Glass Manufacture

This volume offers a clear‑sighted look at the world of glass making for anyone who relies on the material, rather than for the factory floor technician. The author strips away dense engineering diagrams and instead walks the reader through the logic behind each step of production, highlighting what each operation achieves and where its limits lie. By focusing on principles instead of step‑by‑step manuals, the book gives a practical sense of why certain glasses behave the way they do, without demanding a background in metallurgy.

The text surveys the methods that are actually in commercial use today, while noting older techniques that have fallen out of favor. It also shines a light on the surprising gaps in scientific understanding—how the link between chemical makeup and optical qualities, or the cause of surface roughness after moulding, remains only loosely mapped. Readers will come away with an appreciation of both the craft’s present capabilities and the mysteries that still drive experimental research.