Overview - EN ISO 6414:2020 (Technical drawings for glassware)
EN ISO 6414:2020 (ISO 6414:2020) is a Technical Product Documentation (TPD) standard that defines rules and drawing conventions specifically for glassware - for example laboratory glassware and glass components used in technical fields. Optical parts are explicitly excluded. The standard harmonizes presentation, sectioning and special indications (e.g., interchangeable ground joints, thin walls, sintered filters) so drawings are consistent, unambiguous and suitable for manufacturing, inspection and procurement across CEN/ISO member bodies.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Scope and general rule: Glassware is generally drawn as opaque (non‑transparent) following ISO 128‑34, with transparent drawing only where needed to show inner components (e.g., calibration in jacketed vessels).
- Sections and hatching: Small sections may be blackened if the outline separation on the drawing is ≤ 3 mm; larger or thin‑walled sections are hatched per ISO 128‑50 rules.
- Interchangeable ground joints: Conical (ISO 383) and spherical (ISO 641) ground joints are designated using their standard codes (example code “19/26”) - detailed dimensions and surface‑finish indications are not required on drawings.
- Thin-walled glassware: Specific guidance on drawing wall thickness and indicating external and internal diameters has been updated to improve readability and dimensioning.
- Tubes and components: Rules for tube ends, simplified coiled tube representation and other typical shapes are covered.
- Sintered (fritted) filters, joints and composite glassware: Standardized presentation and notation for porosity grading (reference ISO 4793), removable parts, adhesives and fused interfaces.
- Referenced documents: Normative references include ISO 128‑34, ISO 128‑50, ISO 129‑1, ISO 383, ISO 641, ISO 4793 and ISO 10209.
Applications - who uses EN ISO 6414:2020
- Laboratory glassware manufacturers and designers: for accurate, repeatable manufacturing drawings.
- CAD drafters and technical illustrators: to apply correct presentation/convention rules for glass parts.
- Quality control & inspection teams: to interpret drawings consistently and verify interchangeability.
- Procurement and technical purchasing: to specify standardized components and joints.
- Standards bodies and regulatory compliance: for national implementation and cross‑border harmonization in the EU/CEN network.
Related standards
EN ISO 6414:2020 improves clarity and interoperability of technical drawings for glassware - key for manufacturers, labs and engineers who rely on precise, standardized documentation.
