From Metals to Ultra-Hard Materials: Metals, Ceramics, Optical Glass

In the core sectors of modern manufacturing, metalworking techniques—such as CNC milling, laser cutting, and Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding—undoubtedly form the backbone of industries like aerospace, automotive, and precision engineering. While metals have enabled the creation of countless products, the increasing demands for higher performance, reliability, and longevity in advanced applications have revealed the limitations of traditional metal materials.

As a result, advanced ceramics and ultra-hard composite materials have rapidly entered the market as the materials of choice in high-performance environments. These non-metallic materials, with their exceptional physical and chemical properties, are becoming indispensable in next-generation manufacturing.

Our Expertise in Ultra-Hard Materials Machining

Alumina / Zirconia Ceramics

✅ Outstanding hardness, wear resistance, electrical insulation, and biocompatibility

✅ Applications: Semiconductor components, medical implants, precision measurement tools

Aluminum Nitride (AlN) / Silicon Carbide (SiC) Ceramics

✅ Excellent thermal conductivity, mechanical strength, and chemical stability

✅ AlN offers superb insulation, while SiC has semiconductor properties

✅ Applications: High-power electronic packaging, thermal management substrates, plasma etching systems, RF communication devices

Quartz Glass / Zerodur

✅ Extremely low thermal expansion, excellent optical transparency, and dimensional stability

✅ Applications: Laser system windows, space telescope frames, interferometer platforms, optical alignment references

Key Insights

Property	Conventional Metals<br>(e.g., Stainless Steel, Aluminum)	Technical Ceramics<br>(Alumina, Zirconia, AlN, SiC)	Optical Materials<br>(Quartz Glass, Zerodur)
Hardness (Vickers)	Moderate (200–600 HV)	High (1000–2000+ HV)	Moderate, scratch-resistant
Wear Resistance	Fair	Excellent	Good
Thermal Conductivity	High (e.g., Cu > 300 W/m·K)	Medium to High (AlN ≈ 170 W/m·K, SiC ≈ 120)	Low to Medium
Thermal Expansion	High	Low to Medium	Very Low
Thermal Expansion	High	(e.g., Al₂O₃ ≈ 8×10⁻⁶/K, SiC < 4×10⁻⁶/K)	(Zerodur ≈ 0 ± 0.02×10⁻⁶/K)
Electrical Insulation	Poor (Conductive)	Excellent (Insulators or Semiconductors)	Excellent
Biocompatibility	Moderate	Excellent (Alumina, Zirconia)	Good
Machinability	Easy	Moderate to Difficult (requires diamond tools)	Requires optical-grade machining
Cost	Low to Medium	Medium to High	Medium to High

Notes:

From the table, we can clearly notice that technical ceramics perform well in high temperature, high wear and insulation environments, while optical glass (quartz/zerodur, etc.) is essential for laser systems, optical systems and semiconductors. Of course, metal materials are still important in structural and conductive applications due to their ductility and ease of manufacturing, and are relatively low in cost.

Ultra-hard materials manufacturers

Jundro is a high-quality Ultra-hard materials machining manufacturer, specializing in providing excellent services by utilizing technical expertise and advanced equipment. We offer customized machining of various high-precision ceramic parts, including irregular shapes, round shapes, and curved surfaces, with the capability of 5-axis precision machining.

✅ Our Capabilities:

Irregular Structural Parts: Machining accuracy up to 0.01 mm
Rods and Tubes: Cylindricity and dimensional accuracy of 0.001 mm
Flat Surfaces: Structural flatness up to 0.001 mm, optical flatness up to 1/20λ
Micro-Hole Structures: Minimum hole diameter of 0.1 mm, accuracy of 0.01 mm
Surface Roughness: Structural parts down to Ra 0.01 μm, optical parts to Ra 0.002 μm

All tolerances can be further optimized based on the size, shape, and geometry of your components, ensuring perfect integration with your equipment and unique technical requirements.