Quick answer: Sandblasting Fused Silica covers Fused Silica (CTE 0.55 x 10^-6 /K, 185 nm – 2.5 um); Sandblasting to mask registration +/-0.1 mm. Prototypes ship in 5-10 working days.
The combination of Fused Silica and Sandblasting comes up constantly in RFQs for a reason – the material offers deep-uv transmission, and Sandblasting is the right way to get accurate geometry into it. Expect mask registration +/-0.1 mm and uniform matte, gloss 4 – 8 GU.
The numbers
| Material | Fused Silica (JGS1 (UV), JGS2 (standard), JGS3 (IR)) |
|---|---|
| Thermal expansion (CTE) | 0.55 x 10^-6 /K |
| Service temperature | 1,100 C continuous |
| Transmission range | 185 nm – 2.5 um |
| Density | 2.20 g/cm3 |
| Knoop hardness | 500 kg/mm2 |
| Refractive index | 1.458 @ 587 nm |
| Stock thickness | 0.10 – 50 mm |
| Maximum blank size | 450 x 450 mm |
| Process | Sandblasting |
| Working tolerance | mask registration +/-0.1 mm |
| Minimum feature | 1 mm masked window |
| Surface finish | uniform matte, gloss 4 – 8 GU |
| Thickness window | 0.7 – 25 mm |
| Edge condition | not applicable |
| RFQ inputs | PDF/DXF/STEP drawing, quantity brackets, surface and edge spec |
Design guidance
Three items decide most of the cost and lead time on this work:
- Material note: its hardness and brittleness demand diamond tooling and controlled feeds.
- Process boundary: blasted faces lose roughly 30% bend strength; safety-critical faces get a post-etch.
- 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 Sandblasting is uniform diffusing texture and masked logos or windows at panel scale. The honest limit: blasted faces lose roughly 30% bend strength; safety-critical faces get a post-etch. Both belong on the drawing before quoting, not after.
One material, many routes: on Fused Silica we also quote laser cutting, drilling, polishing, etching, and multi-step drawings are the norm rather than the exception.
Application context
Orders for sandblasting fused silica cluster in semiconductor equipment (view ports, wafer carriers, plasma rings, chamber windows); laboratory instruments (cuvettes, sight glasses, stir-cell windows); aerospace optics (sensor windows, star-tracker flats, radiation-tolerant ports). Background reading on the underlying material science: RP Photonics: fused silica.
The fastest route to a quote is geometry: use the 3D builder below, draw a dimensioned 2D drawing from it, or open the site-wide custom glass machining 3D + 2D builder for fully custom parts.
Engineers scoping this work usually also review fused silica wafer applications, fused silica material guide, infrared windows.
Buyer questions, answered
What equipment runs the sandblasting work?
Automated cabinets with alumina media and photoresist masks.
Is there a minimum order for sandblasting fused silica?
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.
Do parts ship with inspection data?
Dimensional reports, surface certificates and material certs per melt are available; specify the level on the RFQ.
Specifications on this page were last reviewed by our engineering team in September 2026.