(3-4) Measurement Control Unit The measurement control unit is a computer that controls the operation of the end face measurement device 110. The measurement control unit controls the pair of position sensors 130 and 132 and the pair of sensor moving mechanisms 140 and 142. The measurement control unit can control the positions of the position sensors 130 and 132. The measurement control unit can control the positions of the sensor moving mechanisms 140 and 142.

  Data representing the shape of the end surfaces 11 and 12 of the glass plate 10 is composed of coordinates in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction of a plurality of measurement points preset on the end surfaces 11 and 12. FIG. 6 shows six measurement points P11 to P16 set on the end surface 11 and six measurement points P21 to P26 set on the end surface 12 when viewed along the Z-axis direction. . FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the glass plate 10 cut along a plane including the Y-axis and the Z-axis as seen from the direction of the arrow VII shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, the measurement points P <b> 16 and P <b> 26 are at the height position of the center of the end surfaces 11 and 12 in the Z-axis direction. Other measurement points P11 to P15 and P21 to P25 are also at the height positions of the centers of the end surfaces 11 and 12 in the Z-axis direction. Hereinafter, it is assumed that the positions of the measurement points P11 to P16 on the end surface 11 in the X-axis direction are the same as the positions of the measurement points P21 to P26 on the end surface 12 in the X-axis direction, respectively. Data representing the shape of the end face 11 is composed of coordinates in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction of the measurement points P11 to P16. Data representing the shape of the end face 12 is composed of coordinates in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction of the measurement points P21 to P26. Note that the number of measurement points set on the end faces 11 and 12 may be set as appropriate according to the dimensions of the glass plate 10. Measurement points may be set at predetermined intervals. For example, the measurement points may be set at an interval of 1 mm to 50 mm, preferably at an interval of 1 mm to 10 mm. For example, when the dimensions of the end surfaces 11 and 12 of the glass plate 10 are 2500 mm, the measurement points may be set at equal intervals with an interval of 10 mm.

  Next, a process in which the measurement control unit measures the positions of the measurement points P11 to P16 on the end surface 11 using the position sensor 130 will be described. The following description can also be applied to a process in which the measurement control unit measures the positions of the measurement points P21 to P26 on the end surface 12 using the position sensor 132.

  The measurement control unit sequentially measures the positions of the measurement points P11 to P16 along the positive direction of the X axis. First, the measurement control unit adjusts the coordinate in the X-axis direction of the position sensor 130 to the coordinate in the X-axis direction of the measurement point P11. Next, the measurement control unit adjusts the coordinate in the Z-axis direction of the position sensor 130 to the height position of the center of the end surface 11 in the Z-axis direction. Next, the measurement control unit adjusts the coordinate in the Y-axis direction of the position sensor 130 to a position where the tip portion 130 a of the position sensor 130 contacts the end surface 11. Next, the measurement control unit measures the position in the Y-axis direction of the contact point between the tip portion 130 a and the end surface 11. The position of the measurement point P11 is composed of coordinates of the contact point in the X-axis direction and Y-axis direction. Through the above steps, the measurement control unit measures the position of the measurement point P11 using the position sensor 130.

  Next, the measurement control unit adjusts the coordinate in the X-axis direction of the position sensor 130 to the coordinate in the X-axis direction of the measurement point P12. Through the above-described steps, the measurement control unit measures the position of the measurement point P12 using the position sensor 130. Similarly, the measurement control unit measures the positions of the measurement points P13 to P16 using the position sensor 130 in order. In addition, the measurement control unit sequentially measures the positions of the measurement points P21 to P26 using the position sensor 132.

  In response to a request from the machining control unit of the end face machining apparatus 100, the measurement control unit transmits data related to the positions of the measurement points P11 to P16 and P21 to P26 measured by the position sensors 130 and 132 to the machining control unit. As will be described later, the processing control unit uses the received data to control the positions of the chamfering grindstones 40 and 42 when chamfering the end surfaces 11 and 12.

(4) Process of chamfering process FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a process in which the end surfaces 11 and 12 of the glass plate 10 are chamfered. Next, a process of chamfering the end surface 11 by the end surface processing apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIG. The following description can also be applied to a process in which the end face processing apparatus 100 chamfers the end face 12.

  In step S <b> 11, the processing control unit of the end surface processing apparatus 100 controls the glass plate transport device 20 to transport the glass plate 10 that has been surface-treated in the roughening step S <b> 4 and place it on the suction table 30. Next, the processing controller adjusts the position and orientation of the glass plate 10 placed on the suction table 30 by a position adjustment mechanism (not shown). Next, the processing control unit fixes the glass plate 10 to the suction table 30. In the fixed glass plate 10, end surfaces 11 and 12 parallel to the long side of the glass plate 10 are parallel to the X axis, and end surfaces 13 and 14 parallel to the short side of the glass plate 10 are parallel to the Y axis. is there. Next, step S12 is executed.

