Processing of technical specialty glasses and precision components made of glass, ceramics and sapphire for industry and research
Schröder Spezialglas GmbH
EllerauNew on Amplifa
About Schröder Spezialglas
Schröder Spezialglas GmbH manufactures custom components made of technical glasses and specialty materials – from prototypes, one-off pieces and very small series through to series production. The portfolio ranges from inspection and sight glasses, machine protection panes, protective glasses, glass tubes and insulators to precision and special components, display cover glasses, glass wafers, steering mirrors and filter glasses. Processed materials include borosilicate glass (including Borofloat 33, Supremax), soda-lime glass, quartz glass, sapphire, glass ceramics such as MACOR, Zerodur, ROBAX and NEXTREMA, as well as thin glass from 0.2 mm, anti-reflective glass, X-ray protection glass and specialty glasses. Production includes CNC machining, laser processing, grinding, glass cutting, optical polishing, bending, tempering (toughened safety glass), screen printing and surface finishing, complemented by technical consulting on material selection, process selection and feasibility. With more than 100 glass processing machines on 4,000 m² of production space, around 1.2 million components are produced per year for more than 2,500 customers. Founded in 1931, the company with 60 employees has its headquarters in Ellerau in Schleswig-Holstein.
- Site
- Ellerau
- Processes
- CNC machining, Laser processing, Grinding, Milling, Glass cutting, Optical polishing, Glass bending, Glass tempering (thermal, toughened safety glass)
- Materials
- Borosilicate glass, Borofloat 33, Supremax, Soda-lime glass, Quartz glass, Sapphire, Glass ceramics, MACOR
- Certificates
- ISO 9001, ISO 14001
- Industries
- Machinery & Plant Engineering, Laboratory & Analytics Technology, Sensor Technology & Electronics, Aerospace, Safety Engineering, Defense & Military
- 01
Consulting (material selection, process selection, feasibility)
- 02
Glass cutting
- 03
CNC machining / laser processing / grinding
- 04
Optical polishing
- 05
Bending and tempering (toughened safety glass)
- 06
Screen printing / surface finishing
- 07
Ultrasonic cleaning
- 08
Inspection, documentation, delivery
Locations
Ellerau
DEMain plant: administration and entire production
- Lot size
- Prototypes, individual parts, very small series, series production
- Materials
- Borosilicate glass, soda-lime glass, quartz glass, sapphire, glass ceramics, thin glass, anti-reflective glass, X-ray
- 100+ glass processing machines
- Laser processing machine (since 2013)
- Screen printing system (since 2018)
- Cutting table (2022)
- Ultrasonic cleaning system (2023)
- 2 precision milling machines (2026)
Components
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNC machiningMachining | – | – | – | – | Borosilicate glass, Soda-lime glass, Quartz glass, Sapphire, Glass ceramics, Thin glass, Surface mirrors |
| Laser processingMachining | – | – | – | – | Borosilicate glass, Sapphire, Glass ceramics, Thin glass, Surface mirrors |
| GrindingMachining | – | – | – | – | Glass |
| MillingMachining | – | – | – | – | Glass |
| Glass cuttingMachining | – | – | – | – | Soda-lime glass, Borosilicate glass, Thin glass |
| Optical polishingSurface | – | – | – | – | Borosilicate glass, Quartz glass, Sapphire, Glass ceramics, Surface mirrors |
| Glass bendingForming | – | – | – | – | Borosilicate glass, Soda-lime glass, Anti-reflective glass, X-ray protection glass, Thin glass |
| Glass tempering (thermal, toughened safety glass)Heat treatment | – | – | – | – | Borosilicate glass, Soda-lime glass, Anti-reflective glass, X-ray protection glass, Thin glass |
| Glass printing (screen printing)Surface | – | – | – | – | Soda-lime glass, Borosilicate glass, Anti-reflective glass, Thin glass |
| Surface finishing (coating)Surface | – | – | – | – | Anti-reflective glass, Surface mirrors, Soda-lime glass |
| Ceramic processingMachining | – | – | – | – | MACOR, Glass ceramics |
| Ultrasonic cleaningSurface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Technical consulting (material selection, process selection, feasibility)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
6 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glass processing machines | – | 100+ | – | – | Ellerau |
| Laser processing machine | – | – | – | 2013 | Ellerau |
| Screen printing system | – | – | – | 2018 | Ellerau |
| Ultrasonic cleaning system | – | 1 | – | 2023 | Ellerau |
| Precision milling machine | – | 2 | – | 2026 | Ellerau |
| Cutting table | – | – | – | 2022 | Ellerau |
Quality
Production is carried out according to certified standards (ISO 9001 and ISO 14001) with documented inspection and quality processes, modern metrology, as well as sample submissions, inspections accompanying series production and traceability.
| Evidence | Ellerau |
|---|---|
| ISO 9001 | |
| ISO 14001 |
History
- 1931
Founded by Paul F. Schröder in Hamburg, Deichstraße 36, as a supplier of boiler sight glasses and water level gauges for the steamships in the port of Hamburg.
- 1971
New building and relocation to the current headquarters in Ellerau with 2,400 m² of production space.
- 1975
Start of ceramic processing; at that time the only lead distributor for Macor in Europe.
- 1989
Expansion of production space by 1,200 m² at Buchenweg 32.
- 2005
Expansion of production space by another 400 m² to 4,000 m².
- 2013
Management buyout after seven years as part of a corporate group.
- 2013
Entry into laser processing of glass.
- 2018
Expansion of production capabilities to include screen printing.
- 2020
Installation of two PV systems with a total output of 430 kWp.
- 2022
Redesign and renovation of the cutting hall including a new warehouse and cutting table.
- 2023
Expansion of cleaning capacities through an ultrasonic cleaning system.
- 2026
Addition of two new precision milling machines to the machine park.