Month: August 2024

Slavik Marinovski, Machinix technical solution engineer, talks with Roger Senden from RSP Technology about the aluminum super-alloys they produce and its uses in precision equipment manufacturing, including:

• How it’s made
• Their usage in the semiconductor and other precision equipment industries
• Slavik’s experience machining it
• Tool wear and cost effects

Q&A

When does low thermal expansion material needed?

Thermal expansion is the tendency of matter to increase in length, or volume, changing its size and density in response to an increase or decrease in temperature.

Low thermal expansion alloys are essential in applications requiring high dimensional stability across temperature changes, in order to achieve a part or a system’s stability, reduce potential stress or damage, so that temperature fluctuations are of little concern to consistent performance.

What is RSP technology?

RSP Technology produces and develops aluminum superalloys.

The company specializes in producing and developing aluminum superalloys using an ultra-rapid cooling technology that solidifies liquid metal at over 1,000,000ºC per second. This process creates super-strong alloys with a fine, homogeneous microstructure. Their melt-spinning method results in unique materials ideal for high-end applications in aerospace, optics, precision equipment, racing, electronics, medical, and automotive industries. The Rapid Solidification Process (RSP) allows for extensive alloying possibilities and efficient production cycles.

RSA443 Vs. AL 6061 Vs SS 304

Which industries can benefit from using RSP Alloys?

In the below specified industries, several systems require low thermal expansion alloys to maintain high performance and reliability:

1. Semiconductor industry: In semiconductor metrology, components like baseplates, frames, stages, optical mounts, and probe arms benefit from low CTE, high stiffness, and low weight materials, which ensure stability, precision, and minimal thermal drift. they can benefit from reduced vibrations and support fast, precise positioning in critical measurement tools. These properties are essential for minimizing errors caused by thermal expansion, and ensuring consistent performance across varying conditions.
   
2. Medical Devices: MRI machines, CT scanners, and high-precision surgical tools. These systems depend on low thermal expansion materials to prevent deformation and maintain accuracy across temperature variations.
   
3. Aerospace: Satellite components, mirrors, and support structures for telescopes.
   
4. Precision Instruments: Telescope mounts, precision measurement equipment, and high-accuracy scales.
   
5. Fine Motion Systems: These systems, such as those used in robotics and automated manufacturing, require materials that maintain their dimensions under varying temperatures to ensure accurate movement and positioning.
   
6. Lasers: Optical components in laser systems, like mirrors and lenses, need to retain their precise shapes to maintain beam quality and focus. Any thermal expansion could lead to misalignment and degraded performance, affecting tasks like cutting, engraving, or communication.

What are the Is there any limitation on material shape availability?

• RSP alloys can be produced in the following standard dimensions:
• Bars: diameters 18, 22, 26, 35, 45, 60, 65, 85, 105 mm
• Billets: diameters 165, 200, 290, 360, 420, 500, 600, 800, 1.000 mm
• Custom made (near net) forgings and rectangular blocks
• Any other size can be custom made in round, rectangular or any other shape up to approximately 1000mm (39.37”)

What are the different alloys produced by RSP?

These are some of the alloys produced by RSP, their characteristics and use cases:

1. RSA-443 (Al Si40): This alloy offers high dynamic and thermal stability (high conductivity, low expansion), and high damping. Its fine microstructure makes it ideal for precision equipment and diamond-machined/polished mirrors.
   
2. RSA-461 and RSA-611: These alloys possess high-temperature strength, making them suitable for piston applications. Their low thermal expansion allows for tighter piston-cylinder fits, resulting in a CO2 emission reduction of at least 20%. Additionally, the increased combustion temperature possible in high-performance diesel engines further saves energy and reduces CO2 emissions.
   
3. RSA-905: This alloy boasts particularly high strength and stiffness (about twice that of aluminum alloy 6061). It’s useful for structural components in machine building, medical equipment (as a titanium replacement), measuring equipment, hydraulic systems, and more.

When is stress release recommended?

It is recommended to apply stress release after rough machining, when the machined part requires tight tolerances in the range of 0.01-0.03mm, and when there is substantial material removal from the raw material.

for example RSA-443 alloy can be artificially aged using the following process:

1. Rough machine to within 0.2-0.5mm of final dimensions.
2. Put the part in a cooled furnace, at room temperature (20 – 25 ºC).
3. Heat the part gradually to 380±5 ºC, at a rate of 100ºC per hour.
4. Keep the part at a stabilized temperature of 380±5 ºC, for 2 hours.
5. Cool the part to room temperature (20 – 25 ºC) slowly, in a closed furnace.

