S.I. Howard Glass Company is an ISO 9001-certified and ITAR-registered supplier of glass parts and products. In addition to maintaining a wide range of quality standard glass products, we offer a broad selection of custom glass fabrication capabilities. One of our core service offerings is CNC scribing, a manufacturing process used to form partial cuts that facilitate the separation of individual components from the workpiece material. 

 

Overview of the Scribe and Break Process

Scribe and break (S & B) is a separation technique that relies on the physical properties of the workpiece material. It uses a dry cutting process, which helps improve processing speed compared to other separation techniques. Additionally, it requires extremely small processing widths (scribe lines are typically only a few micrometers), which allows for more components to be made from a single workpiece. 

The process steps are as follows: 

  1. Scribing: forming partial cuts through the substrate 
  2. Breaking: cracking the substrate along the formed cuts to separate the component

The process can create components at high speeds with a low risk of chipping when performed properly.

 

Our CNC Scribing Services

CNC scribing is ideal for many scribe and break projects. While the scribing step can be performed manually, companies that utilize CNC technology can perform it with much greater accuracy, precision, and speed, all of which are essential when you need quality components quickly.

Our team is equipped with three Gen-3 TLC Phoenix-600® machines that allow us to rapidly cut squares and diameters to form one or more glass pieces. The high-accuracy mechanical glass cutting units enable us to easily produce straight, circular, and curved cut lines on single glass sheets or laminated glass components.  Our capabilities include:

  • Cut X-Y and shapes up to .200” thk
  • Tolerance of +/- .13mm or better up to 1.1mm thk. 
  • Tolerance of .25mm up to 3mm thk
  • Tolerance of .5mm up to 5mm thk.
  • Substrates up to 24”x24”

All of our CNC scribing projects begin with the delivery of the component drawings by the client. After they’ve provided the drawings to our team, we can confirm whether we can complete the project. If not, we will offer alternative solutions that may meet their needs. If we accept the request, we guarantee better cuts, smoother edges, and fewer flares than hand-cut pieces. Our extensive inventory of glass materials helps us quickly accommodate a variety of customer requirements and restrictions, resulting in shorter lead times. 

Since its founding, S.I. Howard Glass Company has developed a reputation for quality fabricated flat glass components. As a small business, we’re able to make quick decisions and maintain better communication with our clients, resulting in a better customer experience. Additionally, many of our employees have been with us for years, which gives them the knowledge and skills to deliver superior glass parts and products for various industries and applications.

 

 

Choose CNC Scribing Services From S.I. Howard Glass Company

Need a partner for your next scribe and break project? Turn to the CNC scribing experts at S.I. Howard Glass Company! We provide custom glass fabrication solutions, including CNC scribing, to over 400 customers across a diverse range of industries. 

To learn more about our CNC scribing or other glass fabrication capabilities, contact us today. To get started on your solution, request a quote.