CNC machining is decisive on special glass, where the material is expensive and unforgiving. Borosilicate (COE 3.3 and 4.0), glass-ceramic, and quartz / fused silica are harder, more thermally specific, and less tolerant of crude processing than soda-lime float. Machining these to instrument tolerances — sight glasses, fireplace and cooktop panels, laser windows, and optical substrates — relies on rigid CNC tooling and diamond abrasives rather than conventional glaziers’ methods.
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Operations | Surface grinding, milling, drilling, shaping, edge grinding |
| Surface grinding tolerance | ±0.05 mm |
| Cylindrical / edge grinding | ±0.01 mm |
| Datum control | Single-setup multi-feature referencing |
| Materials | Soda-lime, borosilicate, glass-ceramic, quartz / fused silica |
| Typical parts | Sight glass, cooktop / fireplace panels, laser windows, device panels |
Send a 2D/3D drawing with feature tolerances and material grade for a CNC glass machining quotation.