When J. Federick Construction of Brookfield, Connecticut approached Dependable Glass Works of Covington, Louisiana with plans for information kiosks at New York City’s new AOL Time Warner Building, they were reluctant to accept the challenge. The plans called for eight pieces of one-inch thick curved panels of laminated glass to be carved into computer kiosks for the shops located inside the AOL Time Warner Building. Traditional waterjet cutting can only cut flat glass; these machines do not have the ability to maintain optimum distance between the cutting tool and the bent glass surface.
Solution
Then Dependable Glass Works discovered Arcadia’s unique 5-axis waterjet machine had the capability to sculpt these chunks of laminated glass into a detailed sculpture. Not only did the 5-axis machine have the ability to follow the glass curvature on all dimensions, but it did so with incredible accuracy producing precision cuts with clean edges. The custom glass fabrication company sent its manager of product development, Will Watts to witness this groundbreaking technique. Watts, who is familiar with waterjet cutting, was so impressed with Arcadia’s facilities and capabilities that he called back to Louisiana to say he was in the “Walt Disneyland of waterjet cutting”. Arcadia’s expert engineering team and waterjet machine operators worked hand-in-hand with Watts for 16 to 18 hours a day, seven days a week for three weeks to finish this innovative project. The finished product has excited architects and design professionals nationwide, opening up creative new design options that until now were not technically possible.
Arcadia 80 Cohoes Ave Green Island, NY 12183
Phone: (518) 434-6213 or Toll Free: 1-800-354-4466 Fax: (518) 434-2527
E-mail: info@arcadiamfg.com
