Laser Cutting Borosilicate Glass – Borosilicate Glass (CTE 3.3 x 10^-6 /K, 360 nm – 2.0 um); Laser Cutting to +/-0.02 mm contour. No minimum order; DFM review included with every RFQ.
laser cutting 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 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 | 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 | 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: sheet stock carries more thickness variation than float wafer stock, so lapping is often the first 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.
Capabilities and limits
The core strength of Laser Cutting is chip-free free-form contours and dense hole arrays in thin and ultra-thin glass. The honest limit: aspect ratio in a single pass tops out near 10:1; thicker sections shift to coring or ultrasonic work. Both belong on the drawing before quoting, not after.
One material, many routes: on Borosilicate Glass we also quote sandblasting, double-side polishing, etching, edge grinding, and multi-step drawings are the norm rather than the exception.
Typical applications
Orders for laser cutting borosilicate glass cluster in 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.
Useful companion pages: glass sandblasting, beam splitter glass, optical polishing capability.
Frequently asked 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 laser cutting hold?
+/-0.02 mm contour with minimum features of 0.10 mm hole diameter. Aspect ratio in a single pass tops out near 10:1; thicker sections shift to coring or ultrasonic work.
What equipment runs the laser cutting work?
Picosecond and CO2 laser stations with vision registration.
Specifications on this page were last reviewed by our engineering team in July 2026.