Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Awesome video about how lab glassware is made!

Sir_Gawain - 2-4-2023 at 18:42

Alec Steele recently released a video on laboratory glassware:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fI3gpO5hW4.
I've always wondered myself how condensers were made.

Gammatron - 2-4-2023 at 20:20

I'd like to see how they are able to mass produce this stuff in China and be able to sell it cheap. I can't imagine there's any way to automate such complex pieces and it takes masterful skill to do by hand.

BromicAcid - 3-4-2023 at 03:22

Pretty cool, I've gone down to my company's glass shop and watched them work a few times. What impressed me most was watching them work on the big pieces. The 72 L flasks are huge on the lathe and too big to fit in the annealing oven so when they add a neck or something they really have to anneal it with a giant torch and it's a beautiful thing.

crow6283 - 3-4-2023 at 06:39

Quote: Originally posted by Gammatron  
I'd like to see how they are able to mass produce this stuff in China and be able to sell it cheap. I can't imagine there's any way to automate such complex pieces and it takes masterful skill to do by hand.


Cheaper labor.

coyote - 3-4-2023 at 08:40

Quote: Originally posted by Gammatron  
I'd like to see how they are able to mass produce this stuff in China and be able to sell it cheap. I can't imagine there's any way to automate such complex pieces and it takes masterful skill to do by hand.


Well, modern manufacturing is a wonder, and I wouldn't doubt that they would be able to automate it.

unionised - 3-4-2023 at 09:21

They can certainly automate some bits.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUOz4eqobVw#

But, not all of them, it seems.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARdlck7iums