Quick answer: Edge Grinding Borosilicate Glass covers Borosilicate Glass (CTE 3.3 x 10^-6 /K, 360 nm – 2.0 um); Edge Grinding to chamfer +/-0.05 mm. Prototypes ship in 5-10 working days.
edge grinding borosilicate glass is a materials problem before it is a machining problem. Borosilicate Glass has chemical durability and a Knoop hardness of 480 kg/mm2, so the edge grinding recipe – feeds, coolant, tooling – differs from what works on ordinary float glass. The line runs CNC edge grinders with profiled diamond wheels and holds chamfer +/-0.05 mm.
Key parameters
| Material | Borosilicate Glass (3.3 expansion group per ISO 3585) |
|---|---|
| Thermal expansion (CTE) | 3.3 x 10^-6 /K |
| Service temperature | 450 C continuous |
| Transmission range | 360 nm – 2.0 um |
| Density | 2.23 g/cm3 |
| Knoop hardness | 480 kg/mm2 |
| Refractive index | 1.473 @ 587 nm |
| Stock thickness | 0.50 – 30 mm |
| Maximum blank size | 600 x 400 mm |
| Process | Edge Grinding |
| Working tolerance | chamfer +/-0.05 mm |
| Minimum feature | 0.1 mm chamfer leg |
| Surface finish | ground C or R profile, polish option |
| Thickness window | 0.1 – 25 mm |
| Edge condition | C-chamfer, R-round, pencil or OG profile |
| RFQ inputs | PDF/DXF/STEP drawing, quantity brackets, surface and edge spec |
Design guidance
Before sending the RFQ, check these against your drawing:
- Material note: sheet stock carries more thickness variation than float wafer stock, so lapping is often the first step.
- Process boundary: profiles below 0.1 mm leg length are lapped by hand and priced per edge.
- Over-specification is the quiet budget killer: a 20/10 scratch-dig face costs roughly three times an 80/50 face, so grade each surface individually.
The full rules live in our tolerance design guide and holes and edges design guide.
Manufacturing capability
The core strength of Edge Grinding is edge strength – a finished chamfer roughly doubles the bend strength of a cut edge. The honest limit: profiles below 0.1 mm leg length are lapped by hand and priced per edge. Both belong on the drawing before quoting, not after.
One material, many routes: on Borosilicate Glass we also quote laser cutting, grinding, coring, cnc machining, and multi-step drawings are the norm rather than the exception.
Application context
edge grinding borosilicate glass shows up across medical diagnostics (flow cells, slides, microplate bottoms, cuvette windows); scientific instruments (reference flats, cells, prism mounts, stage inserts); laboratory instruments (cuvettes, sight glasses, stir-cell windows). Background reading on the underlying material science: ISO 3585 borosilicate glass 3.3.
Dimensions still moving? Configure this part live in the 3D builder below, or open the full custom glass machining 3D builder to start from a blank canvas.
For adjacent specifications, see glass sandblasting, holes and edges design guide, optical glass options.
Common questions
What tolerances are achievable on Borosilicate Glass parts?
Ground features hold +/-0.01 mm and lapped thickness reaches +/-0.003 mm. Sheet stock carries more thickness variation than float wafer stock, so lapping is often the first step.
What thickness range do you stock for Borosilicate Glass?
Standard stock spans 0.50 – 30 mm, with blanks up to 600 x 400 mm. Other formats are sourced per order.
How does Borosilicate Glass behave under heat?
CTE is 3.3 x 10^-6 /K and continuous service reaches 450 C continuous, which is what drives its use where chemical durability matters.
What accuracy does edge grinding hold?
Chamfer +/-0.05 mm with minimum features of 0.1 mm chamfer leg. Profiles below 0.1 mm leg length are lapped by hand and priced per edge.
What equipment runs the edge grinding work?
CNC edge grinders with profiled diamond wheels.
Specifications on this page were last reviewed by our engineering team in July 2026.