Severing flat brittle material especially glass

摘要

A method of severing flat workpieces of brittle material, especially glass, comprises: (i) heating the cutting line with a radiant heat symmetrical with respect to the cutting line and having an increased radiation intensity in its peripheral region; (ii) moving the spot along the cutting line and/or workpiece; and (iii) cooling the heated cutting line section. The along the cutting line, the spot has no local intensity maximum or only a rear end local intensity maximum. Also claimed is an apparatus for carrying out the above method, the apparatus having optical equipment including a radiant heating device (especially a laser), equipment for moving the workpiece and/or the optical equipment along the cutting line and a cooling device for cooling the irradiated cutting line section.