The glass sphere production process primarily involves four steps: material preparation, melting and forming, polishing and coating, and the creation of specialized products. Quartz glass (high-temperature resistant up to 1600°C) or borosilicate glass is used, along with tools such as a vaporizer (operating at 1200-1500°C), a cutting machine, and high-temperature stable pigments for color customization. During the melting stage, the cullet is heated in a vaporizer to its softening point (approximately 700-900°C) before being molded into spheres (diameter accuracy ±0.5mm) or custom-shaped structures. Diamond polishing wheels (mesh size 400-3000) are used during polishing to ensure a surface roughness of <0.1μm. Coating can impart UV protection (transmittance 85%-95%) or fluorescent properties (afterglow time >8 hours). Specialized products, such as crystal glass spheres, require 99.9% high-purity quartz. Fluorescent spheres incorporate rare earth phosphors (luminous efficiency ≥90lm/W), making them suitable for decorative lighting, industrial calibration, and other applications.
