SECRET tour of where smartphone glass is made!

Corning's Gorilla Glass, found on most smartphones, is manufactured using a proprietary fusion process and rigorously tested for durability through extreme scratch, pressure, and drop tests at its secretive R&D facility.

• Corning's Gorilla Glass dominates the smartphone industry, crafted through a secretive, high-temperature fusion process.

• Rigorous testing, including the 'ScratchBot' and 'Slapper,' proves Gorilla Glass's superior durability against scratches, pressure, and drops.

• Corning's nearly 175-year legacy extends beyond smartphones, with its glass found in historical innovations like light bulbs and fiber optics.

Corning is the dominant manufacturer of smartphone glass, with Gorilla Glass covering most devices since the original iPhone's launch. The company, known for its secrecy, offers a glimpse into its R&D facility where glass is made at extreme temperatures via a unique fusion process. Extensive durability tests are conducted to ensure Gorilla Glass can withstand real-life smartphone usage scenarios.

Gorilla Glass Manufacturing

• 00:00:34 Corning manufactures Gorilla Glass using a proprietary fusion process, starting by melting raw materials in a furnace at 1,650 degrees Celsius (3,000 degrees Fahrenheit), a temperature hotter than magma. The molten glass is then fed into a chamber and pushed into a unique structure called the 'isopipe,' where gravity fuses two flows into a single sheet. This sheet cools in midair to become a solid, clear pane of glass.

Scratch and Pressure Tests

• 00:02:02 Corning employs various methods to test the scratch resistance and pressure tolerance of Gorilla Glass. The 'ScratchBot' uses sandpaper with precise weights to apply pressure, demonstrating that Gorilla Armor can withstand up to 4 kilograms of pressure without scratching, unlike competitive glass. The 'pen push' test highlights Gorilla Glass's resilience to pressure even with a pre-existing flaw, showing it remains intact where soda-lime glass, even chemically strengthened, shatters.

Drop and Impact Durability

• 00:04:12 To simulate real-world impacts, Corning utilizes specialized equipment like the 'Slapper' and the 'Mega Slapper' which mimic smartphone drops by curving the glass and slamming it against abrasive surfaces like sandpaper-covered metal. For precise drop tests, the 'Device Drop Tower' drops mock devices ('pucks') at gravity's speed onto specific floor materials, filmed by high-speed cameras to analyze impact resistance, consistently showing Gorilla Glass's ability to survive these falls.

Corning's Legacy and Scale

• 00:06:31 Corning, a company nearing its 175th birthday in 2026, boasts a rich history beyond smartphone glass, having contributed to the first Edison light bulb, early TV tubes, and even the Space Shuttle's windows. Its flagship R&D lab in Corning, New York, is a massive facility spanning two million square feet, housing 800 labs and employing 2,000 individuals, underscoring its significant role in glass-based innovation.