Market
Probably, a good part of the glass users never imagined that, thanks to the highest technologies used during its processing, the material can be a part of buildings, windshields and other fantastic structures, among other applications. The lapidation is one of these processes in which, as a gemstone, the glass acquires a bevel-cut, beveled, fillet or polished in its edges.

Nowadays, the cutglasses with high thickness (from 12 mm) are usually applied to the furnishing area (table-tops, furniture in general). The low thickness ones are applied to the automotive industry and for other industrial applications (stove glass table). The lapidation is also used in the finishing process of the engineer glasses, which are a part of building facades and marquees.

When this method started to be used in the glass industry is still unknown, but the name – lapidation – suggests the term used to polish gemstones. Formerly, the glass lapidation was made with cast iron disks, with sand or stones.

In some places of Brazil, small companies still use the old method. There are also another processes with ‘homemade’ machines which use the diamond grinder only (indispensable input for the lapidation). The operator manually passes the glass on the grinder and sandpaper is used to repare the flaws.

The glass market has diamond grinders and the polishing ones for the lapidation.

The diamond grinder is made of sintetic diamond and belongs to the first part of the lapidation – thick, medium and thin milling. The next grinder, made of a rubber grain, belongs to the second part – polishing.

The Brazilian market has at its disposal high quality machines, national or international ones, to perform the lapidation.

Fonte: Revista O Vidroplano, edição 427

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