Overview of the Modeling and Simulation of Laser Machining of Glass

Abstract

Glass is an important engineering material used in the manufacture of different components of engineering systems. Sodalime glass is the most common form of glass whose application includes manufacture of glass plates which are used in modern devices including TFT-LCDs, touch panels, thin-film solar cells, and color filters. For any application, the cutting of glass is the initial step in fabrication. The conventional method of glass cutting involves using a diamond point tool or wheel to mechanically score a line along the desired path. This is followed by application of bending force to break the glass along the scored line. This method has disadvantages that include: microcracks that serve as stress risers of tension and cause the fracture of the glass if loaded, rough edges requiring further machining and material wastage among others. Laser cutting has numerous advantages over the conventional methods regarding quality and is attaining wide acceptance in machining of glass. Laser machining can be achieved through melting and vaporization or thermal stress fracture. The performance and thermal effects of a process must be well understood in order for process control to succeed. This paper gives an overview of current status of research in modeling of laser machining of glass.