METHOD FOR CUTTING OF FRANGIBLE NON-METALLIC MATERIALS Russian patent published in 2004 - IPC

FIELD: cutting of frangible non-metallic materials, such as glass, devitrified glass, ceramics, various kinds of monocrystals, including quartz and sapphire, and semiconductor materials, including silicon and gallium arsenide.

SUBSTANCE: method involves providing notch on material surface along cutting line; heating cutting line by laser beam extending along said line; providing local cooling of heated zone by coolant while moving material relative to laser beam and coolant source; providing cooling of each point on cutting line by means of elongated coolant for time interval commensurable with time of heating of said point, with cooling time being selected depending on thickness of material and its physical properties. Method allows cutting line of predetermined depth to be obtained by means of elongated multiple-cascade coolant feeding mechanism. Each point of cutting line may be cooled by means of elongated slot-type coolant. Method may be used in various branches of industry for precise cutting of wide range of materials into parts and blanks of any size and configuration.

EFFECT: increased efficiency and quality of cutting of frangible materials by providing through and non-through cutting in single or various process cycles at increased cutting rates and owing to controlling of crack cutting depth.

3 cl, 3 dwg