Quick answer: Soda-Lime Glass Machining Services covers Soda-Lime Glass (CTE 9.0 x 10^-6 /K, 360 nm – 2.0 um). Prototypes ship in 5-10 working days.
Our soda-lime glass machining services cover the full route from blank to inspected part: sawing, CNC profiling, drilling, grinding, polishing and edge finishing under one roof. Soda-Lime Glass stands out for lowest cost per square meter and temperable for 4-5x strength, and both properties survive our processing because every step is tuned to the material.
Specification envelope
| Material | Soda-Lime Glass (Float per ASTM C1036, low-iron option) |
|---|---|
| Thermal expansion (CTE) | 9.0 x 10^-6 /K |
| Service temperature | 350 C continuous |
| Transmission range | 360 nm – 2.0 um |
| Density | 2.50 g/cm3 |
| Knoop hardness | 585 kg/mm2 |
| Refractive index | 1.52 @ 587 nm |
| Stock thickness | 0.40 – 19 mm |
| Maximum blank size | 1,000 x 800 mm |
| RFQ inputs | PDF/DXF/STEP drawing, quantity brackets, surface and edge spec |
Capabilities and limits
One material, many routes: on Soda-Lime Glass we also quote coring, lapping, dicing, etching, and multi-step drawings are the norm rather than the exception.
Design guidance
Before sending the RFQ, check these against your drawing:
- Material note: higher CTE means edge chips propagate under thermal load, so edge finishing quality drives reliability.
- 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.
Typical applications
The recurring buyers of soda-lime glass machining services: led packaging (groove covers, phosphor carriers, package windows); industrial displays (touch covers, gauge windows, printed bezels). Background reading on the underlying material science: ASTM C1036 flat glass standard.
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.
Related reading on this site: ultra-thin quartz discs, glass-bottom microplates, laser glass cutting.
Common questions
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.
What tolerances are achievable on Soda-Lime Glass parts?
Ground features hold +/-0.01 mm and lapped thickness reaches +/-0.003 mm. Higher CTE means edge chips propagate under thermal load, so edge finishing quality drives reliability.
What thickness range do you stock for Soda-Lime Glass?
Standard stock spans 0.40 – 19 mm, with blanks up to 1,000 x 800 mm. Other formats are sourced per order.
Specifications on this page were last reviewed by our engineering team in August 2026.