Abstract: An exemplary brittle non-metallic workpiece (80) defines a through hole (82). An inner surface (822) for forming the through hole has no microcracks and burrs. A method for making a through hole in a brittle non-metallic substrate (50) is also provided. The method includes as follows: forming an enclosing sketched etch (66) engraved into a brittle non-metallic substrate with a given depth (H) from a surface of the brittle non-metallic substrate; placing a cooling object (74) on an excess portion (68) inside the enclosing sketched etch (66); and extending the enclosing sketched etch through the brittle non-metallic substrate.

Abstract: An exemplary brittle non-metallic workpiece (80) defines a through hole (82). An inner surface (822) for forming the though hole has no microcracks and burrs. A method for making a through hole in a brittle non-metallic substrate (50) is also provided. The method includes as follows: forming an enclosing sketched etch (66) engraved into a brittle non-metallic substrate with a given depth (H) from a surface of the brittle non-metallic substrate; placing a cooling object (74) on an excess portion (68) inside the enclosing sketched etch (66); and extending the enclosing sketched etch through the brittle non-metallic substrate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for trimming the edges of a float glass ribbon whose thickness can vary between 0.4 mm and 24 mm in which a specific depth crack is generated for the respective thickness. The depth of the crack is actively influenced by energy introduced by means of a laser which is controlled as a function of the surface temperature of the float glass ribbon and by a subsequent cooling whose acting period is variable. To ensure a permanently reliable process, the severing crack and the thickness of the float glass ribbon are detected in order to initiate a new initial crack immediately in the event that the severing crack should break up and so that a cutting unit comprising the scribing device, the beam-shaping optics and the cooling nozzles is always at a constant vertical distance from the surface of the float glass ribbon. The method and apparatus are distinguished particularly by the fact that only a low laser power is required.

Abstract: The aim of present invention is to improve the efficiency and quality of the cutting of brittle non-metallic materials. In the first variant, the inventive method for cutting brittle non-metallic materials consisting in notching along cutting line and in additionally acting on the surface of the material, is characterised in that the additional action on the surface of the material is performed with at least one elastic wave source in the area of the notch, the amplitude and frequency of elastic waves are selected according to a condition of deepening the notch to the predetermined depth or cutting through said material. In the second variant, the notching is performed by heating the material surface along the cutting line with the aid of a laser beam elongated therealong and by locally cooling the heated area.

Abstract: The process involves optimizing the load conditions for the machined surfaces of the components, selecting and applying the optimum permissible specific force applied to the tool in the light of the relative thickness of the machined component, and using laser cutting to cut the edges of the components to size after the surface of the components has been machined. The process disclosed is carried out using a novel diamond-abrasive tool and novel devices for the devices concerned.According to one variant, the device comprises a surface plate (1) with a diamond-abrasive tool and a surface plate (2) arranged eccentrically on which are mounted holders (5) with recesses for the components (4). Each recess has a resilient lining (6). Force is applied by means of a clamping mechanism (7).