  In step S12, the processing control unit determines whether or not an adjustment line described later is calculated in step S16. If it is determined that the adjustment line has not been calculated, step S13 is executed. If it is determined that the adjustment line has been calculated, step S17 is executed.

  In step S <b> 13, the processing control unit brings the chamfering grindstone 40 into contact with the end surface 11, moves the chamfering grindstone 40 along the shape of the end surface 11, and chamfers the end surface 11. Since the orientation of the glass plate 10 is adjusted so that the end surface 11 is parallel to the X axis in step S11, the processing control unit moves the chamfering grindstone 40 along the X axis to chamfer the end surface 11. It can be carried out. Step S13 is a step of quantitatively processing the shape of the end surface 11 into a round shape by removing a predetermined amount of glass from the end surface 11. Next, step S14 is executed.

  In step S13, in order to uniformly grind the end face 11 by chamfering, it is preferable that the machining control unit accurately moves the chamfering grindstone 40 along the X axis. However, due to the mechanical accuracy of the grindstone moving mechanism 70 for moving the chamfering grindstone 40, it is difficult to accurately move the chamfering grindstone 40 along the X axis when chamfering the end surface 11. Therefore, the chamfering grindstone 40 slightly moves in the Y-axis direction when the end surface 11 is chamfered. Therefore, actually, in step S13, the processing control unit cannot uniformly grind the end surface 11. Therefore, in steps S14 to S16, preparation for finely adjusting the movement trajectory of the chamfering grindstone 40 during chamfering of the end surface 11 is performed so that the end surface 11 is uniformly ground.

  In step S <b> 14, the processing control unit controls the glass plate conveyance device 20 to convey the glass plate 10 placed on the suction table 30 to the end surface measurement device 110 and place it on the placement table 120. Next, the measurement control unit of the end face measuring apparatus 110 measures the shape of the end face 11 of the glass plate 10 that has been chamfered. Specifically, the measurement control unit measures the coordinates in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction of the plurality of measurement points set on the end surface 11. The measurement points are measurement points P11 to P16 shown in FIGS. Next, the measurement control unit transmits the measured coordinates of the measurement points P11 to P16 in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction to the processing control unit of the end surface processing apparatus 100. Next, step S15 is executed.

  In step S15, the machining control unit calculates a machining line based on the X-axis direction and Y-axis direction coordinates of the measurement points P11 to P16 received from the measurement control unit. FIG. 9 is an example of measurement results at the measurement points P11 to P16 on the end face 11. In FIG. 9, the horizontal axis represents the coordinates in the X-axis direction of the measurement points P11 to P16, and the vertical axis represents the coordinates in the Y-axis direction of the measurement points P11 to P16. The measurement points P11 to P16 are set almost uniformly on the end surface 11 of the glass plate 10 in the X-axis direction. In FIG. 9, measurement points adjacent in the X-axis direction are connected by a solid line. A process line is a line segment which connected measurement points P11-P16 in order. The processing line represents the approximate shape of the chamfered end surface 11. Next, step S16 is executed.

  In step S16, the machining control unit calculates an adjustment line based on the shape of the end surface 11 before chamfering and the shape of the machining line calculated in step S15. The adjustment line is used for chamfering the end face 11 along the shape of the end face 11 before chamfering. In FIG. 9, an example of the adjustment line is indicated by a dotted line. Adjustment points P31 to P36 corresponding to the processing line measurement points P11 to P16 are set as the adjustment lines. The coordinates of the adjustment points P31 to P36 in the X-axis direction are the same as the coordinates of the measurement points P11 to P16 in the X-axis direction.

  The relationship between the processing line and the adjustment line will be described. In FIG. 9, the processing line represented by a solid line represents the approximate shape of the end surface 11 that has been chamfered. Further, in FIG. 9, a reference line represented by a chain line represents an ideal shape of the end face 11 that has been chamfered. In the present embodiment, the end surface 11 before chamfering is parallel to the X axis. Ideally, the end surface 11 is chamfered uniformly in the X-axis direction, so the reference line is parallel to the X-axis. The adjustment line is set to a line segment obtained by inverting the machining line with respect to a reference line parallel to the X axis so that the chamfered end surface 11 is parallel to the X axis. Note that the coordinates of the reference line in the Y-axis direction may be appropriately set according to the machining allowance of the end surface 11. As the coordinates in the Y-axis direction of the measurement points P11 to P16 are larger, the machining allowance of the end face 11 is larger. Therefore, the coordinates in the Y-axis direction of the adjustment points P31 to P36 are set smaller. Next, step S11 is executed.

