In the 3D glass hot bending process, the glass plate is heated and softened to form a stable shape in the mold, and then annealed to form a curved glass. However, these molds are expensive to manufacture and add a long process time. Now researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Materials Mechanics in Germany have developed a laser-based alternative technology that is less costly and time-consuming.
Researchers first need to place the flat glass face down on the open space of the oven - the oven has been preheated and the temperature is just below the melting point of the glass. Once the glass reaches this temperature, the researcher will use the laser beam guided by the moving mirror to selectively further heat its intended part. This will soften the glass in these areas as if it were made of thick honey.
Because there is no support under the glass, the softened portion begins to sink due to gravity. Once the desired shape is reached, the laser is turned off, allowing the glass to cool and harden in a new form.
It takes about half an hour to put the glass into the oven until it is completely cooled. In other words, according to the complexity of the design, the laser can be completed in a few minutes. This means that multiple pieces of glass can be processed in a relatively short period of time.
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