Cutting of Flat Glass and Laminated Glass by Solid-State Lasers

A. Ostendorf, U. Stute & C. Büsching, Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V.

The method of cutting and breaking in order to separate glass is as old as the material itself. This separation method, which is still predominantly used today, underwent a revolution at the beginning of the 20th century, when cutting wheels were invented. The next relevant evolutional step in glass separation was the use of laser radiation to cut glass products. Laser processing of glass shows, especially in the area of the high-tech products, clear advantages compared to separation by cutting wheels.

In this paper, the principle and results of using NIR-Laser radiation for separating flat glass and laminated glass will be shown. The delineated characteristics of the process lead to the presented prototype machine. This laser method enables to cut without mechanical forces and with high reproducibility. Complex 2D geometries, which can be conventionally manufactured only by using time intensive grinding and polishing procedures, can be realized in one processing step with the help of laser technology. Laser cut edges are shown attaining a quality comparable with those of conventionally polished edges. The laser separated edges are convincing due to a high mechanical stability and thermal shock resistance. Thus, lasers are one of the most interesting high potential tools which can be easily automated in high-tech glass processing.

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The Authors

Carsten Büsching scientist Laser Zentrum Hannover Carsten Büsching is a Scientist at Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V.. His activities cover the treatment of glass materials in the emphasis by means of laser radiation. After the support of projects for the... Read more