Design/methodology/approach In the fabrication of mobile phone cover plates composed of high-alumina silicon glass, the incorporation of micro-lubrication grinding technology was undertaken, with the conventional cutting fluid cooling approach serving as the benchmark control group for comparative analysis. Findings The results indicate that increasing the spray pressure of micro-lubrication within a specific range contributes to reducing grinding surface roughness. At a grinding speed ranging from 25 to 35 m/s, using micro-lubrication can effectively replace the traditional cutting fluid cooling method, resulting in glass surfaces with roughness levels between 0.22 and 0.26. However, at grinding speeds exceeding 35 m/s, the insufficient pressure of the micro-lubricant mist hinders most of the oil mist from entering the grinding zone, leading to inferior cooling performance compared to cutting fluid cooling. Notably, at a grinding speed of 35 m/s, micro-lubrication demonstrates better effectiveness in suppressing chipping during glass grinding compared to traditional cutting fluid cooling methods. Originality/value Through the application of micro-lubrication grinding technology, a marked improvement in the grinding quality of high-alumina silicon mobile phone cover plate glass can be achieved, leading to a reduction in surface roughness, a decrease in processing defects and ultimately satisfying the demands for high-precision and high-quality fabrication of such cover plates. Peer review The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-08-2024-0297