Apparatuses and methods for scoring a glass article
Disclosed herein are methods and apparatuses for scoring a glass article, including positioning a plasma flame of a plasma torch and the glass article in close proximity to one another; and moving the plasma torch across a surface of the glass article to form at least one indentation in the surface, wherein the at least one indentation is formed from the plasma flame melting at least a portion of the glass surface to form a scoring line, without penetrating through a total thickness of the glass article.
1. A method for scoring a glass article, the method comprising:
(a) positioning a plasma torch and the glass article in close proximity to one another; and
(b) moving a plasma flame generated by the plasma torch across a surface of the glass article to form at least one indentation in the surface,
wherein the at least one indentation is formed from the plasma flame melting at least a portion of the surface of the glass article to form a scoring line, without penetrating through a total thickness of the glass article.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein moving the plasma torch across the surface of the glass article comprises maintaining a minimum speed of the plasma torch movement, wherein the minimum speed controls a maximum duration the plasma flame heats discrete portions of the surface of the glass article.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one indentation comprises substantially continuous indentations forming a groove in the surface of the glass article, and further wherein the groove has a depth that is controlled at least partially by a predetermined speed of the plasma torch.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein moving the plasma torch across the surface of the glass article comprises maintaining a minimum gap between the plasma flame and the surface of the glass article, and further wherein the minimum gap at least partially controls a depth of the at least one indentation in the surface.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein moving the plasma torch across the surface of the glass article comprises maintaining the plasma flame at an angle of approximately 90° relative to the surface of the glass article.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the scoring line in the glass article is a straight line.
7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising cutting the scored glass article at the scoring line.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein forming the at least one indentation provides a temporary stress relaxation in the glass article, and wherein the temporary stress relaxation facilitates cutting the scored glass article at the scoring line.
9. A method for cutting or separating a glass article, comprising:
(a) positioning a plasma torch and the glass article in close proximity to one another;
(b) moving the plasma torch across a surface of the glass article to form at least one indentation in the surface to form a scoring line, and
(c) cutting or separating the glass article at the scoring line,
wherein the at least one indentation is formed from a plasma flame generated by the plasma torch melting at least a portion of the glass surface without penetrating through a total thickness of the glass article.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein moving the plasma torch across the surface of the glass article comprises maintaining a minimum speed of the plasma torch movement, wherein the minimum speed at least partially controls a maximum duration the plasma flame heats discrete portions of the surface of the glass article.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the at least one indentation comprises substantially continuous indentations forming a groove in the surface of the glass article, and further wherein the groove has a depth and the depth is at least partially controlled by a predetermined speed.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein moving the plasma torch across the surface of the glass article comprises maintaining a minimum gap between the plasma flame and the surface of the glass article, and further wherein the minimum gap at least partially controls a depth of the at least one indentation in the surface.
13. The method of claim 9 , wherein moving the plasma torch across the surface of the glass article comprises maintaining the plasma flame at an angle of approximately 90° relative to the surface of the glass article.
14. The method of claim 9 , wherein forming the at least one indentation provides a temporary stress relaxation in the glass article, and wherein the temporary stress relaxation facilitates cutting or separating the glass article at the scoring line.