  In step S <b> 17, the processing control unit chamfers the end surface 11 of the glass plate 10 by moving the chamfering grindstone 40 along the adjustment line calculated in step S <b> 16 while finely adjusting the position of the chamfering grindstone 40. . For example, the chamfering grindstone 40 is moved from the adjustment point P31 to the P32 coordinate in the Y-axis direction while the chamfering grindstone 40 is moving from the adjustment point P31 to P32 along the X-axis direction. The position of the grindstone 40 is controlled. In FIG. 9, since the coordinate in the Y-axis direction of the measurement point P11 is about −0.02 mm, the chamfering is performed in order to set the grinding amount at the measurement point P11 to an ideal value (the state where the coordinate in the Y-axis direction is 0 mm). At the time of processing, the chamfering grindstone 40 is moved so that the coordinate in the Y-axis direction of the chamfering grindstone 40 is about +0.02 mm. Thereby, the coordinate of the measurement point P11 of the end surface 11 after the chamfering process in the Y-axis direction becomes about 0 mm. That is, the adjustment point P31 represents ideal coordinates of the chamfering grindstone 40 in the Y-axis direction. Similarly, for the measurement points P12 to P16, the coordinate in the Y-axis direction of the chamfering grindstone 40 is controlled. Thereby, the end surface 11 that has been chamfered is substantially parallel to the end surface 11 that has not been chamfered. Step S17 is a step of quantitatively processing the shape of the end surface 11 into a round shape by removing a predetermined amount of glass from the end surface 11 as in step S13.

  The above process is repeated until all the glass plates 10 in the production lot are chamfered. Steps S13 to S16 are usually performed only on the first glass plate 10 of the production lot.

  Note that after the chamfering of the end surfaces 11 and 12 in steps S11 to S17, the end surfaces 11 and 12 are polished. The polishing process is a process of reducing the surface roughness of the end faces 11 and 12 by pressing the elastic wheel against the end faces 11 and 12 which are chamfered with a constant pressure. In the polishing process, the round shape of the end surfaces 11 and 12 formed by the chamfering process is maintained. The elastic wheel is formed of an elastic member such as polyurethane.

(5) Features The end surface processing apparatus 100 first chamfers the end surfaces 11 and 12 of the glass plate 10 for adjustment with the chamfering grindstones 40 and 42. The glass plate 10 for adjustment is a glass plate 10 that is chamfered for calculation of an adjustment line, and is usually the first glass plate 10 in a production lot. In the chamfering process of the glass plate 10 for adjustment, the chamfering grindstones 40 and 42 move so as to move along the shapes of the end surfaces 11 and 12 of the glass plate 10 for adjustment, that is, move along the X axis. To be controlled. However, due to the mechanical accuracy of the grindstone moving mechanisms 70 and 72 for moving the chamfering grindstones 40 and 42, it is difficult to accurately move the chamfering grindstones 40 and 42 along the X axis. Therefore, the chamfering grindstones 40 and 42 may move slightly in the Y-axis direction while the grindstone moving mechanisms 70 and 72 move the chamfering grindstones 40 and 42 along the X axis. Therefore, the processing line that is the locus of movement of the chamfering grindstones 40 and 42 when viewed along the Z-axis direction is not parallel to the X-axis. That is, the shapes of the end faces 11 and 12 that have been chamfered do not completely coincide with the shapes of the end faces 11 and 12 that have not been chamfered, and there is a difference between the two. Therefore, in the glass plate 10 for adjustment, the chamfered end surfaces 11 and 12 are not uniformly ground along the direction in which the end surfaces 11 and 12 extend. That is, in the glass plate 10 for adjustment, the chamfered end surfaces 11 and 12 have a portion with a large amount of grinding and a portion with a small amount of grinding, so that minute irregularities are formed in the Y-axis direction. The minute irregularities are undulations of the end surfaces 11 and 12. Therefore, the rectilinearity of the end surface 11 of the glass plate 10 for adjustment is reduced by the chamfering process.

  In the present embodiment, the end face measuring device 110 measures the shapes of the end faces 11 and 12 that are chamfered of the glass plate 10 for adjustment. The end surface processing apparatus 100 calculates a processing line based on the measured shapes of the end surfaces 11 and 12. The processing line represents a trajectory in which the chamfering grindstones 40 and 42 are actually moved during the chamfering processing of the end surfaces 11 and 12 of the glass plate 10 for adjustment. Further, the processing line represents the actual shape of the end surfaces 11 and 12 that have been chamfered. For example, in FIG. 9, the convex portion of the processing line indicated by the solid line corresponds to the convex portion of the end surface 11, and the concave portion of the processing line corresponds to the concave portion of the end surface 11. The convex part of the end surface 11 is a part where the grinding amount by the chamfering grindstone 40 is smaller than the surroundings. The concave portion of the end surface 11 is a portion where the grinding amount by the chamfering grindstone 40 is larger than the surroundings. Therefore, the grinding amount of the chamfering grindstone 40 is increased at the convex portion of the processing line, and the grinding amount of the chamfering grindstone 40 is decreased at the concave portion of the processing line, so that the grinding amount of the chamfered end surface 11 is made uniform. be able to. In FIG. 9, an adjustment line indicated by a dotted line represents a trajectory of the movement of the chamfering grindstone 40 for making the grinding amount of the end face 11 uniform.

