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Waterjet Cutting Glass

Glass is a unique substance that was traditionally been difficult to machine. Although it has a great deal of structural strength, even small scratches on the surface can lead to breaking and shearing. In fact, the traditional method of "cutting" glass involves making a small scratch on the surface with a diamond file and then applying pressure until it breaks along the scratch.

OMAX approaches this problem by treating glass as a brittle substance. The material is pierced at low pressure, and the OMAX then automatically switches to high-pressure mode to continue the tool path. The speed of the tool path is also adjusted to avoid problems that are associated with brittle materials.

As a result, OMAX customers regularly create parts made completely from glass such as the glass box below. OMAX customers also work with optical quality glass, where the abrasivejet allows maximum use of the expensive material.



Stained Glass and Aluminum (courtesy Advanced Waterjet & Engraving, Anaheim, CA)



Finger joint box made from glass



Quartz glass dragon