Abstract

A method of drawing different materials includes forming a first material into a preform body defining at least one channel extending therethrough having a first cross-sectional area. A first element formed of a second material is inserted into the channel and with the preform body creates a preform assembly. The first element has a cross-sectional area that is less than the cross-sectional area of the channel, and the second material has a higher melting temperature than the first material. The preform assembly is heated so that the first material softens and the preform assembly is drawn so that the preform body deforms at a first deformation rate to a smaller cross-sectional area and the first element substantially maintains a constant cross-sectional area throughout the drawing process. Upon completion of the drawing step, the cross-sectional area of the channel is equivalent to the cross-sectional area of the first element.

IPC Classes  ?

• C03B 23/037 - Re-forming glass sheets by drawing
• C03B 37/025 - Manufacture of glass fibres or filaments by drawing or extruding from reheated softened tubes, rods, fibres or filaments
• C03B 37/026 - Drawing fibres reinforced with a metal wire
• C03B 37/027 - Fibres composed of different sorts of glass, e.g. fibre optics
• B21C 9/00 - Cooling, heating or lubricating drawing material
• B29C 55/02 - Shaping by stretching, e.g. drawing through a dieApparatus therefor of plates or sheets
• B29C 55/22 - Shaping by stretching, e.g. drawing through a dieApparatus therefor of tubes
• B29C 47/00 - Extrusion moulding, i.e. expressing the moulding material through a die or nozzle which imparts the desired form; Apparatus therefor (extrusion blow-moulding B29C 49/04)
• B29D 7/01 - Films or sheets
• B29D 11/00 - Producing optical elements, e.g. lenses or prisms
• G02B 6/02 - Optical fibres with cladding
• G02B 6/122 - Basic optical elements, e.g. light-guiding paths
• B29C 55/06 - Shaping by stretching, e.g. drawing through a dieApparatus therefor of plates or sheets uniaxial, e.g. oblique parallel with the direction of feed
• B29K 105/00 - Condition, form or state of moulded material
• B29L 11/00 - Optical elements, e.g. lenses, prisms