UC professor researches novel glass machining

Glass is becoming increasingly important in biomedical, electronic, automotive and energy fields. Potential emerging applications for glass include packaging, brake linings, prosthetics and fuel cells. But manufacturing this glass is another story.

University of Cincinnati Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering Murali Sundaram, Ph.D., recently received a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant for $301,472 for his work, “A Fundamental Study on Gas Film Formation and Its Effect in Electrochemical Discharge Machining Process.” He is researching how to manipulate manufactured ceramics like glass.    

“Everybody knows glass is a very difficult material to machine, but it has many good properties,” says Sundaram. “I am studying how we can machine manufactured glass into a ready-to-use state.” 

Currently, if you want to manufacture something made of glass, or a glass-like property like porcelain, you have to mold each individual product into its final shape in the manufacturing process. You cannot shape a chunk of glass into something you want, as you can with metals or plastics, because of the physical composition of the glass itself. Should you drill into a glass item, that item will crack and become useless.

“Any glass you have – for example, a teacup – is made into its final shape, so you can readily use it,” says Sundaram. “Now we are going beyond that.”

Rather than applying metal machining techniques to glass, Sundaram is studying the application electrochemical discharge machining to the shaping of glass.