Prof. RUAN Haihui has addressed the pain points experienced by Biel Crystal (HK) Manufactory Ltd, a world-leading manufacturer of glass covers for electronic devices. His team uses computational simulations to factor in all possible parameters that may make or break a workpiece. This can reduce the expenses on materials by up to 98% in trial productions and more than double the yield in mass productions. 

Smartphones have come a long way to become the all-purpose must-have tools that most urbanites can’t live without. Today’s designers want to cover curved screens or enclose a whole device in thin, impact-and-scratch-resistant, high-clarity glass. This so-called ‘3D glass’ ‒ ubiquitously found on smartphones, wearable devices, and mixed reality headsets ‒ is heralded as the next big thing in upmarket electronics. But before it can be popularised, one issue must be solved: it’s not difficult to achieve them in small-batch, costly production, but it becomes a challenge when you need to make hundreds of thousands of pieces at one time at a reasonable cost, and each piece has to conform to strict geometric and strength requirements. 

To make 3D glass covers for electronics, two key steps are involved: hot bending and chemical strengthening. Unfortunately, both steps operate like a black box. The processes are meticulous, and even minor changes in the process parameters can ruin a batch of glass products. In a case involving a complicated glass product, Biel Crystal ended up with 500,000 substandard workpieces in trial production before seeking Prof. Ruan’s help. After using his simulation models and verifying the model predictions on 10,000 trial workpieces, a viable production line was set up. Biel Crystal had been working on curved glass for next-generation virtual reality headsets for several years. The glass was never mass produced because the yield was too low. With Prof. Ruan’s computational models, the root causes of the quality issues were revealed and the yield more than doubled. To support the glass manufacturing industry and facilitate advancements in glass technologies, PolyU partnered with Biel Crystal to establish the Biel-PolyU Glass Research Joint Laboratory in 2021. The lab advocates knowledge transfer and licenses research outcomes to other glass manufacturers. “We are honoured to be a part of this meaningful project. It not only bridges academia and industry, it also fosters young talent in both the glass manufacturing sector and relevant research disciplines,” says Dr YEUNG Kin-man, the founder and president of Biel Crystal.

Learn more: PolyImpact : PolyU Inventions and Innovations that Benefit the World ,Volume II (p. 40-46)