An apparatus for mass producing 3D articles from 2D glass-containing sheets , comprising: a heating section comprising a heating station , the heating station comprising a heating chamber adapted to receive a 2D glass-containing sheet, a pneumatic bearing system proximate to the heating chamber for suspending the 2D glass-containing sheet inside the heating chamber , and a heater system proximate to the heating chamber for supplying heat to the heating chamber ; a forming section downstream of the heating section , the forming section comprising a forming station , the forming station comprising a mold system adapted to shape a heated 2D glass-containing sheet into a 3D article; and a cooling section downstream of the forming section , the cooling section comprising a cooling chamber adapted to controllably cool off one or more 3D articles, characterised in that the apparatus further comprises a pair of actuators located in the heating chamber adapted to confine movement of the 2D glass-containing sheet to a defined area within the heating chamber while the 2D glass-containing sheet is being heated within the heating chamber , thereby constraining each 2D glass-containing sheet received in the heating chamber to the same defined area, wherein the defined area between the actuators is greater than the length of the 2D glass-containing sheet and the length of the 2D glass-containing sheet is the dimension of the 2D glass-containing sheet constrained between the actuators . a heating section comprising a heating station , the heating station comprising a heating chamber adapted to receive a 2D glass-containing sheet, a pneumatic bearing system proximate to the heating chamber for suspending the 2D glass-containing sheet inside the heating chamber , and a heater system proximate to the heating chamber for supplying heat to the heating chamber ; a forming section downstream of the heating section , the forming section comprising a forming station , the forming station comprising a mold system adapted to shape a heated 2D glass-containing sheet into a 3D article; and a cooling section downstream of the forming section , the cooling section comprising a cooling chamber adapted to controllably cool off one or more 3D articles, characterised in that the apparatus further comprises a pair of actuators located in the heating chamber adapted to confine movement of the 2D glass-containing sheet to a defined area within the heating chamber while the 2D glass-containing sheet is being heated within the heating chamber , thereby constraining each 2D glass-containing sheet received in the heating chamber to the same defined area, wherein the defined area between the actuators is greater than the length of the 2D glass-containing sheet and the length of the 2D glass-containing sheet is the dimension of the 2D glass-containing sheet constrained between the actuators . characterised in that the apparatus further comprises a pair of actuators located in the heating chamber adapted to confine movement of the 2D glass-containing sheet to a defined area within the heating chamber while the 2D glass-containing sheet is being heated within the heating chamber , thereby constraining each 2D glass-containing sheet received in the heating chamber to the same defined area, wherein the defined area between the actuators is greater than the length of the 2D glass-containing sheet and the length of the 2D glass-containing sheet is the dimension of the 2D glass-containing sheet constrained between the actuators . <EOS>