Laser Cutting Alkali-Free Glass: Alkali-Free Glass (CTE 3.2 x 10^-6 /K, 350 nm – 2.0 um); Laser Cutting to +/-0.02 mm contour. Single-piece prototypes to production volumes, quoted from your drawing.
laser cutting alkali-free glass is a materials problem before it is a machining problem. Alkali-Free Glass has no alkali ion migration into tft or sensor layers and a Knoop hardness of 590 kg/mm2, so the laser cutting recipe – feeds, coolant, tooling – differs from what works on ordinary float glass. The line runs picosecond and CO2 laser stations with vision registration and holds +/-0.02 mm contour.
Key parameters
| Material | Alkali-Free Glass (AF32 / EAGLE-class display glass) |
|---|---|
| Thermal expansion (CTE) | 3.2 x 10^-6 /K |
| Service temperature | 600 C (Tg 717 C) |
| Transmission range | 350 nm – 2.0 um |
| Density | 2.43 g/cm3 |
| Knoop hardness | 590 kg/mm2 |
| Refractive index | 1.51 @ 587 nm |
| Stock thickness | 0.10 – 1.1 mm |
| Maximum blank size | 400 x 300 mm |
| Process | Laser Cutting |
| Working tolerance | +/-0.02 mm contour |
| Minimum feature | 0.10 mm hole diameter |
| Surface finish | sealed edge, chip-free |
| Thickness window | 0.03 – 6 mm |
| Edge condition | filamentation edge, optional post-polish |
| RFQ inputs | PDF/DXF/STEP drawing, quantity brackets, surface and edge spec |
Getting the drawing right
Before sending the RFQ, check these against your drawing:
- Material note: thin sheets below 0.3 mm demand carrier-supported handling through every step.
- Process boundary: aspect ratio in a single pass tops out near 10:1; thicker sections shift to coring or ultrasonic work.
- 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.
For the complete framework, see the tolerance design guide and the holes and edges design guide.
What the process holds
Laser Cutting earns its place through chip-free free-form contours and dense hole arrays in thin and ultra-thin glass. Its boundary condition – aspect ratio in a single pass tops out near 10:1; thicker sections shift to coring or ultrasonic work – is the first thing our DFM review checks.
Beyond this page, Alkali-Free Glass routinely runs through dicing, cnc machining, lapping, edge grinding in our shop – most real parts combine two or three of these steps.
Where these parts end up
Orders for laser cutting alkali-free glass cluster in mems devices (cap wafers, TGV substrates, motion-sensor lids); oled packaging (cover lids, frit-seal frames, fill-port plates); ccd inspection equipment (CCD cover plates, reference grids, stage glass). Background reading on the underlying material science: SCHOTT AF 32 eco.
Dimensions still moving? Configure this part live in the 3D + 2D builder below, or open the full custom glass machining 3D + 2D builder to start from a blank canvas.
Useful companion pages: beam splitter glass, alkali-free display glass, Borofloat 33 selection guide.
Common questions
What equipment runs the laser cutting work?
Picosecond and CO2 laser stations with vision registration.
Is there a minimum order for laser cutting alkali-free glass?
No. Single prototypes are accepted, and pricing steps down at 10, 100 and 1,000 pieces.
How fast can prototypes ship?
Machined prototypes ship in 5 – 10 working days. Coated or bonded parts add 1 – 2 weeks depending on queue slots.
What files do you need for a quote?
A dimensioned PDF plus DXF or STEP geometry. If only a sketch exists, our drawing review service formalizes it before quoting.
Specifications on this page were last reviewed by our engineering team in September 2026.