With the rapid development of science and technology, ultra-thin glass is increasingly used in modern electronic equipment, optical instruments and new energy fields. Ultra-thin glass has become an indispensable component of high-tech products such as smartphone screens, solar panels, and medical equipment with its excellent optical properties, mechanical strength and thermal stability.
However, the processing of ultra-thin glass, especially the cutting process, faces great challenges. Traditional mechanical cutting methods often have difficulty coping with the brittleness and fragility of ultra-thin glass, which can easily lead to material breakage and affect product quality and production efficiency. Therefore, it is particularly important to develop a cutting technology that is efficient, precise and less damaging to the material. As a new type of cutting tool, CTIA GROUP cut-resistant tungsten wire provides a new solution for the processing of ultra-thin glass with its excellent physical and chemical properties.
I. Insufficiency of Traditional Cutting Technology
Traditional glass cutting technology mainly includes mechanical cutting, laser cutting and chemical etching. Mechanical cutting usually uses diamond tools or grinding wheels, but for ultra-thin glass with a thickness of less than tens of microns, this method is prone to cracks and breakage. Although laser cutting has high precision, the equipment cost is expensive, and heat-affected zones may be generated during the cutting process, affecting the performance of the glass. Chemical etching has problems such as long processing time and environmental pollution. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a cutting technology that can ensure cutting quality and is economical and efficient.
II. Introduction to Cut-Resistant Tungsten Wire
Tungsten wire, as a material with a high melting point and high hardness, has long been widely used in electric light sources, electronic devices and other fields. In recent years, with the advancement of materials science and processing technology, the application of tungsten wire in the field of cutting has gradually attracted attention. Specially treated cut-resistant tungsten wire has excellent performance in hardness and wear resistance, making it an ideal choice for cutting ultra-thin glass.
Cut-resistant tungsten wire is a tungsten-based filament treated with a special process, usually with a diameter of 10 to 100 microns. Compared with ordinary tungsten wire, it has better wear resistance and oxidation resistance, and can effectively reduce friction heat during the cutting process to protect the glass material from thermal damage.
1. Manufacturing Process of Cut-Resistant Tungsten Wire
The manufacturing of cut-resistant tungsten wire involves multiple processes. First, high-purity tungsten powder is selected and tungsten blanks are prepared by powder metallurgy technology. Then, the tungsten blanks are drawn into filaments by hot wire drawing process. During the wire drawing process, the temperature and drawing speed must be strictly controlled to ensure the uniformity and mechanical properties of the tungsten wire. Finally, a hard coating such as tungsten carbide (WC), titanium nitride (TiN), etc. is deposited on the surface of the tungsten wire by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or physical vapor deposition (PVD) technology.
2. Physical And Chemical Properties of Cut-Resistant Tungsten Wire
High hardness: The hardness can reach more than 3600mm2, far exceeding ordinary steel wire or polyethylene fiber.
High melting point: The melting point of tungsten is as high as 3422℃, which ensures that the tungsten wire maintains structural integrity during high-temperature cutting.
Excellent wear resistance: high mechanical strength, good wear resistance and long service life.
Good electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity: The electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity of tungsten wire are excellent, which helps to quickly dissipate heat during cutting and reduce thermal effects.
3. Cutting Principle of Cut-Resistant Tungsten Wire
The application of cut-resistant tungsten wire in ultra-thin glass cutting is mainly based on electric spark cutting (EDM) technology. In the EDM process, the tungsten wire is used as an electrode, and a high-frequency pulse voltage is applied between the tungsten wire and the glass workpiece to generate electric spark discharge. The local high temperature generated by the discharge melts or vaporizes the glass material, thereby achieving cutting. Compared with traditional mechanical cutting, EDM cutting has the advantages of non-contact, no mechanical stress, and high cutting accuracy, which is particularly suitable for ultra-thin glass processing.
III. Application of Cut-Resistant Tungsten Wire in Ultra-Thin Glass Processing
1. Smartphone Screen
Ultra-thin glass is a key material for smartphone touch screens. Cutting with cut-resistant tungsten wire can achieve high-precision screen edge processing, avoiding microcracks and strength loss that may be caused by traditional cutting methods.
2. Solar Panels
Ultra-thin glass is used as a protective layer and optical enhancement layer in solar panels. Cut-resistant tungsten wire can accurately cut these glass components to ensure the light transmittance and durability of the panels.
3. Medical Equipment
In the medical field, ultra-thin glass is often used to manufacture high-precision optical instruments and biochips. The cutting technology of cut-resistant tungsten wire can ensure the quality and performance of these precision devices.
IV. Advantages of Using Cut-Resistant Tungsten Wire
1. Improve cutting accuracy: EDM cutting can achieve micron-level cutting accuracy and meet high-precision processing requirements.
2. Reduce glass breakage rate: Non-contact cutting avoids mechanical stress and significantly reduces the risk of glass breakage.
3. Improve production efficiency: The high wear resistance and long life of cut-resistant tungsten wire reduce the frequency of tool replacement and improve production efficiency.
