MikroTexGlas
Microtexturing of glass surfaces using additive manufacturing processes
In industry, the adjustment of surface roughness, as well as the frosting and texturing of glass surfaces, is typically achieved through sandblasting or etching. The drawbacks of these methods include the inability to achieve the desired scale of the structures, as well as the time-consuming cleaning and waste disposal steps involved. Furthermore, borosilicate and aluminosilicate glasses cannot be frosted using an etching process. This is where the MikroTexGlas project comes in. The goal of this project is to develop processes and materials for the production of frosted glass substrates with defined optical properties using additive methods instead of subtractive process techniques.
The MikroTexGlas project focuses on the following aspects:
- Creation of surface structures on flat glass to achieve the required haptic and optical properties as a substitute for “subtractive” processes
- Development of a suitable material system for application to flat glass (soda-lime-silicate, borosilicate, and aluminosilicate glass)
- Ensuring that the coated and frosted glass surface meets industrial requirements
Project Profile
Duration: 01.10.2023 - 31.03.2026
Funding: Zentrales Innovationsprogramm Mittelstand (Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie)
Project Partners:
Contact: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thorsten Gerdes, Shanthamoorthy Karthikeyan