Flush Vehicle Glazing Manufacturing via Laser Cutting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional manufacturing processes for vehicle glazing result in geometry deviations and gaps between adjacent glass pieces, leading to aerodynamic inefficiencies, increased fuel consumption, wind noise, and poor aesthetic quality due to separate cutting and bending of glass pieces.
Innovation Solution
A method involving heating a single vehicle glass panel to a specific temperature range for bending and then cutting it with a high-power LASER before cooling, ensuring perfect alignment and edge quality by maintaining the glass's mechanical properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If separate cutting and bending of glass pieces is performed, then manufacturability is improved, but alignment precision and gap elimination deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple glass pieces into a single large glass panel before bending and cutting operations. This merging approach allows the entire glazing assembly to be treated as one unit during manufacturing, eliminating gaps between pieces while maintaining ease of manufacture through integrated processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs bending and cutting operations on the entire glass assembly while it is in a softened, malleable state before final cooling and solidification. This preliminary action at elevated temperature allows precise shaping and alignment to be established before the glass hardens, ensuring perfect alignment that would be difficult to achieve through subsequent mechanical adjustments.
2Ease of manufacture
If mechanical cutting means are used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but glass strength deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical cutting methods with cutting performed on softened glass at elevated temperature. This substitution eliminates the need for mechanical contact that would create stress concentrations and weaken the glass, while still achieving precise cuts through thermal softening and shaping.
3Ease of operation
If gaps exist between adjacent glass pieces, then ease of assembly is improved, but aerodynamic performance and aesthetic quality deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple glass pieces into a single integrated panel structure, eliminating the gaps that would otherwise exist between adjacent pieces. This merging improves aerodynamic performance by creating a smooth, continuous surface while the integrated manufacturing process maintains ease of assembly.
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 method achieves a flush, gap-free assembly that enhances aerodynamics, reduces fuel consumption and noise, and improves the aesthetic quality of vehicle glazing while maintaining glass strength and edge quality.
Implementation Method 1
the vehicle glass panel is heated inside a furnace at a predetermined temperature T1 for a predetermined period of time t3 for bending it, wherein the temperature T1 ranges from about a temperature at which the viscosity of the vehicle glass panel is 1013.6 Pa·s to a temperature at which the viscosity of the vehicle glass panel is 109 Pa·s
Implementation Method 2
the bent vehicle glass panel is cut inside the furnace in the adjacent sections along a cut line by a high-power LASER
Implementation Method 3
the cut vehicle glass panel is cooled
Data Source
AI summary
Method for manufacturing a flush vehicle glazing that allows to achieve a perfect alignment between the adjacent sections of the glazing vehicle area in the final assembled product by providing a vehicle glass panel which comprise at least two adjacent sections of the vehicle glazing area in one single panel, followed by bending the vehicle glass panel and LASER cutting before cooling thereof.