On the shop floor, a DIY bottle cutter heater either makes the cut or wrecks the part. Uneven heat leaves micro-cracks and ragged edges. A slow ramp-up kills throughput. Convection-heavy heat drifts, wasting energy and hiking the ambient temperature. We built an infrared heater for glass cutting that puts the energy right on the score line, so you get clean separation without thermal shock.
What matters, technically
This unit uses short-wave NIR quartz emitters to deliver directed radiation exactly where it’s needed. You get a uniform thermal field across the score zone, fast response, and tight control over the heating window. Power density is tuned for glass, so the surface heats quickly while the bulk stays cool. Temperature recovery is quick after each cycle, and the output holds steady enough to score consistently across thousands of bottles. The emitter geometry and reflector layout keep stray heat off seals, coatings, and adjacent components.
Why it works in practice
In glass cutting, you’re after a clean fracture along a controlled line, not a warm-up. Directed NIR heat spikes the local temperature fast, so separation takes less force and chipping risk drops. The uniform field avoids hot spots that drive thermal stress, so yield goes up and rework goes down. Rapid response means shorter dwell times, higher hourly throughput, and fewer kWh per cut. It also drops into manual jigs and semi-automated lines without drama, replacing inefficient hot air or coil setups.
Here are the field notes
Mounting and alignment matter. The emitter has to hit the score line square, with focal distance set to the bottle geometry. Clearance to the work surface is tight—verify your fixture tolerances before the first run. Output dips as the quartz ages, so plan periodic checks and keep spare emitters on hand. Surface cleanliness affects absorption, especially on coated or tinted glass—wipe off residues and confirm emissivity before you set power.