The Possibility of High-Speed Laser Glass Cutting

Abstract

In recent years, the appearance of high-power fiber lasers, more efficient and easier to operate than other types of lasers, made it necessary to conduct systematic studies and develop a technology for cutting glass by the method of controlled thermal splitting. The paper considers the question of the possibility of high-speed cutting of glass by modern lasers with a power of up to several tens of kilowatts in the near-IR radiation range. In order to achieve the goal set in the work, the problem of determining the field of elastic stresses arising in a glass plate when it is heated by laser radiation has been solved. The method of investigation is based on the theory of thermoelasticity. We have proposed a mathematical model for calculating the three-dimensional temperature distribution and elastic stresses caused by the irradiation of the glass by a moving laser beam and have presented the results of numerical simulation of temperature fields and elastic stress profiles at different irradiation spot velocities. At high radiation powers, the maximum achievable cutting speed of glass is shown to be directly proportional to the power. The data on the speed of Bohr glass at low radiation powers (less than 400 W) available in the literature we have extrapolated to a high power (up to several tens of kilowatts). The investigation shows that the cutting speed can reach 70 cm / s at a laser radiation power of 20 kW. For cutting large-sized glass sheets in mass production, the fiber ytterbium lasers having a wavelength of 1.065 m are recommended. These lasers meet the requirements for power level, irradiation stability and service life. In addition, they have the ability to transport radiation through a fiber optic cable and the ability to automatically control the spatial location of the radiation spot. The results obtained can be used to develop new technologies for cutting glass on industrial lines for the production of float glass, in the process of cutting glass sheets and cutting 3D articles. The method of laser controlled thermal splitting, in comparison with other methods of laser cutting glass, is more efficient and stable, and also has a much wider range of applications, because allows increasing in several times the thickness of the divided glass.