Process Development

The personal goal and commitment of each member of the Lenox Laser Corporation’s engineering team is to provide each customer with reliable and robust products made to specified custom requirements and conditions, such as, high energy light beam densities, aggressive chemical and biological environments, mechanical stresses and vibrations, aerospace and underwater uses, etc.
We have a wide range of tools at our disposal. Our lasers range from CW to picoseconds in pulse widths; from far IR to hard UV wavelengths; from Joules to micro-Joules in laser beam energy. We can drill to a specified gas or liquid flow or light intensity. We have a fully equipped machine shop and chemical etching capabilities. Our experienced staff can combine some or all of those capabilities in a multi-step process where a single technique application becomes impractical or impossible. In each unique case, the choice of product materials and manufacturing processes are specific and may affect future product performance.
Both our production and engineering teams are readily available to help customers to consider those specifics in the original product design. We may suggest developing and redesigning a product to create both a feasible and cost effective project.
Lenox Laser has a distinguished history of successful medical product development under the auspices of NIH grants enabling us to introduce innovative products to a highly competitive global market. We have pioneered and have become an industry standard in a metrology associated with holes drilled for leak detection in the medical, pharmaceutical, automobile and food industries.

High Energy Aperture Holder (MT-1, MT-1R)

Spatial filtering of a high energy laser beam is not a trivial problem when the energy density of the focused beam approaches the ablation threshold of the optical aperture material.
Materials with a high ablation threshold have very low thermal conductivity; thus, depending upon the repetition rate of laser pulses, can become subject to melting proceeded by aperture damage.
The Lenox Laser Corporation has developed the MT-1R high energy aperture holder that uses the combination of reflecting and heat dissipating parts to reduce by a few orders of magnitude the energy density that reaches the aperture. This method significantly extends the lifetime of the optical aperture. The MT-1R dimensions were selected in order to fit most of the optomechanical mounts designed for one inch mirrors or lenses provided by leading manufacturers, namely CVI-Melles Griot, Newport, New Focus, Thorlabs, Edmund Optics, etc.
When MT-1R is mounted in one of the above mentioned mounts it becomes an integrative part of the existing optical layout or device and does not require any additional adaptors.

Slit Solutions

Slits are widely used in a wide range of applications in both science and industry. Applications include (but are not limited to) measurement of the properties of light; calibration and separation of light flux; study of light interaction with materials and itself-proving concepts in quantum theory and many other applications.
The Lenox Laser Corporation is a leading manufacturer of micrometer slits made in most materials with very high quality precision and sharpness.
Lenox Laser has developed a new version of the optical slit cut in a precise 5x8 mm metallic foil that will solve the registration problem that normally takes place when slits are cut in 5/8" (or other size) substrates. The orientation of the micro-slit is along the sides of a 5x8 mm rectangular substrate. In this case, one of the substrate edges can be used as the positioning feducial. This new geometry permits for angular registration with later rotation at any arbitrary angle of one or multiple inserts in a single holder with very high precision.

Advanced Precision Microdrilling

Lenox Laser Corporation's advanced precision microdrilling capability is a combination of several technologies that provide the unique ability to drill precision microholes to specific performances, such as, tight tolerances and repeatability for a variety of applications.

Lenox Laser's experienced engineering staff is readily available to assist you with your specific application whether it be optical, flow or custom. We specialize in process development, for example, in ablating multilayer composite alloys or coatings, to insure quality, tolerance and cost effectiveness.

Over the past 28 years, Lenox Laser has assembled a database of over 30,000 customers establishing itself as a world leader in precision microhole technology.

Sample List of Materials: alloys of various types, aluminum, brass, ceramics, chromium, copper, glass, gold, molybdenum, nickel, plastics, platinum, Pyrex (tm), stainless steel, tantalum, titanium, tungsten

Flow Solutions: gas/liquid separation, HPLC, instrumentation standards, leak detection, online calculator, precision gas/liquid flow, technical support, testing and packaging standards

Optical Solutions: apodized apertures, bar targets, chrome on glass, EDM, etching, Fourier analysis, high power apertures, laser ablation, laser marking, light masking, pinhole mirrors, pinhole photography, spatial filtering, spectrometers, X-ray filtering

Performance Specifications: circularity, diameter/depth ratios, surface finish, taper, tolerance, volume/flow rate

For more information call 1-800-494-6537 or 410-592-3106 or email quotes@lenoxlaser.com

Precision Laser Drilling for Custom Optical and Flow Calibrated Applications

The Lenox Laser Corporation is a high technology research and development company specializing in the application of small hole technologies. The company has pioneered the precision micro drilling of small holes (as small as 1 micron or smaller) into a variety of materials including advanced metals, glass and plastics largely used in filtering light, gas, liquids and particles. Developments in precision calibrated products have limited competition. The company's research programs investigate current and future uses of the technology by engineering and experimenting with different industrial applications. Special performance requirements are achieved by inventing, applying or combining new processes. Many unique products result from this research.

