Technical Ceramic Machining, Matched to a Shop That Grinds It Every Week
Send your drawing for alumina, zirconia, silicon carbide, silicon nitride or Macor. We match it with shops that hold the tolerance on sintered ceramic, not shops learning on your part. Reply within 24 business hours.
Why buyers send ceramic work here
It comes down to the match: shops that fit your part, from the first quote.
- Matched by specialisationYour RFQ goes to up to 3 shops that machine technical ceramics every week, picked for your grade, part size and tolerance. Not a general directory.
- Professional suppliersShops in the network quote to your drawing, communicate clearly and keep you updated while your parts are made.
- You deal with the shopQuotes, terms and delivery are agreed between you and the shop. Free for buyers.
Does your part need a ceramic specialist?
Most parts sent to us arrive from a metal shop that quoted, cut one and chipped it. Tick what applies and the answer updates.
Parts the network quotes most weeks
- Wafer handling blades and end effectors
- Vacuum and electrostatic chuck components
- Insulator rings, bushings and standoffs
- Pump plungers and dosing pistons
- Seal faces and wear rings
- Nozzles, orifices and guides
- Thermocouple and protection tubes
- Surgical and dental instrument tips
Something not on this list? Send it anyway. We tell you plainly if a ceramic part is the wrong answer for the job.
Two routes, two price lists
Almost every quote surprise in this niche comes from mixing these up. Decide which route your part takes before you compare prices.
Route A
Green or bisque machining, then fire
The blank is machined soft, before sintering, then fired. Cheap per piece and fast to cut.
- Shrinks 15% to 25% in the kiln, so every dimension is scaled by a shrinkage factor the shop measures from its own batches
- As-fired tolerance lands near ±1% of the dimension
- Right for volume, simple geometry and parts with no tight fit
- Needs a shop with kiln access and a proven shrinkage model for that grade
Route B
Hard machining, ground after sintering
The blank is fired first, then ground with diamond wheels. Slower and dearer, and the only way to hold a tight feature.
- Holds ±0.005 to ±0.013 mm, flatness under 0.005 mm on lapped faces
- Surface finish down to Ra 0.1 µm with lapping or polishing
- Right for prototypes, fits, seal faces and anything inspected on a CMM
- Grinding hours dominate the price, so every tight tolerance you add is money
Read the full comparison, with the drawing callouts that decide the route
Every process in detail: grinding, lapping, laser, ultrasonic and EDM
Grades shops in the network machine
Tolerances below are what a competent shop holds on a ground feature. As-fired surfaces on the same part run near ±1% of the dimension.
| Grade | Where it is used | Typical tolerance |
|---|---|---|
| Alumina 96% | General insulators, wear parts, fixtures. Metallizes and brazes well. The default when no grade is specified. | ±0.013 mm ground |
| Alumina 99.5% | Semiconductor and vacuum parts. Higher purity and density, better plasma resistance and dielectric strength. | ±0.010 mm ground |
| Zirconia (Y-TZP) | The toughest option. Plungers, dies, blades, medical and dental parts. Poor thermal conductivity, so not for heat paths. | ±0.005 mm ground |
| Silicon carbide | Seal faces, high stiffness, chemical and abrasion resistance. Very hard, so grinding hours run high. | ±0.010 mm ground |
| Silicon nitride | Bearing elements, hot section parts, thermal shock resistance. Holds strength where alumina cracks. | ±0.005 mm ground |
| Aluminum nitride | Heat spreaders, chuck bodies, power electronics. An insulator that still moves heat. | ±0.013 mm ground |
| Macor and other machinable glass ceramics | Prototypes, fixtures, one-off instrument parts. Cut on conventional tooling with no firing afterward. | ±0.025 mm as machined |
Not sure which grade fits? Describe the environment on the RFQ, temperature, chemistry, load and voltage, and the matched shops will propose one. The full property table, including modulus, expansion and dielectric strength, is on materials compared.
Where these parts go
Semiconductor
Wafer handling parts, chuck components, plasma chamber insulators, gas distribution parts.
Medical and dental
Zirconia instrument tips, implant components, dosing plungers, cleanroom handled parts.
Analytical and lab
Sample holders, insulator standoffs, high temperature fixtures, optical mounts.
Industrial wear
Seal faces, nozzles, guides, pump components running against slurry or hot gas.
