Here is a list of FAQ relating to lasers, optics, sensors and instrumentation. The devices used in these industries often must be very precise and sensitive. Tolerances can be very tight on these projects. Lasers are used in many industries all the way from packaging, inspection, manufacturing, military, aerospace, firearms, scientific applications and more.
Q: What kind of materials are common for lasers and instruments?
A: Common materials include 6061 aluminum, plastic parts including those plated with metal, stainless, copper and many others.
Q: What is a typical dimensional tolerance for a working laser or instrumentation component?
A: +/- .005 inch [.13 mm] is a typical dimensional tolerance. Actual tolerances called for on drawings can range from .0005 inch [.01 mm] up to +/- .25 inch [6.35 mm]. Average would be around .1-.2 mm. The larger the tolerances are, the part can become much more affordable. If the tolerances are very tight, like .01 mm or less, the item becomes much more costly and the lead time can increase as well.
Q: What is Hastelloy used for?
A: Hastelloy is a high-temp specialty metal. Also known as C276, this material is known as the most universally corrosive resistant material available today. The material is very resistant to acid damage and therefore is suitable in chemical instruments, material processing and many other applications in a wide variety of industries. For more information, see this data sheet: (https://bkengineering.tripod.com/c276.pdf).
Q: Is Hastelloy costly?
A: Many metals, such as Hastelloy, cost more than other materials like plastic but sometimes they can be worth their weight in gold. Hastelloy is not cheap but if you want the material that is most univerally corrosive resistant available today, be prepared to pay a small premium.
Q: What is a way to reduce costs?
A: One way to reduce costs in terms of manufacturing is to supply the raw material, as requested, to the contract manufacturer. For example, if ordering some 12" stainless flanges, you can supply the stainless blanks to the manufacturer thereby cutting out the manufacturer's material mark-up. There are many other ways to reduce costs and the first step is to do a design review.
Q: What are some other ways to reduce costs?
A: Another way to reduce costs is to investigate materials and weight. For example, if a copper or metal item can be replaced with a plastic item coated with metal it could reduce costs. One example is to use a plastic piece and plate and polish it into a mirror. This would save money compared to a metal mirror. Another example is to replace copper with copper plated plastic. Obviously, testing would need to be done and this cannot work very well on high-temp application. Lasers and instruments often get quite hot but there are parts outside of the heat package which could potentially be considered for improvement or analysis.
Q: What are some mechanical properties of niobium?
A: Here is a table showing the mechanical properties of niobium:
| Annealed |
Ultimate Tensile Strength Yield Strength % Elongation % Reduction in Area |
195 M Pa (28 ksi) 105 M Pa (15 ksi) 30%+ 80%+ |
| Cold Worked |
Ultimate Tensile Strength % Elongation |
585 M Pa (85 ksi) 5% |
| Hardness |
Annealed Cold Worked |
60 HV 150 HV |
| Poisson's Ration | 0.38 | |
| Strain Hardening Exponent | 0.24 | |
| Elastic Modulus | Tension Shear |
103 G Pa (15 x 10^6 psi) 37.5 G Pa (15 x 10^6 psi) |
| Ductile Brittle Transition Temperature* | <147 deg K | |
| Recrystallization Temperature | 800-1100 deg C |
*Significantly affected by increasing interstitial contents
Q: What kind of metals can be coated onto plastic?
A: Most common metal coatings can be performed on plastic. Copper is often the best option but chrome is very popular along with aluminum and nickel. There are many techniques used to deposit metals onto plastic. Some methods are more expensive than others.
Last Update: 13 FEB 2015
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