Products manufactured by Lenox Laser are used extensively by industrial manufacturers. The company is often challenged to do what no one else can. The company in cooperation with corporate, academic and institutional research facilities has developed an information exchange that keeps it on the cutting edge of technological innovations. Technical advancements enhance the services offered at Lenox Laser and remain the cornerstone of product creations.

Lenox Laser manufactures optical component products, such as, apertures, slits, spatial filters, arrays and pinhole mirrors. One of the hottest selling items provided by Daystar Laser, the online distributor of Lenox Laser standard products, is a prefabricated "Aperture Kit" designed for convenience and eliminates time delays when custom orders are not required. The quality of Lenox Laser optical components has resulted in the company capturing a dominant market share in the United States and abroad.

Lenox Laser also delivers precision calibrated orifices to the semiconductor industry as a component for flow control. The advances in precison laser drilling pioneered at Lenox Laser have revolutionized industrial standards. Many of the applications that previously relied upon valve flow control devices are using Lenox Laser's precision calibrated orifices. One significant advantage of replacing these devices with precision calibrated orifices is the ability to consistently control the accuracy of flow measurements. A second significant advantage is their time saving reproducibility. Highly skilled technicians use state-of-the-art equipment for the mass production of very high quality components. Precision calibrated flow control products are the new standard. Ongoing research with major industrial companies and well recognized technical colleges and universities has provided Lenox Laser with special projects of great potential to the semiconductor industry.

Young's Double Slit

The experiment named for Thomas Young's classic proof of the wave theory of light in 1803. While Young's original experiment used sunlight and calculated the average wavelength to be 550nm, today using monochromatic and coherent light one can calculate wavelength with the following formula:

nλ = xd/L

λ
is the wavelength of the light
d is the separation of the slits
n is the order of maximum observed ( for first order n=1)
x is the distance between the bands of light and the central maximum
L is the distance from the slits to the screen center point.

Young's Double Slits are manufactured by the Lenox Laser Corporation's proprietary technology that gives a very sharp edge to every slit that makes the geometries and areas of each slit equal (within specifications). This guarantees a very high contrast of diffraction patterns and low flux variations through each of the slits providing good metrology.

In application, these slits may be used to demonstrate Young's Interference Fringes, Michelson's Stellar Interferometer (for measuring the separation between double stars) or other applications requiring measurement of the separation between point sources. Go to the Young's Double Slit Page to activate an interactive applet that will show Young interferences resulting from the interaction of a certain number of waves.

For more information call 1-800-49HOLES or 410-592-3106 or email quotes@lenoxlaser.com

Hastelloy Tubes

Lenox Laser, Inc. , the leader in precision microhole technology, laser drill holes a few microns in diameter into a variety of materials including Hastelloy. Hastelloy is becoming more commonly used for a wide range of applications where the environmental conditions are highly corrosive and where most metals are unable to withstand such extremes.

Whether they be discs, gaskets, or tubes, Lenox Laser can drill holes to meet custom requirements for your specific applications. Call 410-592-3106 or email quotes@lenoxlaser.com for more information or to receive a cost effective quote.

Precision Microhole Arrays

If you have need for thousands of small holes (one micron and larger) drilled into 0.0625 stainless steel tubing or larger, Lenox Laser, Inc. has this and many other products readily available for you.

Of great interest to many, Lenox Laser has made precision microhole arrays with a density of 35,000 holes in a 0.25" diameter disc. Custom orders are a specialty because Lenox Laser can produce virtually any array pattern in virtually any shaped part in many materials.

Lenox Laser Pioneering New High-Powered Laser Technologies

"The high power laser parameters relevant to selecting an aperture suitable for use in the optical beam delivery system are aperture substrate material, laser power or energy, area and time."

- Gilbert R. Smith, P. F.

The development of high power lasers includes but is not limited to the following methods: Q-switching, cavity-dumping, and mode locking. In these cases, lasers operate in a pulsed regime when the single pulse or package of pulses is generated at a certain timing rate.

High energy and high power apertures are intended to be used in the optical transfer assembly using a large laser as a source. The parameters such as laser power and pulse energy, pulse duration and repetition rate become important.

