Glass processing
As far as we know, there is no other company in Germany in the area of technical glass processing and glass finishing that can even come close to offering a comparable range of processing options for this material from a single source. Experience, knowledge and sensitivity make the difference at Irlbacher. This includes the machines that we build ourselves for our glass processing, technologies that we develop ourselves as a manufacturer and, of course, the people who work with the machines and are experts in handling the versatile material glass. With our CNC processing systems, we achieve a high level of precision and can process the fascinating material almost as if it were a material made of metal.
Base glass
The selection of suitable materials is at the beginning of every development project and is decisive with regard to subsequent application and planned use. Our applications range from furniture to HMI for cutting-edge high-tech devices. With over 250 types of glass, we have just about everything in stock that there is a variety of flat glass. This includes soda-lime glass as float or white glass, borosilicate glass for particularly high requirements, but also aluminosilicate glass as thin glass, from a thickness of 0.55 mm. In addition, special glasses, such as glass ceramic B270 or D263, tinted colored glass, color effect filters, patterned glass, glass tubes, or even anti-reflective glass with appropriate coatings.
Cutting
Cut flat glass
Glass processing in our company starts with cutting. Here, the glass blanks are cut from large flat glass panes (standard size in Europe: 6,000 mm × 3,210 mm) for further processing with a diamond. With our large range of glass in house, we are able to respond quickly and flexibly to the diverse requirements of our customers and are usually able to guarantee short delivery times.
Scratch & break
The glass is scratched with a diamond on the glass surface and then broken over an edge. This is also referred to as scratching and breaking. This initially creates raw glass edges with the classic breakage for glass. The edges, which are dangerous for injuries, are further processed by grinding and polishing in the further glass processing process on various machines and tools. This reduces the risk of injuries, increases strength and brings the glass to the finished size for further finishing, such as screen printing or other coatings.
Automation in glass processing
For edge processing, we have largely automated our processes and can process glass with high precision and down to the millimetre using CNC processing. In this way, we achieve high speeds in glass processing for the production of larger quantities. Even for small quantities up to single-part production, we have the appropriate edge processing processes in-house and are therefore able to respond quickly and flexibly to the requirements of our customers.
Waterjet cutting
We use environmentally friendly waterjet cutting when processing glass to produce cutouts or to create free-formed and round contours. The advantage of this process is an extremely precise cut edge without thermal influences. The original structure and strength of the materials are retained and the quality of the glass edges is already very good. Complex shapes and fine details can be easily cut into almost any glass.
CNC processing - grinding & polishing
Grinding & polishing
Our CNC glass processing using machines developed in-house makes it possible to produce almost any shape and a wide variety of profiles for the glass edges. We can also drill, grind and polish the glass surfaces according to customer specifications in our CNC-controlled glass processing. Here is an example of discs for use in medical technology with holes and polished finger recesses and edges.
Processing glass edges
On special machines for our own glass processing, the edges of elegant control panels are precisely ground and polished for use as a product in the field of sanitary technology. Especially for design-oriented applications in architecture, the quality of the edges and the surfaces play a decisive role and give the glass parts their special touch.
Surface processing
We grind and polish depressions in the surface of glass, which, depending on the application, are used, for example, for haptic finger guidance for use as a user interface in a wide variety of areas. Quality and precision reflect our commitment to glass processing in our company.
Drilling & sinking
Glass processing drilling
In contrast to metal, glass is not a solid but a solidified melt, which is why drilling behaves completely differently. With our 90 years of production know-how in glass processing, we have developed our own machines and techniques to drill holes or blind holes in glass.
Glass processing sinks
The same applies when drilling holes. We have also developed our own tools and machines for this processing, which are optimally tailored to the properties of glass as a material and are adapted to the production requirements for glass components.
Laser processing
Another type of glass processing is laser processing. With the laser, we can process glass using an ablation process and, depending on requirements, cut, drill or produce blind holes, trenches and engravings. With this process, clean and smooth edges can be produced.
