Waterjet cutting glass

Cutting Glass
Although glass is a brittle material, it can be cut using an abrasive waterjet and the results can be quite stunning. Most glass cutting is done for artistic purposes.

There are a few main items to consider when cutting glass:
- Quality of glass
- Abrasive and water delivery
- Support of the glass
- Design of the part



Quality of glass
Some types of glass cut much easier than other types of glass. Generally speaking, higher quality glass that is thicker tends to be easier to cut than low quality glass or thin glass. The manner in which the glass was cooled at the factory affects the temper and how brittle and how difficult it is to cut later on, and some of the cheaper glass is not as good.



Tempered glass is impossible to cut with a waterjet, as the glass is under stress. When you begin cutting it, tempered glass will shatter into many small fragments.