  FIG. 10 is an example of measurement results of the coordinates in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction of the measurement points P11 to P16 of the end face 11 chamfered while moving the chamfering grindstone 40 along the adjustment line. 9 and 10 are measurement results of the same end surface 11 of the same glass plate 10. As can be seen from a comparison between FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, the end face 11 is ground substantially uniformly along the X-axis direction. Further, as shown in FIG. 10, the coordinates in the Y-axis direction of the measurement points P11 to P16 of the chamfered end face 11 are −10 μm to 10 μm (−0.01 mm) based on 0 mm which is an ideal coordinate. ˜0.01 mm). That is, the chamfering process of the end surface 11 of the present embodiment can achieve a processing accuracy of ± 10 μm.

  As described above, the end surface processing apparatus 100 calculates the processing line by measuring the shapes of the chamfered end surfaces 11 and 12 of the adjustment glass plate 10 in advance, and calculates the adjustment line based on the calculated processing line. By moving the chamfering grindstones 40 and 42 along the calculated adjustment line, the chamfering processing for uniformly grinding the end surfaces 11 and 12 can be performed.

  Further, in order to remove the horizontal crack and the brittle fracture layer from the end surfaces 11 and 12 of the glass plate 10, when chamfering the end surfaces 11 and 12, ± 10 μm along the Y-axis direction orthogonal to the end surfaces 11 and 12. Processing accuracy, more preferably processing accuracy of 5 μm is required. Therefore, it is important to improve the processing accuracy of the end surfaces 11 and 12 of the glass plate 10 and improve the straightness of the end surfaces 11 and 12 of the chamfered glass plate 10 in the X-axis direction. In this embodiment, since the end surface processing apparatus 100 can perform the chamfering process which grinds the end surfaces 11 and 12 uniformly, the processing accuracy of the end surfaces 11 and 12 of the glass plate 10 can be improved.

  Moreover, the end surface processing apparatus 100 can suppress the grinding amount of the end surfaces 11 and 12 of the glass plate 10 uniformly and low over the X-axis direction. Thereby, the end surface processing apparatus 100 can reduce the grinding amount of the end surfaces 11 and 12, and can reduce the amount of cullet and glass particles generated when the end surfaces 11 and 12 are ground. Moreover, the cut amount of the end faces 11 and 12 by the chamfering grindstones 40 and 42 can be kept low, and the generated cullet and particle size can be reduced. As a result, the amount of cullet and particles adhering to the surface of the glass plate 10 can be reduced.

  Moreover, the glass plate 10 manufactured using the end surface processing apparatus 100 can be suitably used for a glass substrate used for manufacturing a high-definition display panel. The quality requirements of glass substrates for high-definition and high-resolution displays, such as oxide substrates and low-temperature polysilicon semiconductor devices, on which wiring patterns with a narrow line width and pitch are formed on the surface, are the conventional glass substrates Higher than The conventional glass substrate manufacturing method cannot sufficiently meet this high quality requirement. However, the end face processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment has a narrow line width and pitch of the wiring electrodes formed on the glass substrate, and in manufacturing a glass substrate for a high-definition / high-resolution display that is not allowed even with a small defect, cullet and particles It is possible to suppress the occurrence of a problem that adheres to the glass substrate surface.

  Further, by reducing the amount of cullet and particles adhering to the glass substrate surface, it is possible to increase the yield of Cu-based electrode wiring with low adhesion to glass. That is, by using the end face processing apparatus 100 of this embodiment, an electrode material having low adhesion to glass can be used even if the line width and pitch of the wiring electrodes are narrow. For example, it is possible to use a Cu-based electrode such as a Ti—Cu alloy or a Mo—Cu alloy, which has a low resistance compared to an Al-based electrode, Cr, or Mo-based electrode, but has a low resistance. Thus, the wide selection of electrode materials can solve the problem of RC delay (wiring delay) in the manufacturing process of large display panels used in televisions and the like. Further, the problem of RC delay in the manufacturing process of a small display panel for a portable terminal, which is expected to further increase in definition and resolution in the future, can be solved.

  Further, in the above description, the countermeasure for the problem of the glass substrate used in a TFT panel or the like provided with a semiconductor element as a device has been described. However, the end face processing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment has a color filter (CF) as a device. It is also effective for countermeasures to the problem of display glass substrates provided with the above. For example, in the case of a CF panel, in recent years, thinning of a black matrix (BM) has been advanced. However, by using the end face processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, the BM line width is caused by foreign matters attached to the surface in the manufacturing process of the liquid crystal display CF panel thinned to 20 μm or less, for example, 5 μm to 10 μm. The occurrence of the problem of BM peeling can be suppressed.

(6) Modifications The glass plate manufacturing method according to the present invention has been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various improvements and modifications are made without departing from the gist of the present invention. May be.

