Miniature drilling of chemically strengthened glass plate using electroplated diamond tool

It is well known that chemically strengthened glass plate has excellent strength and hardness properties. These characteristic properties are advantageous for the touch screens used in mobile devices. However, they are detrimental to the process of machining the glass plate. For example, chipping and crack occur around the inlet and outlet of the drilled hole, and the rate of tool wear is significant. Therefore, the surface quality and machining efficiency are low. The drilling process is extremely difficult. In this study, we describe the use of aminiature drilling method to achieve high-quality drilled holes in chemically strengthened glass plate using an electroplated diamond tool with a diameter of 1 mm or less. Using the developed tool with a diameter of 0.5 mm, it is demonstrated that the conventional drilling method can be used to drill a through-hole in the glass plate. © 2016 Fuji Technology Press Ltd. All Rights Reserved.