Can cutting fluid reduce glass waste?

Rising energy prices have meant a closer look at waste associated with glass processing. We talk to Bohle’s Dave Broxton to find out more.

Bohle has launched its own Silberschnitt range cutting fluids, which form a critical part of the overall Silberschnitt range of cutting wheels and other consumables.

Choosing the right cutting fluid is essential for cutting glass efficiently: cutting fluid lubricates the cutting wheel, which provides smoother cutting and it also maintains the stresses within the cut, offering better break out performance and more stable edges.

“Cutting fluid stores those stresses within the glass, which means that you can move the glass around your factory and break out at a later stage,” Dave says. “And when you do, you’ll have a very clean break, and the stresses will be released. So, when you go onto subsequent processing, like toughening or edge polishing, then you don’t have stresses trapped in the glass, which might result in blown glass sheets in the furnace, or chips or scallops in the edge.”

Silberschnitt V55 is the standard product for general glass cutting, including mirrored and low-e glass, and it has a standard evaporation time. Glass processors can choose to switch to Silberschnitt V59 for a longer evaporation time, or Silberschnitt V52 for a shorter evaporation time – usually required for cutting laminate and coated glass. For demanding shape-cutting, or for thicker glass, Silberschnitt W60 is recommended.

“We have nearly a century of expertise in glass cutting at Bohle, and the Silberschnitt brand of cutting wheels, pillar posts, axles and wheel holders, is well known throughout the world,” explains Dave.

“We’re now in a position after more than three years of development to launch Bohle Silberschnitt cutting fluids, and these have been designed to work perfectly with the whole Silberschnitt glass cutting system.”

And with this technical expertise comes experience and knowledge, which Bohle’s customers also benefit from.

“Whatever the size of your operation, whatever the make of your cutting table, we can offer you a tailor-made solution,” Dave says. “So, whatever glass you are cutting, we can recommend the best cutting wheel to use, and we can also supply you with the appropriate wheel holder, axle and pillar post to fit your machine. Our new range of Silberschnitt cutting fluids is the final element in consistent glass cutting quality.”

If companies have large amounts of glass cullet taken away at the end of the week, they need to do what they can to reduce that waste, Dave says.

“That may be using optimisation software to get the most out of out of a glass sheet, but the beauty of Silberschnitt cutting fluid is that it works with every single cut, and you will come out with a better quality product with a much higher degree of edge quality,” he concludes. “And you’ll be able to reduce your wastage, which adds value on the bottom line.”