Brittle Material Cutting with Laser Thermal Shock Cracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for cutting brittle materials like glass, sapphire, and ceramics are inefficient due to the need for deep notches, which lead to contamination and imprecise breakage lines, especially when cutting multiple axes, resulting in reduced yield and increased process time.
Innovation Solution
A cutting apparatus that simultaneously performs scribing, heating, and cooling using multiple laser units and cooling units, with the heating lasers positioned on either side of the scribing laser, allowing for precise thermal shock cracking without rotating the material, thereby improving edge quality and reducing cycle time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If deep notches are produced by laser ablation to cut brittle materials, then the material can be separated, but the process time increases significantly and microscopic contamination occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting process is divided into two independent stages: first creating a shallow notch (1/10 to 1/5 of thickness) via laser ablation, then propagating the crack through thermal shock. This segmentation allows each stage to be optimized separately, reducing total process time while maintaining precision
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical parameters of the cutting process by introducing thermal shock through rapid heating and cooling cycles. This parameter change enables crack propagation without requiring deep notches, thereby reducing both process time and material removal while maintaining cutting precision
2Productivity
If mechanical forces are applied to produce breaking stresses for cutting brittle materials, then the material can be separated, but the breakage lines become imprecise and fracture flaws occur
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the mechanical force application system with a thermal field system. Instead of using mechanical impulse or bending forces that cause imprecise breakage, the patent uses controlled thermal shock through laser heating and cooling to generate stresses that propagate cracks along precise paths defined by the initial notch
3Reliability
If a new initial crack is made at the beginning of each dividing line for multi-axis cutting, then complete separation can be achieved, but the process becomes very time-consuming and mechanical scoring systems suffer high wear
Solution Approach 1:
The invention performs preliminary action by creating a single initial notch that extends across the entire material thickness before applying thermal shock. This preliminary notch serves as a propagation path for subsequent cracks, eliminating the need to create new initial cracks at each dividing line and significantly reducing process time
4Manufacturing precision
If laser methods create notches by ablation into the material, then cutting can be achieved, but complex apparatuses are needed and the notch is created relatively slowly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the notch creation and crack propagation functions into a single integrated process. By combining the shallow laser ablation notch with immediate thermal shock application, the system achieves complete cutting without requiring separate complex apparatuses for deep notch creation and subsequent crack propagation
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enhances edge quality, reduces contamination, and increases efficiency by allowing simultaneous scribing, heating, and cooling, while minimizing the need for complex apparatuses and reducing the number of heating laser units, thus improving the cutting process for brittle materials.
Implementation Method 1
a scribing laser unit, configured to emit a scribing laser to scribe a brittle object by a scribing laser focusing spot
Implementation Method 2
a first heating laser unit, configured to emit a first heating laser to heat the brittle object by the first heating laser focusing spot... a second heating laser unit, configured to emit a second heating laser to heat the brittle object by the second heating laser focusing spot
Implementation Method 3
a first cooling unit, configured to provide a first coolant spot to cool the brittle object... a second cooling unit, configured to provide a second coolant spot to cool the brittle object
Data Source
AI summary
A brittle object cutting apparatus and the method thereof are disclosed. Wherein, the brittle object cutting apparatus comprises a first heating laser unit, a second heating laser unit, a scribing laser unit, two cooling units and a processing module. A heating laser from the heating laser units respectively located on opposite sides of a scribing laser from the scribing laser unit, and a coolant of the cooling unit followed behind the heating laser. In the moving process of the brittle object, the processing module controls the scribing laser for a scribing operation, and controls one of the heating lasers and the coolant form one of the cooling units to heat and cool the brittle object. As a result, the machining time of dicing the brittle objects may be effectively reduced.