Abstract
This paper describes the submersion of a glass sheet into molten metal with an electromagnetic force caused by linear induction motors (LIMs) in a glass sheet tempering process. The apparent density of the molten metal is reduced by the electromagnetic force, so a glass sheet lighter than molten metal can be sunk in it. In this process it is necessary to keep the glass sheet vertical in the center of the molten metal tank. Numerical simulations of the electromagnetic fluid flow were performed. The following condition for the glass sheet to remain stable at the center of the molten metal tank was obtained. The submersion depth of the glass sheet, that is, the distance between the surface of the molten metal and the top of the glass sheet, must be less than 5.7 [mm] if the thickness of the molten metal is 30 [mm] and that of the glass sheet 5 [mm]. In view of the character of the flow, the submersion depth of the glass sheet should be less than a quarter of the difference between the thickness of the molten metal and that of the glass sheet.
