Getting the Heat Just Right for Glass Score Lines
If you’ve ever dealt with glass that doesn’t break clean—or worse, shatters because of thermal shock—you know it’s all about the heat profile. You need a very specific balance of intensity and wavelength to get that perfect snap without stressing the material. That’s why we stick with shortwave infrared (SWIR) quartz lamps. They don’t just sit on the surface; they punch right through, putting the energy exactly where the score line needs it. The Power Side of Things We usually go for lamps with a high wattage-to-length ratio. Why? Because you need that temperature to ramp up fast. When you use a high-voltage tube—think 230V or 400V—you’re packing more heat into every millimeter. It’s a great way to save space on your assembly line. But here’s the catch: your power supply has to be a perfect match for the lamp’s resistance. If your voltage starts jumping around, your heat profile shifts. Suddenly, your break quality is all over the place. The Hardware We use high-purity quartz envelopes because they can handle the constant cycle of heating up and cooling down without giving out. Depending on what you’re doing, we might add a coating to bounce the heat back toward the glass or filter out certain wavelengths. For the plugs, we use R7s or SK15 connectors. They aren’t fancy, but they work. They lock in tight and keep the electricity flowing without any sparking, even when the current is cranking. Real-World Setup Here is the thing: you can’t just swap a lamp and call it a day. A “drop-in replacement” rarely works perfectly. We prefer to come out and look at your line in person. The distance between the lamp and the glass changes everything. Too close? You’ll scorch the surface. Too far? The heat vanishes into thin air before it even touches the score. And keep an eye on your cooling. These high-density tubes put out a massive amount of heat. If your fans aren’t sized right to pull that hot air away, your electronics are going to fry. Simple as that.