Glass Fabrication Quality Control
Abrisa and ISO 9000 Quality
Abrisa works with SPC Controls and the standards set by ISO 9000 using state-of-the-art measuring equipment, including a Deltronic Optical Comparator, Beckman Spectrophotometer and Davidson Interferometer. Combined with extensive in-house training and strict procedures, Abrisa achieves consistent, repeatable quality. Our company has customer rejects of less than 1%, and has received many vendor awards. We welcome customer site evaluation and audits. There are many ASTM, MIL-O-13830, and DDG specifications Abrisa meets on a daily basis. Note: Our Illinois facility manufactures to precise MIL specs and maintains high quality production, but is not currently ISO 9000 certified.
Download Certification 
Quality Control Documents
Abrisa has the ability to comply with many industry quality standards. These include ANSI, ASME, ASTM, NCSL, ISO, MIL, DIS, JAN, AND SAE. For more information on these standards, click the link.
Specification Standards
Surface Quality can be specified in accordance with MIL-O-13830. Your specific application will determine the quality level and test procedures necessary. Specifically, this spec defines the state of polish, and freedom from scratches and digs. Abrisa uses a Scratch / Dig Card for quality inspections. See a sample of this card by downloading the pdf file. Important note: this pdf is not the original Scratch / Dig card, and should not be used for quality assurance inspections.
It is critical to use trained quality inspectors operating under standardized lighting conditions to achieve consistent results. Abrisa’s Quality Engineer leads our team of inspectors to ensure the quality level is monitored.
Scratches
A scratch is defined as any linear “tearing” of the surface of the glass. The scratch number refers to the width of the reference scratch. See Standards Table below. Keep in mind that this equivalence is determined purely by visual comparison, and the appearance of a scratch can depend upon the component material, presence of any coatings, and lighting conditions. This, again, refers to the width. The acceptance / rejection of the length of a specified scratch is determined by a ratio of the length of the scratch to the size of the glass part.
Digs
A dig is defined as a pit or small crater on the surface of the glass. Digs are defined by their diameter. The dig number represents the actual size of the dig in hundredths of a millimeter. The diameter of an irregularly shaped dig is ½ x (Length + Width).
Coating Defects
Coating scratches and digs shall not exceed the values specified for the substrate on the component drawing or procurement document. Coating scratches and digs shall be considered separate from the substrate scratch and dig requirement.
Glass Irregularities
Bubbles or Internals may be inherent in the substrate. If a particular level of glass quality is necessary for your project, a spec will be required.
Standards Table
| Scratch | Dig | Inspection Grade |
| 120 | 80 | Commercial quality |
| 80 | 50 | Common acceptable cosmetic standard |
| 60 | 40 | Acceptable for most scientific research applications |
| Scientific Grade | ||
| 40 | 20 | Laser quality |
| 20 | 10 | Optics precision |
Abrisa Scratch / Dig Inspection Standard Document AS1001
This standard documents Abrisa’s inspection methods for cosmetic defects. Without explicit instructions, customer orders will default to this standard.
