Custom Boron Nitride Ceramic Parts are made to your drawing rather than to a catalogue shape: complex outlines, intersecting bores, thin walls and asymmetrical features that no standard shape covers.
Custom boron nitride parts are produced where release, machinability or vacuum compatibility is the requirement. Complex shapes are turned and milled after firing, which makes short runs and one-off parts economical.
Hot-pressed boron nitride is the softest ceramic here at roughly Mohs 2, and the one that can be machined with ordinary carbide tooling. It is chemically inert to molten metals that barely wet it, stays stable to 1000°C in air and 2000°C in inert atmospheres, and remains an electrical insulator.
Its hot-pressed form carries low flexural strength of 60-100 MPa and it is slowly attacked by moisture, so it is used where release, insulation or vacuum compatibility matter more than load carrying.
Specifications
| Process route | pressing, CIP, injection moulding or extrusion |
| Finishing | diamond grinding, lapping, honing |
| Dimensional tolerance | ±0.01 mm, ±0.002 mm on ground features |
| Surface finish | Ra 0.4 µm ground, Ra 0.05 µm polished |
| Features | bores, slots, threads, tapers, pockets |
| Quantity | single prototypes to production volumes |
| Drawing formats | DXF, STEP, IGES, PDF |
Boron Nitride Properties
| Composition | Hot-pressed hexagonal boron nitride |
| Density | 2.00-2.20 g/cm³ |
| Vickers hardness | 200-300 HV (Mohs approx. 2) |
| Flexural strength | 60-100 MPa |
| Fracture toughness | 2-3 MPa·m½ |
| Max. service temperature | 1000°C in air, 2000°C inert |
| Thermal conductivity | 30-60 W/m·K (in-plane) |
| Thermal expansion (20-1000°C) | 1-3 ×10⁻⁶/K |
Machining and Tolerances
Complex parts are near-net shaped by pressing, injection moulding or isostatic pressing, then ground with diamond tooling to the finished features. Green machining before firing is used where it saves grinding time, and we always advise on which features are worth holding and which will drive cost without adding function.
Where It Is Used
- Semiconductor and vacuum equipment components
- Fixtures and nests for welding, brazing and assembly
- Analytical and medical instrument parts
- Wear components for packaging and converting machinery
- High-voltage and high-frequency insulators
Frequently Asked Questions
What tolerance should I put on the drawing?
Hold tolerance only on features that matter. A blanket ±0.01 mm across a complex part can double or treble the cost without improving function, so we mark the functional features and leave the rest open.
Can you help with the design before quoting?
Yes, and it usually saves money. We review draft geometry for wall thickness, sharp corners and features that will not grind cleanly, then suggest changes before the drawing is frozen.