Following this process, a final finish machining can be performed.

Optomechanical parts are the unsung heroes of optical systems, ensuring precise alignment, stability, and protection for delicate components like lenses, mirrors, and detectors. From the housing that shields a laser from dust to the tiny screw that fine-tunes a microscope’s focus, each part plays a critical role in achieving the desired optical performance. In this guide, we’ll explore the diverse world of optomechanical components, providing explanations, images, and design tips to help you understand their functions and importance.

Optical Housing

Optical Housings are precision-engineered enclosures that securely hold and protect optical components like lenses and mirrors. They maintain exact alignment and safeguard optics from environmental factors such as dust, moisture, and mechanical stress. High precision is critical, as even the slightest misalignment can affect the optical system’s performance. These housings are typically made from durable materials like aluminum or stainless steel to ensure long-term stability and reliability in sensitive applications like cameras, lasers, and scientific instruments.

Spectrometer Housing

A spectrometer housing is a critical component in optical systems, safeguarding delicate spectrometer parts like diffraction gratings and detectors. These housings provide a stable, protected environment, shielding the spectrometer from dust, moisture, temperature fluctuations, and vibrations that can interfere with accurate measurements. The accuracy of the housing’s machining directly impacts the spectrometer’s performance, ensuring precise alignment and reliable spectral analysis. This specific housing features a sand-blasted matte finish to minimize internal reflections and stray light, further optimizing its performance.

Static Lens Mount

Static lens mount are precision components used to securely hold and align optical lenses in optical applications to direct and route light beams from their source to a target area. They are essential for precise beam alignment in various industries, including research, biomedical, life sciences, astronomy, metrology, and semiconductor manufacturing. These mounts need to be highly precise for accurate positioning on the plate or housing.

Adjustment Screws

Adjustment screws are essential optomechanical component, providing precise and controlled movement for aligning optical elements with high accuracy. These screws typically feature fine threads, specifically designed for optical adjustments, enabling minute positional changes that are critical for optimizing optical systems. They can be sourced from standard optomechanical component manufacturers like Thorlabs and then modified if necessary, or they can be custom-produced from scratch to meet specific application requirements. Often crafted from durable stainless steel with brass sleeves, these adjustment screws offer a balance of strength, stability, and smooth movement, ensuring long-lasting performance and reliable optical alignment in demanding applications.

Base Plates

Custom optical systems base plates are the foundation upon which precision optical systems are built. These plates, typically crafted from aluminum or aluminum-based alloys like C250 or ACP5080, provide a stable and reliable platform for mounting various optomechanical parts. Dimensional stability is paramount, as even slight variations can impact the accuracy and performance of the optical system. To ensure this stability, the material is often stress-relieved to minimize dimensional changes over time. The flatness of the mounting surfaces and the precision location of the pins or pin holes on the plate are critical, directly influencing the precise positioning and alignment of optical components, and therefore the overall performance and reliability of the optical system.

Retainers

Retainers are essential in Optomechanics for securely holding and precisely positioning optical components like lenses and mirrors within their mounts. This secure hold prevents movement or misalignment that could degrade the optical system’s performance. Commonly used in optical barrels, condenser housings, and other assemblies, retainers usually “push” the optical element against a precisely machined surface within an accurate diameter, which together determine the element’s position relative to other optical components. Brass is often chosen for retainers due to its combination of strength and slight flexibility. This allows for minute adjustments during temperature changes, preventing stress on the delicate optic, which is crucial for maintaining optimal performance and long-term reliability.

Practical tips:

1. GD&T Tip for retainer design: Turning Plus/Minus To Profile Tolerance

Filter Wheels

Filter wheels are mechanical devices used to hold and rotate optical filters in front of light sources or detectors. They are commonly used in imaging and spectroscopy systems to switch between different filters, allowing the user to selectively transmit specific wavelengths of light. Filter wheels are often motorized, enabling precise and automated control over which filter is placed in the optical path. They are critical in applications like fluorescence microscopy, astronomy and machine vision, where different wavelengths or colors need to be isolated for analysis or imaging.

Condenser housing

A condenser housing is a crucial component in optical systems, specifically designed to house and protect the condenser lens. This housing ensures the condenser lens is held securely in the correct position and alignment, which is vital for controlling and concentrating light onto the object being viewed. The precise positioning of the condenser lens within its housing directly influences the quality and uniformity of illumination, affecting the overall performance of the optical system.