How it works
One RFQ, up to 3 shops, no obligation and no fee for you.
Send the drawing
Grade, quantity and the tolerance that actually matters. A sketch with dimensions is enough to start.
We match the route and the shop
We read the part, decide whether it is a grinding job or a green machining job, then send it to shops set up for that route.
Shops quote you directly
You compare quotes and order from the shop you choose. Nothing passes through us, and we take no commission.
What drives the price
Ceramic quotes vary more than metal quotes because two shops can pick different routes for the same drawing. These are the lines that move the number.
- Diamond grinding hoursCeramic is removed by abrasion, not by cutting. Material removal rates are a fraction of steel, so grinding time is usually the largest line on the quote.
- Blank cost and availabilityA part ground from stock plate quotes fast. A part that needs its own pressed and sintered blank adds tooling, a firing slot and weeks of lead time.
- Tolerance, flatness and parallelismEvery tight callout adds passes, dressing and inspection. Tolerating as-fired surfaces where the function allows it is the single biggest saving available.
- Surface finishLapping and polishing are separate operations with their own fixtures. Ra 0.1 µm on a seal face can cost more than the roughing that shaped it.
- Geometry and chip riskSharp internal corners, thin walls, cross holes and knife edges raise the scrap rate. Edge chamfers and a radius in the corner cut the price and the risk.
- QuantityBelow a few hundred pieces, grinding from stock usually wins. Above that, pressing tooling and green machining start to pay for themselves.
Start with the short form
Four fields and a file. If your part is a fit we come back within 24 business hours with matched shops. If it is not, we say so and tell you why.
Need the full form with grade, tolerance, finish and region? Use the RFQ page.
Grind technical ceramics? Get RFQs that fit your wheels.
Shops see a preview of each request before paying for it and talk to the buyer directly. We take no commission on the order.
The reference behind the quotes
We are not a shop, so these pages do not end at "buy from us". They exist because the same questions arrive with every RFQ.
Materials compared
Fourteen grades with density, strength, toughness, hardness, thermal and dielectric numbers on one page.
Design guide
Wall thickness, corner radii, hole limits, tolerances and the drawing notes that make a part quotable.
25 buyer guides
Routes, cost drivers, inspection, brazing, semiconductor and medical requirements, written for buyers.
Glossary
Fifty five terms from a ceramic quote and drawing, defined in plain language.
How we make money, and what we will not do: about this site.
Questions buyers ask
Something else? Email .
Is this service free for buyers?
Yes. You pay nothing to send an RFQ or to receive quotes. Shops pay us for matched requests. Price, terms and delivery are agreed between you and the shop.
Do you grind ceramic parts yourselves?
No. We are a matching service. The shops that quote you own the diamond grinders and the inspection equipment. You place the order with them directly.
Who sees my drawing?
Shops first see a short preview with part type, ceramic grade, size, quantity and tolerance. It does not include your name, company or files. Your contact details and files go only to the shops we match, up to 3. If you ask for an NDA, we hold the files until it is signed.
Which ceramics can shops in the network quote?
Alumina 96% and 99.5%, zirconia (Y-TZP), silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride and machinable glass ceramics such as Macor. Name the grade on the RFQ and we match shops that already grind it.
What tolerance can a ceramic part hold?
Ground features commonly hold ±0.005 to ±0.013 mm, with flatness under 0.005 mm on lapped faces. As-fired surfaces are far looser, around ±1% of the dimension, because the part shrinks 15% to 25% during sintering. Call out on the drawing which features are ground and leave the rest as-fired.
What is a realistic lead time?
Prototypes ground from stock blanks: 3 to 5 weeks. Parts that need a pressed and sintered blank first: 8 to 14 weeks, because firing runs are scheduled in batches. The shop that quotes you confirms the real date for your part.
Guides for ceramic part buyers
Yttria Ceramics for Plasma-Facing Parts
Sintered yttria resists fluorine and chlorine plasma erosion better than alumina. See properties, weak points, grinding limits and what to put on the RFQ.
Steatite and Forsterite for Electrical Insulators
Steatite and forsterite are low cost magnesium silicate insulators with low loss. Compare properties, expansion match to metals and limits before you specify.
Silicon Nitride Balls and Hybrid Bearings
Silicon nitride balls run faster, cooler and last longer than steel in many bearings. See grades, hybrid bearing benefits, limits and what to put on the RFQ.