Visit the Lenox Laser website for a more comprehensive view of the advances made by the Leader in Small Hole Technology.

Drilling and Flow Calibrating Small Holes Down to One Micron in Diameter

Lenox Laser, Inc. drills and flow calibrates small holes from one micron in diameter to six thousand microns in diameter. After flow calibrating, these orifices have a flow diameter that can be used with simple fomulae to accurately predict flow rates through them for any gas or mixture of gases under various pressure and temperature conditions. The shape of the hole has no bearing on the flow diameter thus has no negative bearing on the degree of flow control accuracy.

Flow calibrated holes have found many customer uses over the last thirteen years. They have replaced many other flow control and measuring devices used by industry. They have proven to be less costly, trouble-free and more accurate in almost all cases. These holes are drilled into many different parts and materials, such as, VCR blind gaskets, tubes with a closed end, closed pipe nipples, set screws, and many other custom shapes. The majority of holes that are drilled are in stainless steel, however, many other materials, such as, plastic, glass, and most metals are also in demand.

Let Lenox Laser help you solve your flow control and other flow related problems in an economical and precise way. For more information and technical support call 410-592-3106 or visit our website at http://www.lenoxlaser.com/

Solve Your Flow Control Problems With Flow Calibrated Orifices

Flow calibrated orifices have a flow diameter that can be used to calculate the flow rate of any gas or mixture of gases when the absolute inlet/outlet pressures and absolute temperature are known. The flow diametre gives accurate results regardless of the actual shape of the hole.

Holes flow calibrated by the Lenox Laser Corporation are now being used by thousands of customers and have proven to be more accurate and less costly than most flow controlling devices.

Shown below are some of our standard parts used for flow control. Custom sizes and shapes are readily available. Holes are drilled in a variety of materials, such as, plastic, glass, most metals and other materials.

Let Lenox Laser help you solve your flow control problems by calling 410-592-3106 or by visiting http://www.lenoxlaser.com/

Micrometer Thin Precision Marking with Modulation of Contrast

Marking a variety of materials is one of the strengths of Lenox Laser, Inc. Marking and engraving is required for both industrial and scientific purposes. In industry, marking and engraving is required for accounting and parts discrimination, for making delivery channels in materials for the delivery of liquids and powders, for mechanical engagement of micro-parts, etc. For scientific purposes, when used in the optical systems, precision and methods of marking can be crucial for the whole system performance. In this case, the positioning tolerances and the width and depth of marking define the contrast ratios and ability of the marked parts to serve as fiducials. These fiducials are used to align opto-mechanical systems and to perform telemetry light intensity analysis. Being able to modulate the contrast is a very important task for space born systems similar to the Hubble Telescope where available photon counts are low. NASA commissioned Lenox Laser to fabricate precise crosshair fiducials for the Hubble Telescope.

CONTRAST = (BRIGHTEST - DARKEST) / (BRIGHTEST + DARKEST)

(where brightest and darkest refer to the intensities of the light reflected from a surface)

In the case of large differences between brightest and darkest this formula reduces to a simple ratio:

CONTRAST RATIO = BRIGHTEST / DARKEST

Lenox Laser, Inc. has developed a method of maximizing and modulating the contrast of marking for a given material and pattern geometry. The process of alignment and orientation of slits or pinholes in front of the light beam can be simplified by engraving the fiducials on the holder. This technique allow one to engrave lines as wide as a few micrometers with very high or customer requested contrast.

Lenox Laser offers different standard or custom shapes of patterns. Negative or positive marking on most opaque and transparent materials are readily available and produced. Marking a periodic structure such as a set of lines spaced with variable or constant period on a surface turns the material into grading or optronic crystal. The efficiency of these devices highly deepens the accuracy and precision of the manufacturing process. It is for this reason the Lenox Laser engineering and production teams are constantly improving their tools and processing methods.

Mercury Messenger Mission

NASA's Mercury MESSENGER Mission was launched from Cape Canaveral on August 3, 2004. Lenox Laser, Inc. was commissioned by NASA to fabricate High Power Ceramic Apertures for spatial filtering which required laser drilling holes (a few microns in diameter) with great accuracy and precision. Ceramic is just one of many readily available materials Lenox Laser is able to process to custom specifications with a relatively short lead time.

MESSENGER (MErcury Surface, Space, ENvironmental, GEochemistry, and Ranging) is scheduled to "flyby" Mercury on October 6, 2008, and ultimately be inserted in the planet's orbit by March 18, 2011. The Lenox Laser engineering and production teams take great pride in their "microscopic" contribution to the advancement of our knowledge of the solar system and of the universe.

