Die-cutting
Cutting flat glass

Generally speaking, cutting glass means guiding the propagation of a fracture in the glass. This is commonly achieved by creating an initial crack (median crack) with a cutting wheel, and then applying a well-directed stress. The first stage is known as scribing, the second as breakage.

Scribing can be performed mechanically by moving a pointed indentor over the glass surface. The roller used is a wheel with a sharp edge and a hardness greater than that of the glass. A normal load P is applied to the wheel as it moves. The wheel has three main characteristics: the material it is made of, its diameter D, and its angle α (figure 1). These parameters are adapted to the type of glass to be cut (composition, thickness...)....