(6-1) Modification A
In the embodiment, in step S <b> 14 shown in FIG. 8, the measurement control unit of the end face measuring apparatus 110 has a plurality of measurement points P <b> 11 to P <b> 16 and P <b> 21 to P <b> 26 set on the end faces 11 and 12 of the chamfered glass plate 10. The coordinates of the end surfaces 11 and 12 are measured by measuring the coordinates in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. However, instead of measuring the Y-axis direction coordinates of the plurality of measurement points P11 to P16 and P21 to P26 set on the end surfaces 11 and 12 of the chamfered glass plate 10, the measurement control unit The shape of the end faces 11 and 12 may be measured by measuring coordinates.

  This modification relates to, for example, a chamfering process for uniformly grinding the end surface 11 when the Z-axis direction coordinates of the end surface 11 of the glass plate 10 fixed to the suction table 30 are not constant along the X-axis direction. The following description is also applicable to the chamfering process of the end surface 12.

  Due to the mechanical accuracy of the suction table 30, the main surface of the glass plate 10 fixed to the suction table 30 may not be completely flat. Thereby, when the end surface 11 of the glass plate 10 is viewed along the Y-axis direction, the end surface 11 is uneven in the Z-axis direction. That is, the coordinates of the end surface 11 in the Z-axis direction are not constant along the X-axis direction.

  When such an end surface 11 is chamfered with the chamfering grindstone 40, the surface width difference D of the chamfered end surface 11 may not be constant along the X-axis direction. 11 and 12 are diagrams for explaining the surface width difference D of the end surface 11. FIG. 11 is a side view of the chamfered glass plate 10 viewed along the X axis. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the glass plate 10 to be ground by the chamfering grindstone 40 in the YZ plane. In FIG. 12, the area hatched with a dotted line is a part of the glass plate 10 that is ground and removed by the chamfering grindstone 40. The surface width difference D is a value obtained by subtracting the second chamfering width W2 from the first chamfering width W1. The first chamfering width W <b> 1 is the width of the region removed from the first main surface 10 a on the lower side of the glass plate 10. The second chamfering width W2 is the width of the region removed from the second main surface 10b on the upper side of the glass plate 10. In FIG. 12, the end surface 11 of the glass plate 10 is chamfered by contacting the inner surface of the processing groove 40 a of the rotating chamfering grindstone 40. As shown in FIG. 12, the first chamfering width W1 is different from the second chamfering width W2 depending on the position of the glass plate 10 in the Z-axis direction.

  When the surface width difference D is zero, the first main surface 10a and the second main surface 10b of the glass plate 10 are ground uniformly. When the surface width difference D is a positive value, the first main surface 10a is ground from the second main surface 10b as the surface width difference D is larger. When the surface width difference D is a negative value, the smaller the surface width difference D, the more the second main surface 10b is ground from the first main surface 10a. Therefore, from the viewpoint of uniformly grinding the first main surface 10a and the second main surface 10b, the absolute value of the surface width difference D is preferably as small as possible, and more preferably zero. When the first chamfering width W1 and the second chamfering width W2 are different, in the step after polishing the chamfered end surfaces 11 and 12, the entire end surfaces 11 and 12 are not uniformly polished, and the strength of the glass plate 10 is increased. May decrease. Therefore, in the process of chamfering the glass plate 10 using the chamfering grindstone 40, it is necessary to uniformly grind the entire end surfaces 11 and 12 of the glass plate 10 by bringing the absolute value of the surface width difference D close to zero.

  When the coordinate in the Z-axis direction of the chamfering grindstone 40 and the coordinate in the Z-axis direction of the end surface 11 of the glass plate 10 are appropriate, the surface width difference D of the chamfered end surface 11 becomes zero. Specifically, when the center in the Z-axis direction of the machining groove of the chamfering grindstone 40 is at the same position as the center of the end surface 11 in the Z-axis direction, the surface width difference D of the chamfered end surface 11 becomes zero. . However, when the coordinate in the Z-axis direction of the end surface 11 is too small with respect to the chamfering grindstone 40, the lower portion of the end surface 11 is chamfered more than the upper portion, so the first chamfering width W1 is larger than the second chamfering width W2. The width difference D is greater than zero. On the contrary, when the coordinate in the Z-axis direction of the end surface 11 is too large with respect to the chamfering grindstone 40, the upper portion of the end surface 11 is chamfered than the lower portion, so the first chamfering width W1 is smaller than the second chamfering width W2. The surface width difference D becomes smaller than zero.

