Laminated Safey Glass is made of two or multiple Glass Panels with PVB or SGP. Due to the characteristics of the SGP--stiff, SGP Laminated Glass is usually custom-made, then it can be installed directly without further process. The PVB is softer than SGP interlayer, then PVB Laminated Glass (annealed Laminated Glass) can be cut or polished. 

It looks like cutting glass is a pretty simple thing. I have to tell you that job requires techniques and skills. Glass is a fragile products, it is easy to crack (Run Line) without techniques or skills. And PVB Laminated glass is harder to cut than single glass panel. This is because they have to be cut through two pieces of glass and a polyvinyl interlayer. Typically, this means you have to cut the glass from both sides (faces) and after “running” the cuts out, people then have to cut through the center interlayer to complete the cut. Then how to cut PVB Laminated Glass become a key point. 

There are generally 3 ways to cut PVB Laminated Glass.

• Cut by hand with Glass Cutter

• Cut by Water Jet

• Cut by Laser Cutting Machine

The most complicated way is the 2nd one- Cut by Water Jet. There are a lot of factors that affect the result of the cutting on the Laminated Glass: its thickness, Size, and more. Using a water jet to cut Laminated Glass presents a unique challenge.

1. Use Fine Mesh Abrasive

Abrasives can seriously ramp up the cutting power when cutting glass.

Glass is particularly fragile to chipping, make sure to use a fine mesh abrasive. Besides, higher mesh sizes is recommended as it can provide smoother results at a certain flow rate per minute with less microchipping along the cutting edges.

2. Make Proper Fixturing

When using a water jet to cut Laminated Glass, it is important there is proper support beneath the glass. It can provide even support to help prevent cracking. The support should be flat, uniform, and supportive – just soft enough that the water jet doesn't ricochet back into the Laminated Glass and frost the bottom surface. Be sure the Laminated Glass pieces and the support are fixed in place. For a tricky balance, a water jet brick is a great option. Depending on the situation, clamps, weight, and tape are also choices.

Besides, cut under water to minimize frosting.

3. Choose the Right Orifice Size and Pressure

Cutting Laminated Glass requires high pressure and serious precision.

4. Eliminate Sagging in the Abrasive Line

Laminated Glass is fragile. If there's sagging in the abrasive line, that will interfere with the flow of abrasive into the material. That would cause sudden bursts of abrasives hitting the Laminated Glass. Then make sure there is no sagging in the abrasive line. If the abrasive line is prone to sagging, consider switching to a shorter line if necessary.

5. Set the correct Piercing Pressure

When it comes to cutting Laminated Glass, high pressure is the key – and the same goes for cutting Laminated Glass. Start out with piercing pressure from the pump so that high pressure water is hitting the material while the abrasive begins to flow.

6. Start in from the edge of the Laminated Glass

If possible, come in from the edge of the material, allowing the jet to start and stabilize before it reaches the material.

7. Avoid Rapid or big Temperature Changes

Throw a blazing hot glass dish straight from the oven into a sink full of cold water, the glass dish probably would have cracked. Glass is sensitive to rapid temperature changes,so is the Laminated Glass. The dramatic temperature changes between hot water and cold water or cold air can cause the Laminated Glass to shatter. When cutting Laminated Glass with a water jet, it's important to transition slowly between a hot water tank and cold air or cold water.

8.  Other Tips

Water Jet is generally not used to cut Big Size of Laminated Glass. Because the crack rate of Big Size Laminated Glass is pretty high. It can not cut Toughened Laminated Glass neither, due to the characteristics of tempered glass.

Considering the crack of Laminated Glass when cutting is not easy to avoid due to the points as above, not limits, most customers prefer to buy Laminated Glass directly at custom sizes or small panels from us. Then they do not need to cut them any more, or only need to cut small panles to be smaller ones at their side.