Precision glass moulding

Have you ever played with clay or play dough and made different shapes and objects by pressing it in a mold? Precision glass molding works in a similar way, but with fancy equipment!

People use precision glass molding to create really tiny and detailed glass objects, like lenses for cameras or microscopes. First they make a mold out of metal, which is kind of like a cookie cutter for glass. They carefully design the mold so that it will shape the glass into a very specific shape and size.

Next, they put small pieces of glass, called 'preforms', into the mold. They heat up the mold and the glass until it is soft and pliable, like melted cheese. Then they use a machine to press the glass into the shape of the mold. The glass cools down and becomes hard again, but this time it stays in the shape of the mold!

Because the mold is so precise and the glass is heated up just right, it creates a really accurate and detailed glass object. That's why they call it 'precision' glass molding. It's like making a perfect glass cookie every time!