Hastelloy Discs

Lenox Laser, Inc. was commissioned by NASA to laser drill precision 19.5 micron holes in Hastelloy discs for a helium leak detector which was to be utilized by the Galileo Spacecraft to Jupiter.
Hastelloy is the registered trademark name of Haynes International, Inc. and is applied as the prefix name of a range of over 20 different highly corrosion-resistant metal alloys. Hastelloys are also referred to as super alloys or high performance alloys by the metallurgical industry.
The predominant alloying ingredient is typically nickel. Other alloying ingredients are added to nickel in varying percentages of the elements molybdenum, chromium, cobalt, iron, copper, manganese, titanium, zirconium, aluminum, carbon and tungsten.
The primary function of the Hastelloy super alloys is that of effective survival under high temperature, high stress service in a moderately to severe corrosive and/or erosion prone environment (not unlike that of Jupiter) where common and less expensive iron based alloys would fail.

Massively Parrallel X-Ray Holography using Pinhole Technology

Read more here - X-Ray Holography using Pinhole Technology

Lenox Laser Begins Student Co-op Program

Joseph P. d’Entremont, founder and president of Lenox Laser, Inc. has had a vision for his laser drilling company to have an educational outreach to the community for some time now. His motto, “Inspiration causing Motivation for Education” has been the driving force of his desire to get kids excited about the sciences especially in the field of light and optics. Under the auspices of the Science Fair Competition of Maryland, the ground work has been laid to begin a student cooperative educational program designed to motivate young people of the Baltimore Metropolitan Area.
Derek M., a home-schooled high school sophomore, is the first of what is anticipated to be many students who will benefit from the cooperative educational program being developed by Lenox Laser. Derek has already begun working in the IT Department where he is getting on the job training in computers. The possibilities do not end there. Derek will also have opportunities to work with lasers and learn about the properties of light and its many applications. This experience will no doubt prove valuable to Derek who is considering a future career in the Air Force.
Studies have shown that student interest in the sciences has waned in recent years. The student co-op program is designed to help reverse that trend a few students at a time. One may be inclined to ask if it is worth it. Mr. d’Entremont is swift to point out that history gives many examples of individuals who have impacted the world by pursuing a scientific concept and who have worked tirelessly until they succeeded. Consider what our world would be like had it not been for dedicated people such as Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, and (who knows) Derek M.

Side Vent Applications and Products

Lenox Laser has specialized in drilling microhole side vents for a wide variety of applications serving several markets. Some of the major products that use these vents include arterial syringe side vents, hydrogen release caps, vented containers, advanced plastic bags, catheters, suction canisters, ventilation, and hydrostatic vents. These side vents are commonly used in medical, biotechnology, chemical processing, and flow control applications.

Some of the side venting jobs that we have performed in the past -

• MEMS application for micro vents used in semiconductors.

• Cryogenic liquids application -a side vent in the transfer tube for increase in liquid transfer.

• Medical application-a side vent in glass ,metal or plastic for micro management of liquid and gas.

• Calibrated packaging leak testing -equalizing contents pressure without compromising integrity.

Lenox Laser can drill micro side vents in various sizes ranging from 1 to 1000 microns in a wide variety of materials including metals, glasses, and plastics for any application. We can either drill in an existing part or material or we can help you design an advanced system for your side venting applications. Our engineers are here to research, design, fabricate, and drill advanced components to help solve any problem.

Lenox Laser, Inc. new equipment and process development has made these products readily available to many industries for packaging integrity testing and calibration with NIST traceability.

Testing Packaging Pinhole Leaks Integrity

In today's world, packaging integrity serves the highest purpose for any food or drug company. If they are unable to deliver their products safely without tampering to the public then they would not be able to sell anything. Consumers demand that their food and drugs must be guaranteed fresh, safe, and cost effective. Companies place the highest regard to the safety and integrity of their products packaging but in today's changing environment this can be quite challenging. This is where Lenox Laser has the expertise and knowledge to help companies create standards that can be used to help test their packaging even in a production line.