  In this modification, the measurement control unit of the end surface measuring apparatus 110 measures the surface width difference D of the end surface 11 of the chamfered glass plate 10 at a plurality of measurement points, and based on the measurement data of the surface width difference D. The coordinates in the Z-axis direction of the end face 11 at each measurement point can be calculated. That is, the measurement control unit can measure the shape of the end surface 11 viewed along the Y-axis direction based on the surface width difference D at a plurality of measurement points. FIG. 13 is an example of measurement results of the first chamfering width W1, the second chamfering width W2, and the surface width difference D of the end surface 11 that has been chamfered. In FIG. 13, the horizontal axis represents the coordinates in the X-axis direction of the same measurement points P11 to P16 as in the embodiment, and the vertical axis represents the absolute values of the first chamfering width W1, the second chamfering width W2, and the surface width difference D. Represent. The first chamfering width W1 is represented by a solid line connected by diamond-shaped points. The second chamfering width W2 is represented by a dotted line connected by quadrangular points. The absolute value of the surface width difference D is represented by a chain line connected by points of a circle. The first chamfering width W1 and the second chamfering width W2 are indicated by scale values on the left vertical axis. The absolute value of the surface width difference D is indicated by the scale value on the right vertical axis.

  The measurement control unit decreases the coordinate in the Z-axis direction of the chamfering grindstone 40 at a measurement point where the surface width difference D is greater than zero, and reduces the coordinate in the Z-axis direction of the chamfering grindstone 40 at a measurement point where the surface width difference D is smaller than zero. By increasing the coordinates, the coordinates in the Z-axis direction of the chamfering grindstone 40 can be appropriately adjusted according to the shape of the end surface 11. Specifically, similarly to the embodiment, the processing line is calculated based on the measurement data of the surface width difference D of each of the measurement points P11 to P16, and the adjustment line is calculated based on the calculated processing line. By moving the chamfering grindstones 40 and 42 along the adjustment line, the chamfering processing for uniformly grinding the end surfaces 11 and 12 can be performed. Thereby, the measurement control part can make small the absolute value of the surface width difference D of the end surface 11 chamfered.

  FIG. 14 shows the absolute values of the first chamfering width W1, the second chamfering width W2, and the surface width difference D of the end face 11 chamfered while adjusting the position in the Z-axis direction of the chamfering grindstone 40 along the calculated adjustment line. It is an example of the measurement result. 13 and 14 are measurement results of the same end surface 11 of the same glass plate 10. In FIG. 13 and FIG. 14, the same legend is used. As can be seen from a comparison between FIG. 13 and FIG. 14, the chamfering process is performed while adjusting the position in the Z-axis direction of the chamfering grindstone 40 along the adjustment line, so that the surface width difference D of the end surface 11 that has been chamfered. The absolute value of is reduced. Therefore, the end surface processing apparatus 100 can improve the processing accuracy of the end surface 11 of the glass plate 10 and perform chamfering that uniformly grinds the end surface 11. Moreover, the bending strength of the glass plate 10 is so large that the absolute value of the surface width difference D of the glass plate 10 is small. Therefore, the end surface processing apparatus 100 can perform a chamfering process that suppresses a decrease in the bending strength of the glass plate 10. The absolute value of the surface width difference D of the chamfered glass plate 10 is preferably 150 μm or less, more preferably 80 μm or less, and further preferably 50 μm or less.

  The end faces 11 and 12 are polished after the chamfering process for reducing the absolute value of the surface width difference D of the glass plate 10. The polishing process is a process of reducing the surface roughness of the end faces 11 and 12 by pressing the elastic wheel against the end faces 11 and 12 which are chamfered with a constant pressure. In the polishing process, the round shape of the end surfaces 11 and 12 formed by the chamfering process is maintained. The elastic wheel is formed of an elastic member such as polyurethane.

  Moreover, in the manufacturing process of FPD, the detection accuracy of the main surface of the glass plate 10 falls, so that the absolute value of the surface width difference D of the glass plate 10 is large. The reason is that, when the surface width difference D of the glass plate 10 is not zero, the region of one main surface of the glass plate 10 and the region of the other main surface are different from each other, and is therefore perpendicular to the main surface of the glass plate 10. This is because when the glass plate 10 is viewed along the direction, there are two main surfaces having different regions. If the detection accuracy of the main surface of the glass plate 10 decreases, the productivity in the FPD manufacturing process may decrease. Therefore, the end face processing apparatus 100 of the present modification reduces the absolute value of the surface width difference D of the glass plate 10, preferably zero, and reduces the detection accuracy of the main surface of the glass plate 10 in the FPD manufacturing process. Can be suppressed.

(6-2) Modification B
In the embodiment, the measurement control unit of the end face measuring apparatus 110 measures the coordinates in the Y-axis direction of a plurality of measurement points set on the end face 11 of the chamfered glass plate 10. Moreover, in the modification A, a measurement control part calculates the coordinate of the Z-axis direction of the several measurement point set to the end surface 11 of the glass plate 10 chamfered based on the measurement result of a surface width difference.

  However, the measurement control unit measures the coordinates in the Y-axis direction of the plurality of measurement points set on the end surface 11 of the chamfered glass plate 10, calculates the coordinates in the Z-axis direction, and calculates the coordinates of the end surface 11. The shape may be measured. In this case, the processing control unit of the end surface processing apparatus 100 calculates a processing line and an adjustment line from the measurement data of the shape of the end surface 11, and adjusts the coordinates of the chamfering grindstone 40 in the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction along the adjustment line. However, the end face 11 can be chamfered. In this modification, the end surface processing apparatus 100 can further improve the processing accuracy of the end surface 11 of the glass plate 10.

