Abstract: A prescored ceramic substrate plate is broken along each of a plurality of parallel, uniformily-spaced transverse score lines scribed therein by moving the plate, scored side up, along a guide rail and over a break edge into the lower arc of a resilient break roller which is free to rotate. First and second idler rollers apply pressure to the remaining portion of the plate as the plate is being moved. The break roller is canted in the X-axis at a predetermined angle with respect to the break edge for applying a graduated downward pressure onto the plate against the break edge. This angled orientation of the break roller to the break edge sequentially causes the plate to fracture incrementally along each score line as that portion of the plate located at the previously adjacent score line moves into the break roller.