Category Archives: Borosilicate glass

Through decades of experience, knowhow and the continuous development of our production techniques in the manufacture of our small borosilicate glass balls, Schäfer Glas has earned a good reputation worldwide. Our customers appreciate our good service and the high quality of our products. The production of these small borosilicate glass balls starting from a size of 1 mm, requires partly, in this case, a process of several extensive production steps

The first part of this section deals with implementing an idea right up to the production of a prototype – it creates a new glass product. Regardless of whether it is a glass lens, glass ball or ……..

The idea is the beginning for a new glass product

To start with, there is an idea of us working together with our customers right up to the finished product. The first step is a drawing with all the necessary details like, for example, precise measurements, tolerance specifications, description, etc.. We should also be informed of the intended use or purpose, such as the exact requirements set by the customer for the pressed glass product. These requirements also decide on the type of raw glass needing to be used. There is usually the choice of either soda lime glass or borosilicate glass.

Glass beads play a prominant role in our wide-ranging assortment. Just the variety of possible applications are an indication these days that glass is an important component of daily life. If we look at our assortment, it’s easy to miss the smallest glass beads left in our production sites all over the world. Each one has exactly a 1 mm diameter and we make them in Germany following a traditional process. The scale of these small borosilicate beads can also be expanded – 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm etc. There are several possible applications for these beads. Among other things, they are found in ball bearings, as a mixing ball for insulin, as a ball valve in a dosing pump and in dispensers in the grocery and cosmetics industries, etc. Our outstanding quality and precision is valued around the world.

Glass is a material with a long history. By about 5000 BCE, natural glass called obsidian, was used as a working material. Blades, wedges and scrapers were fashioned and used to make other objects for daily use.

Glass was fashioned into containers in Egypt from approx. 1450 BCE. The Egyptians were the ones who first discovered how to make glass.  From that point on, glass making developed in leaps and bounds. In the Roman Empire, villas for the upper-classes were outfitted with window glazing. This was made possible by the invention of the glass blowing pipe in approx. 200 BCE.