(6-3) Modification C
In the embodiment, the processing control unit of the end surface processing apparatus 100 calculates an adjustment line in step S16 based on the shape of the end surface 11 before chamfering and the shape of the processing line calculated in step S15. . Moreover, before the glass plate 10 is fixed to the suction table 30, the position and orientation of the glass plate 10 are adjusted, and the shape of the end surface 11 before chamfering is always parallel to the X axis. Therefore, in the embodiment, the machining control unit can calculate the adjustment line based only on the shape of the machining line calculated in step S15 without measuring the shape of the end surface 11 before chamfering. .

  However, the processing control unit may further measure the shape of the end surface 11 before chamfering before calculating the adjustment line in step S16. In this case, in step S16, the processing control unit can calculate the adjustment line based on the shape of the end surface 11 before chamfering and the shape of the processing line calculated in step S15. Therefore, in this modification, when the position and orientation of the glass plate 10 before chamfering are not adjusted, and when the glass plate 10 before chamfering is not accurately cut in the cutting step S3. Also in the process, the processing control unit can appropriately calculate the adjustment line.

(6-4) Modification D
In the embodiment, the end surface processing apparatus 100 includes chamfering grindstones 40 and 42 for grinding the end surfaces 11 and 12 of the glass plate 10. These chamfering grindstones 40 and 42 are diamond wheels, but may be resin-bonded wheels. The resin-bonded wheel is, for example, a grinding wheel in which commonly used abrasive grains are hardened with a resin-based binder having flexibility and elasticity. The grain size of the abrasive grains is, for example, about # 300 to # 500 defined by JIS R6001-1987. Even in the case of using a resin-bonded wheel, the end surface processing apparatus 100 can uniformly grind the end surfaces 11 and 12 of the glass plate 10 to remove horizontal cracks and brittle fracture layers of the glass plate 10.

  Moreover, the end surface processing apparatus 100 uses the chamfering grindstone which is a resin bond wheel, after chamfering the end surfaces 11 and 12 of the glass plate 10 using the chamfering grindstones 40 and 42 which are diamond wheels as needed. 11 and 12 may be further ground.

(6-5) Modification E
In the embodiment, the end surface processing apparatus 100 includes a pair of chamfering grindstones 40 and 42 for grinding the end surfaces 11 and 12 of the glass plate 10. These chamfering grindstones 40 and 42 are diamond wheels. However, the end surface processing apparatus 100 may further include a pair of chamfering grindstones that are the resin-bonded wheels of Modification D. In this case, the end faces 11 and 12 of the glass plate 10 are chamfered by chamfering grindstones 40 and 42 that are diamond wheels, and then further chamfered by a chamfering grindstone that is a resin-bonded wheel.

  In the present modification, the end surfaces 11 and 12 of the glass plate 10 may be further chamfered by a pair of polishing wheels after being chamfered by a diamond wheel and a resin-bonded wheel. By polishing the end surfaces 11 and 12 with the polishing wheel, the surface roughness of the end surfaces 11 and 12 can be reduced. The arithmetic average roughness Ra of the end surfaces 11 and 12 polished by the polishing wheel is preferably 100 nm or less, and more preferably 80 nm.

  In the present modification, in the end face processing step by each of the pair of diamond wheels, the pair of resin-bonded wheels, and the pair of polishing wheels, an adjustment line is calculated based on the processing line as in the embodiment, and the calculated adjustment line Control to move the wheel along is performed. Thereby, in each end surface processing process, the end surfaces 11 and 12 of the glass plate 10 can be uniformly ground or grind | polished. As a result, the end surface processing apparatus 100 can perform end surface processing that sets the arithmetic average roughness Ra of the end surfaces 11 and 12 of the glass plate 10 to 100 nm or less, preferably 80 nm or less over the entire length of the end surfaces 11 and 12. it can.

(6-6) Modification F
In the embodiment, the end surface processing apparatus 100 calculates the processing line by measuring the shapes of the chamfered end surfaces 11 and 12 of the adjustment glass plate 10 in advance, and calculates the adjustment line based on the calculated processing line. And the chamfering process which grinds the end surfaces 11 and 12 uniformly can be performed by moving the chamfering grindstones 40 and 42 along the calculated adjustment line. However, the end face processing apparatus 100 also calculates the processing line by measuring the shapes of the end faces 11 and 12 in advance even in the polishing using the polishing wheel performed after the chamfering of the end faces 11 and 12. A process of polishing the end faces 11 and 12 uniformly may be performed by calculating an adjustment line based on the line and moving the polishing wheel along the calculated adjustment line. Thereby, in the polishing process, the entire end surfaces 11 and 12 can be uniformly polished without changing the pressing pressure of the polishing wheel.

