Method and apparatus for cutting a laminate made of a brittle material and a plastic

US6592703B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• Schott Glas · DE

Inventors

• Andreas Habeck · Undenheim, DE
• Roland Buerkle · Nieder-Olm, DE
• Torsten Otto · Heidesheim, DE
• Oliver Scherer · Hennweiler, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 5, 1999
• Grant date: Jul 15, 2003
• Expiry date: Nov 5, 2019

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T428/31649
• WIPO field: Other special machines
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for cutting a laminate made of a brittle material and a plastic with a cutting tool is described. The plastic is heated up, thereby lowering its viscosity, at least in the region of a predetermined cutting line. A cutting tool is placed onto the plastic side of the laminate, the loading pressure being adjustable. By moving cutting tool relative to the laminate along the predetermined cutting line, the plastic is severed; at the same time the brittle material is scored, thereby inducing a mechanical stress. If appropriate, the mechanical stress along the cutting line is subsequently increased to exceed the rupture strength of the scored brittle material. A preferred application is the cutting of thin glass or glass-ceramic/plastic laminates.