Glas-L-PA

The use of flexible, automatable and efficient processes for the manufacture of individual components from glass powder is also becoming increasingly important in the glass industry. Modern requirements for products made of quartz or borosilicate glass can only be met with great effort or not at all using conventional production methods. The aim of the project is therefore to qualify a process for powder buildup welding of glass by laser (L-PA). Process strategies are being developed to generate optically transparent, compact glass components depending on the type of material. Due to the good absorption of the wavelength of 10.6 μm in the glass, a CO₂ laser will be used. The result of near-net-shape manufacturing will be functional three-dimensional glass components. The main quality-determining target parameter in L-PA is the purity of the molten glass. Bubbles and inclusions should be as few and as small as possible in the glass. Furthermore, streak formation in the glass must be avoided. In addition, the amount of glass powder welded on per unit of time should be optimized in order to increase the efficiency of the additive process.