All-round: combining laser cutting and edge shaping of glass

Abstract

Cutting glass to shape with ultra short laser pulses is nowadays a well established industrial process. Pulses with an elongated straight focal volume (line focus) are used to modify the workpiece throughout its entire depth with one single laser shot. At the same time, processed glass is often required to have a seamed or round edge, which usually requires an extra grinding step. Here we demonstrate that curved line foci can be used to combine cutting and edge shaping of glass sheets in one laser process. We reconsider the Airy-Gauss beam for this purpose, and suggest modifications to the beam profile to avoid unwanted effects, in particular an asymmetric laser modification of the glass sheet. We provide a combined experimental and numerical analysis of the laser process, and show a symmetric convex edge created in a \({920}\,{\upmu }\mathrm{m}\) thick glass sheet.