Glass grinding to perfection in one go

Faster, more efficient, more precise - to remain competitive internationally, technological progress in fine grinding, lapping and polishing of glass and glass-like materials is a must. The goal is to reduce costs and increase efficiency with advanced grinding solutions.

With the innovative SQUADRO-G grinding pad for all common glass-like materials, Pureon's experts in research and development have now made it possible. The challenge was not only to find the most profitable process, it also had to meet the highest quality standards. "The decision to develop diamond grinding pads for the processing of glass was a strategic step in order to establish our SQUADRO pads for new applications and to grow in these markets," explains Martin Spring, Co-CEO of Pureon. "In our estimation, the number of suppliers of consumables for fine grinding of glass and optical materials is very manageable. In addition, there is great interest in the market for new, more efficient solutions in this area," adds Martin Spring.

SQUADRO-G pads are engineered for glass grinding and available with different diamond grit sizes from 60 to 3 microns.

SQUARDO-G is a highly efficient diamond grinding pad, perfectly suited for fine grinding of optical glass, BK7, quartz glass, glass ceramic as well as crystalline or brittle glass-like materials. With its high, uniform stock removal over the entire lifetime as well as impressive edge sharpness and surface finishes down to Ra 0.07 micron, the grinding pad quickly manages to impress new users. On top of all that there is the flexibility in the process flow: Pads with different grit sizes (available from 60 to 3 microns) can be changed and mounted very quickly and easily. This is thanks to a special Teflon carrier - this way, long machine downtimes when changing pads can be avoided and the process can be made even more efficient. These properties make SQUADRO-G an economical and efficient alternative to thin abrasive films or conventional lapping processes.

Test results from Pureon's Surface Lab. Tested on BK7 and quartz glass with grit sizes of 15, 30, 60 microns on a 24 inch one-sided lapping machine.

Results we are proud of

But the clean and fast grinding process with easy handling and cooling is far from everything. SQUADRO-G also delivers excellent results in all important areas: speed, quality, flexibility and lifetime. "When developing SQUADRO-G, our greatest challenge was to bring a product to market that would meet the high demands of customers in the precision industry," says Helge Willers, Product Manager and Sales Director at Pureon. "The most important factors are axial run-out, a high surface quality, a long tool life, an excellent adaptation of the pad to the respective process and a high level of work safety."

Test results of SQUADRO-G 15 and 45 micron on a double-sided grinding machine. The high stock removal (here in black) impresses in particular.

Tests like this one are carried out in our Surface Lab where we also develop and optimize fine grinding, lapping and polishing processes for and with our customers. Interested to find out more? Please refer to the section below for further information and contact details.