Laser cut glass is produced by using a high power laser to cut glass sheets, resulting in smooth, polished edges and no risk of injury. Carbon dioxide lasers are commonly used, with UV lasers being effective for cutting low-cost glass. Laser cutting offers accuracy, detail, and high-quality cuts for various glass products.
Laser cut glass is any glass product that is cut from a sheet using a high power laser. Most types of glass can be cut with a laser, although the techniques used require adjustments to avoid breakage from excessive thermal shock. In most laser cut glass applications, carbon dioxide (C02) lasers are used, although other types may also be used in specific applications. When glass is cut properly with a laser, the cut edges exhibit a smooth, shiny surface that requires little or no finishing and presents no risk of injury. Laser-cut glass items include ornaments, tiles, and electronic components such as the glass wafers used in liquid crystal displays (LCDs).
Glass cutting is a common procedure where items are manufactured from flat glass sheets. Conventional glass cutting involves etching or scratching a line into the glass surface along the cut line. This creates a weak area in the glass along which the sheet is mechanically flexed, or bent, causing it to break at the line. In most cases, this creates a fairly accurate cut, although the results can often be unpredictable. The edges of this type of cut are also very rough and sharp and require polishing to avoid serious tearing.
An alternative method of cutting objects from sheet glass is laser cutting. Lasers are devices that project a tightly focused, high-energy beam of light that releases significant amounts of heat at the point of contact. In the case of laser cut glass, the laser beam melts and vaporizes the glass at the point of cut. In some cases, this can lead to a phenomenon known as thermal shock, which can cause glass to break along the line of the cut or even across its entire surface. To prevent this, a coolant is directed to the glass surface immediately behind the cutting point.
Laser cutting of glass has several distinct advantages over conventional scoring and bending methods. The first is accuracy and detail, with computer controlled lasers being able to offer high degrees of accuracy along complex profiles. The second is an exceptionally high quality of cut, where the cut lines have a smooth, almost polished surface, requiring no finishing, in most cases. The completed items are also free from lubricants commonly used in other glass cutting processes. This not only reduces production time, but also eliminates the risk of injury.
Most laser cut glass is processed using high power C02 lasers, although other types such as ultraviolet (UV) lasers can be used. These lasers have proven particularly effective in cutting low-cost types of glass such as soda-lime glass. Products made with laser cutting include ornaments, glass tiles and LCD reading screen sheets.
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