Glass Cutting

Glass Cutting

Glass cutting is an important part of the glass fabrication process. Several different methods exist for glass cutting. The most prominent methods are diamond saw cutting, thermal or hot cutting, score and break cutting, and laser cutting.

Diamond saw cutting, or simply “saw cutting,” uses a diamond abrasive to cut glass pieces to length. This is an excellent means of precision cutting for small parts such as hermetic sealing beads and bridge parts for automotive lighting.

Thermal or hot cutting on the other hand uses controlled heating and cooling to produce a cut in a piece of glass. This method is used for pieces with a thickness or diameter of greater than five millimeters, including light bulb blanks for small lights and blanks for syringe cartridges.

Another common means of glass cutting is called score and break. This is used for small tubes or sheet glass that has a thickness of less than five millimeters. The score and break method scratches the glass, creating a stress point so that the glass breaks along that line.

Laser cutting can also be successfully applied to a wide range of glass products. It is a precise method and less likely than other methods to cause scratches or abrasions.