The length of the rods enables higher yields, while the smaller diameter results in less material loss during manufacturing of smaller components. The fire-polished surface of the rods is sufficient for a variety of applications, and the new dimensions of the rods ensure easier processing and reduction in processing time.
In addition, the R&D department at Schott is working to provide conical rods, prisms, tubes and right angle designs, as well as standardised round rods.
Besides the new shapes, Schott has also expanded its product range of low Tg glasses, those with low transformation temperature (Tg<550°C), which enable mass production of extremely small optical components.
The company said that in addition to the P and N glasses, the following glass types now successfully qualify for use in precision molding: N-KZFS2, N-KZFS4, N-KZFS5, N-KZFS8, N-LAF33, N-LASF46B and SF57. The glass type N-LASF46A has also been further developed. Effective immediately, the N-LASF46B type is available with improved transmission in the blue spectral range.
The products currently offered by the company include rods made of optical glasses, like LASF35, which has an extremely high index of refraction as well as low Tg glasses such as P-LSF47, which is well suited for the precision molding process.