The 4JET Group (Alsdorf, Germany) has introduced new versions of its PEARL laser glass cutting systems and installed several machines with international customers since beginning of the year.
The innovations go beyond the current typical scope of laser glass cutting which is mostly used in the manufacturing of small to medium sized display cover glasses as used in consumer and automotive electronics.
Instead 4JET´s next generation solution enables new use cases:
The new PEARL M-UTG is used for cutting of ultra-thin flexible glass. The system is integrated in a fully automated processing line and enables to cut glass foils as thin as 30 µm with excellent breaking strength at highest yield. Potential applications for flexible glass in growth markets such as consumer electronics, medical or semiconductor applications are vast.
Several PEARL systems have also been installed recently to cut very large glass sheets or glass stacks. The Pearl series is capable of cutting glass with a size of up to 2.2 m width and more than 3 m length. For the first time it is possible to use the advantages of laser glass filamentation on large mother glass sheets for e.g. smart windows.
The 4JET solutions enable to integrate the cutting process close to delicate coating- and printing processes, by eliminating the need for messy mechanical scoring and washing processes. Additional benefits compared to conventional mechanical cutting technologies are the extremely precise dimensional accuracy and the ability to create complex cutting geometries, including notches.
The PEARL systems are based on a granite machine platform, which offers inherent accuracy and long-term stability. Cutting geometries are easily imported from CAD drawings. The specific tuning of the axis controllers not only result in a high cutting speed, but also in excellent path accuracy to achieve high-precision outer contours in the end product. The PEARL DYNAMIC FOCUS ensures that the focus is always within the process window without increasing the process time.
The 4JET Group
4JET develops innovative laser systems for cleaning, structuring, marking, cutting and modifying materials to produce high-quality component surfaces.
The combination of laser process technology, optics, image processing, automation and software creates integrated machine solutions for industrial production. Customers include global market leaders in the tire, glass and photovoltaic industries. The company, based in the Aachen technology region, was founded in 2006 and employs 140 people at its headquarters, as well as subsidiaries in Shanghai (China), Atlanta (USA) and Prutting near Rosenheim. Further information can be found at www.4jet.de.