For example, the glass processing process is ideal for special projects, such as the production of a microreactor for analysis in the chemical industry. With maximum precision, a variety of fine holes are drilled into the glass with the laser.
With filamentation, we can cut glass in a similar way as with a water jet, but with significantly smoother edges. With this type of processing, subsequent grinding or polishing of the glass edges is no longer necessary.
Deform & bend
Glass as a design icon
For the refinement of glass, we have developed techniques to deform flat glass into elegant design objects, depending on requirements. In this way, we create unique selling points for our customers with high durability and an independent form. To produce this application, an additional lotus effect coating was applied to the glass after polishing.
Curved flat glass
Plane glass panes become curved user surfaces. Glass that has been printed several times using ceramic screen printing is then precisely bent and refined into ESG using our thermal hardening process. When manufacturing the panes of different sizes, the challenge for the technology is to ensure that the bending radius of both components is identical when installed and that the edges run absolutely parallel.
Glass for the lighting industry
Patterned glass as a 3D shape for parts in the lighting industry with precisely cut edges for clean installation in the mechanics of a lamp housing. We can also sandblasting glass diffuser parts in our house, which means that the intensity of the surface roughness can then be individually adjusted.
Hardening - thermal and chemical
During thermal hardening, the glass is heated to 580-680°C and becomes elastic again due to the high temperature. This is followed by sudden cooling, which places the core of a disk under tensile stress and the surface under compressive stress. We use chemical hardening for glasses that are thinner than 3 mm. Here, there is an exchange of ions between the alkaline ions of the surface layers of the glass and the potassium ions of the salt solution in which the glass is immersed.
FAQ
Which glass processing methods are used industrially?
Mechanical, thermal and chemical processes are used in industrial glass processing. These include:
- Mechanical: cutting (diamond and carbide wheels), grinding and polishing (flat, facet and edge grinding), drilling (hollow diamond drill bit).
- Thermal: Bending, tempering (ESG), laminating (VSG), fusing.
- Chemically: Etching, ion exchange for chemical prestressing.
- Physically: Laser processing (laser cutting - filamentation, laser drilling - ablation), waterjet cutting (partly abrasive).
What special features must be considered when drilling glass?
The following should be considered:
- use of diamond drills (segment or vacuum soldering).
- Always process with coolant supply (usually water with coolant additives).
- Speed and feed must be adjusted to the type and thickness of the glass (too high speed → microcracks).
- ESG cannot be drilled, VSG only with prior separation of the composite film (unless VSG consists of ESG glasses).
Can tempered safety glass (ESG) be processed retrospectively?
No. After tempering, the glass is subject to surface and internal stress. Every processing process (drilling, cutting, grinding) results in uncontrolled breakage. Edits must before the tensioning process take place. With VSG, only the glass layer can be processed, but not the PVB or EVA film between the panes.
Which technologies are becoming increasingly popular in cutting?
In addition to the classic crevice fracture process (glass cutter with diamond or HM wheel), there is an increase in Laser and waterjet cutting for use.
- Lasers: creates thermal separation cracks through localized heating and cooling (so-called filamentation). Advantage: high precision, low post-processing.
- Waterjet: also suitable for thick glasses (>30 mm) and complex geometries. Addition of abrasive increases efficiency, but increases edge roughness. Advantage: high cycle times.
What are the options for decorative or functional glass processing?
- Decorative: Sandblasting, engraving (mechanical/laser), matting (=sandblasting), color enamel application, screen printing and digital printing on glass.
- Functional: surface coating (e.g. anti-reflective, antimicrobial, self-cleaning, or Low-E coatings).
Which occupational safety measures are absolutely necessary?
- Personal protective equipment: Cut-resistant gloves (EN 388), safety glasses or face protection, safety shoes with cut protection.
- Machine safety: Extractions for grinding and polishing work (fine dust), protective covers on cutting and grinding machines.
- Handling: Use of vacuum lifters or crane systems to prevent injuries caused by breakages or cut edges.