  In this modification, the end surfaces 11 and 12 are uniformly polished, so that, for example, even a large glass plate 10 having a side dimension exceeding 2200 mm can be uniformly polished along the end surfaces 11 and 12. It becomes. Thereby, the surface roughness Ra of the end surfaces 11 and 12 of the glass plate 10 can be reduced, and the amount of cullet and particles generated from the end surfaces 11 and 12 can be reduced. Therefore, this modification can be particularly suitably used for manufacturing a glass plate for a high-definition / high-resolution display panel.

(6-7) Modification G
In the embodiment, the end surface processing apparatus 100 calculates the processing line by measuring the shapes of the chamfered end surfaces 11 and 12 of the adjustment glass plate 10 in advance, and calculates the adjustment line based on the calculated processing line. To do. The end surface processing apparatus 100 can process the plurality of glass plates 10 by repeatedly using the adjustment line once calculated.

  However, the end face processing apparatus 100 measures the shape of the glass plate during conveyance of the end face processed glass sheet and feeds back the measurement data to the end face processing apparatus 100, so that the end face processing apparatus 100 has the chamfered end face 11, The processing line may be calculated by measuring 12 shapes in advance. As a result, the end surface processing apparatus 100 has undulation of the end surfaces 11 and 12 due to factors other than the machine accuracy and processing accuracy of the end surface processing apparatus 100, and the mechanical accuracy of the end surface processing apparatus 100 generated by processing the glass plate 10 repeatedly. It is also possible to cope with changes in processing accuracy over time.

10 Glass plate 11 End face 12 End face 30 Suction table (table)
40 Chamfering grindstone 42 Chamfering grindstone

JP 2011-110648 A

Claims (5)

A chamfering grindstone is brought into contact with the end face of the fixed glass plate, and the chamfering grindstone is moved along a direction in which the end face extends, thereby chamfering the end face; and
An end face measuring step of measuring the shape of the end face chamfered in the end face processing step;
Based on the shape of the end face measured in the end face measuring step, a processing line calculation step for calculating a processing line that is a locus of the chamfering grindstone with respect to the glass plate in the end face processing step;
Grinding of the chamfering grindstone in the concave portion of the processing line calculated in the processing line calculation step so that the grinding amount of the chamfering grindstone increases in the convex portion of the processing line calculated in the processing line calculation step. An adjustment line calculating step for calculating an adjustment line used for uniformly chamfering the end face so as to reduce the amount ;
With
In the end face machining step, when the adjustment line is calculated in the adjustment line calculation step, the end face is chamfered so that a locus of the chamfering grindstone with respect to the glass plate follows the adjustment line.
Glass plate manufacturing method. In the end face measurement step, a plurality of measurement points are set on the end face along the end face, and a shape parameter is measured at each measurement point, thereby measuring the shape of the end face,
The processing line calculation step calculates the processing line based on the shape parameter at each of the measurement points,
The adjustment line calculation step calculates the adjustment line having an adjustment point corresponding to each of the measurement points.
The glass plate manufacturing method of Claim 1. The chamfering grindstone is movable along a first axis from the chamfering grindstone toward the end surface,
The end face measurement step measures the coordinates of the first axis as the shape parameter at each measurement point,
The adjustment line calculation step calculates the adjustment line having a smaller coordinate of the first axis of the corresponding adjustment point as the value of the shape parameter of each of the measurement points is larger.
The glass plate manufacturing method according to claim 2. The chamfering grindstone is movable from a first main surface of the glass plate toward a second main surface on the back side of the first main surface and along a second axis perpendicular to the first main surface,
The end face measurement step measures, as the shape parameter, a face width difference that is a value obtained by subtracting the second chamfer width from the first chamfer width at each measurement point,
In the adjustment line calculation step, the larger the value of the shape parameter of each of the measurement points, the smaller the coordinates of the second axis of the corresponding adjustment point , and the adjustment line is calculated.
The first chamfer width is a width of a region removed from the first main surface in the end face processing step,
The second chamfer width is a width of a region removed from the second main surface in the end face processing step.
The glass plate manufacturing method of Claim 2 or 3. A table for fixing the glass plate;
A chamfering grindstone for chamfering the end surface of the glass plate;
A machining control unit for chamfering the end face by bringing the chamfering grindstone into contact with the end face of the glass plate fixed to the table and moving the chamfering grindstone along a direction in which the end face extends;
A measurement control unit for measuring the shape of the end face;
With
The processing control unit
Based on the shape of the end face measured by the measurement control unit, a processing line that is a locus of the chamfering grindstone with respect to the glass plate at the time of chamfering is calculated,
An adjustment line is calculated so that the grinding amount of the chamfering grindstone increases at the calculated convex portion of the machining line and the grinding amount of the chamfering grindstone decreases at the calculated concave portion of the processing line. ,
When the adjustment line is calculated, the end face is chamfered so that a locus of the chamfering grindstone with respect to the glass plate is along the adjustment line.
Glass plate manufacturing equipment.

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