Scientific grade optical breadboards with Microlocks feature Newport's uniquely integrated damping design and a stiff 4.8 mm working surface to provide a robust platform for demanding applications. Microlock tiedowns provide versatile and positive mounting of breadboards above an optical table or directly onto any vertical or horizontal structure.
Microlocks mounting feature for secure attachment to optical tables
Broadband damped optical breadboards for demanding applications
4.8 mm thick 430 stainless steel working surface for maximum stiffness
Surface flatness of ±0.004 in. over any 2 ft. square
Microlock tie-downs are a unique innovation that provide versatile and positive mounting of honeycomb optical breadboards above an optical table or directly onto any vertical or horizontal structure. Microlocks include tapped through holes on different locations of the breadboard, as well as the insert to accept 1/4-20 or M6 screws for mounting. The Microlock insert provides a vertical adjustment range of at least 1 in. (25 mm), positive locking of the height, and solid attachment to the primary structure of the optical breadboard for optimum stability. XP Series Breadboard Support Posts or NewDamp™ Elastomeric Vibration Isolators are typically used for mounting a Microlock equipped breadboard at various heights above an optical table.
The 4.8 mm thick working surface on SG optical breadboards is bonded to a polymeric material that serves to seal the honeycomb core and damp the working surface. The trussed honeycomb is vertically bonded enabling a rigid triple core interface. Although the adhesive is rigid, its broadband damping factor is much higher than that of steel and introduces substantial damping into the core. The side panels are made of a highly damped, epoxy sealed wood composite. Compared to the metal sides used by other breadboard manufacturers, the composite wood sides offer significant damping to the structure and eliminate another source of resonance. The damping performance is evaluated and represented by a compliance curve. For better damping performance, check out our precision grade optical breadboards with patented modal damping.
Trussed Honeycomb Core with Unmatched Stiffness
Our trussed honeycomb core design maximizes an optical breadboard's rigidity to weight ratio by using an additional steel member to bridge across the center of the honeycomb cells. This design enables a triple core interface at each hexagonal honeycomb cell that is vertically bonded along the height of the core. Most manufacturers use 0.010 in. thick steel sheet for a 0.02 in. core interface, while our trussed design provides a 0.03 in. thick triple core interface for a 50% increase in local rigidity. To manufacture a honeycomb core with these advanced features, each piece of corrugated honeycomb steel sheet is emerged in proprietary elastomeric vibration absorbing materials and bonded vertically throughout the height of the core. This labor intensive procedure allows our optical breadboards to offer the highest static and dynamic rigidity, while also increasing point load carrying ability.
Hexagonal Honeycomb Core Advantages
A typical optical breadboard features a sandwich structure consisting of two faceplates and a lightweight honeycomb core for a high stiffness-to-weight ratio. Most manufacturers use a traditional open cell construction that can't match the static rigidity of a Newport optical breadboard. Our honeycomb core design is different than our competitors. We use a high-performance trussed hexagonal shape honeycomb core which offers several advantages over ordinary small-cell round core designs. The hexagonal shape allows for a much greater surface area for bonding together adjacent cores vs. traditional designs that use corrugated wavy steel sheet with minimal contact between adjacent cores. The additional bonding area also improves the strength of our truss design that bisects each hexagonal core.
Grid of Individually Sealed Threaded Mounting Holes
All of our optical breadboards are designed with a grid individually sealed 1/4-20 or M6 threaded mounting holes. Those mounting holes feature 19 mm screw depth. In contrast to some of the other products in the market that has channel for a row of holes or just a polymeric film, our individually sealed holes are more reliable and easier to clean. This is because we believe in the integrity of the product - especially the core. When dust and liquids go into your optical breadboard and table, it may have a long term effect on the damping performance of the product and make the product degrade over time. A good quality breadboard and table lasts long time - tens of years and more. It's a good investment for a product with sealed mounting holes.
Custom Optical Breadboard Options
Newport has a dedicated custom design team for your custom needs. This team has been working with various types of materials, shapes, structures, hole patterns (and many more) for over 40 years, and has served customers across the world in research, aerospace, semiconductor and medical related fields. We are committed to providing an accurate and timely quoting response, professional communications of custom design review and changes, optimum turnaround time, and the highest quality end product. Contact Newport Sales for more information.
Optical Breadboard Selection Guide
Optical breadboards are selected based on performance criteria like damping and stiffness based on the application. Once the type of breadboard required is determined you can choose the surface size that will support your application.
Precision Grade
Scientific Grade
Industrial Grade
Manufacturing Grade
Solid Aluminum
Applications
Interferometry and critical high resolution experiments
Electro-optical experiments & processes
Industrial equipment platforms and less critical experiments
Telecom device manufacturing requiring a low cost, high-quality mounting surface
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