Glass laser cutting
As opposed to quartz, most types of glass are prone to thermal
shock and are therefore generally not suitable candidates for
laser cutting. The instantaneous heat of the laser's beam
provides cutting action by both vaporization and the blowing
away of molten glass from the cut zone.
Some materials such as boro silicates have low co-efficient of
expansion and, with adequate head cycling, can tolerate the heat
input from a laser. However, most other forms of glass including
soda lime experience thermal shock which results in crack
propagation along the cut edge. Also, based on the reflow
characteristics of the particular glass, there will be varying
degrees of resolidified material that will adhere to the edges
and underside of the cut.
See Water jet cutting for Glass
The laser cutting of glass is
limited by the poor thermal shock resistance of most
compositions. This causes complex glass parts to crack apart
after cutting. Glass also tends to have a lot of recast material
on the cut edge because it does not have a well-defined melting
point.
See Water jet cutting for Glass
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