Lenox Laser, Inc. has the unique ability to drill precise repeatable critical flow orifices in glass, vials, ampoules, lids, pouches, cans, containers, blister packs, skin packs, vacuumed sealed packs, bottle capping and advanced types of primary packaging for use in testing and a production environment. Our critical flow orifices can be drilled directly into your product's packaging often allowing the company to replace expensive testing equipment ultimately saving thousands of dollars while increasing product safety. We also specialize in controlling product atmosphere's flow rate using our orifice technologies and calculators. We can also help develop package integrity and tamper resistant technologies that can alert the consumer if the product has been compromised. Lenox Laser is ale to drill micro holes down to the half micron which allows the smallest of flow rates that can be used to test the seals of your package. Often customers use several of our drilled products to test their products packaging while they are being packaged which saves time, energy, and money while increasing quality.

Our orifices can help with both destructive and non-destructive packaging testing for whatever application you may need. Our orifices are often used in vacuum/pressure decay testing and direct gas leak detection testing methods where flow control and detection is critical down to the smallest micron. Our small calibrated orifices can also be used to detect if there are any leaks in the seal. The quality of the packaging integrity is only as good as the strength of its seal which is often the hardest to test. Using our pinhole detection technologies, manufacturers can easily test their packages for pinholes down to the half micron thus detecting microbial barrier's to the smallest possible- as noted below the smaller the hole the harder for your packages integrity to be comprised.

Recent research, such as Earl Hackett’s study explained in “How Pinholes Affect Packaging” in the July 2000 issue of PMP News, indicates that in flexible packages with breathable barrier materials, the nature of flow and the mobility of bacteria may in fact make penetration difficult with holes up to 50 µm. (According to Hackett, the data showed that essentially all particles that entered the hole exited on the far side. The flow through the entire package was split between the hole and the Tyvek or paper. The number of particles detected coming through the 100-mm diameter sample of barrier material was statistically the same with or without the hole until the hole reached a minimum diameter of 50 µm.)

Please E-mail drawings with hole size or flow rate with specific gas and up/down
stream pressures, we can calibrate your online production packaging equipment.
E-mail- quotes@lenoxlaser.com or call 410-592-3106 for more information.

Also for more information please visit -

http://www.devicelink.com/pmpn/archive/03/01/003.html
Using pinholes as tools to attain optimum modified atmospheres in packages of fresh produce
Industrial Sterilization
http://www.quartetenterprises.com/calculate_effect_of_pinhole.htm
http://www.tmelectronics.com/resources_pkgTestingFoodIndustry.htm

Lenox Laser Flow Certifications

Our methods of testing and calculating are new and unique. Our testing methods and our calculating methods will be described in a three page description included with this explanation.

Basically all test methods described depend on comparing a part being tested to one of our standards. We have over one-hundred standards which were developed by test method number one. While developing standards a certified digital test gauge that reads in absolute pressures was used to establish and maintain 29.7 P.S.I.A. To establish water volume in the tube or tubes between the lower and upper photocells, water was carefully poured into the system (using an eye dropper), until the lower light came on. Further water was added until the upper light came on. The water added was measured in graduate cylinders and also weighed on a digital scale that read to the thousand of a gram. These volumes with the computer measured time to go from the lower to the upper photocell provided the information to calculate the flow rates and the flow diameters. All tests to establish standards were run a minimum of five times.

In the past, we have sent a few standards to N.I.S.T. test facility for comparison. The first few were midsized and compared within ½ of a percent. The next time we sent some near 5 microns in size and they were found to be approximately ten percent to large. We then sent the same orifices to another N.I.S.T. test facility and they found them to be approximately ten percent too small. They guarantee their test to be within plus or minus seven percent.

We have many repeat customers that have found our work satisfactory over the years. Some of these customers are large and have very sophisticated test equipment of their own. Among these customers is Sandia who gives our quality system an SPQR 1050 certified rating.

All of our standards are re-calibrated yearly. When calibrating parts for customers two separate standards are use to orient the computer. If there is any discrepancy, further testing and checking follows to determine the cause of the problem.
A Lenox Laser certification means we have tested your parts to meet our standards and procedure.

If you need further approval, you can purchase the orifices needed and send them the test facility of your choice.

For more Flow Calibration Certification services, please visit Lenox Lasers certification page.

New Breakthroughs in Metallic Glass and Laser Glass Drilling

In Live Science, there is a new article entitled "Bizarre Properties of Glass Revealed". It is about the new “breakthrough discovery in the bizarre properties of glass, which behaves at times like both a solid and a liquid.” The article can be found at http://www.livescience.com/technology/080623-glass-wings.html

Royall said, “knowing the structure formed by atoms as a glass cools represents a major breakthrough in the understanding of meta-stable materials and will allow further development of new strong yet light materials called metallic glasses. This stuff is generally shiny black in color, not transparent, due to having a lot of free electrons (think of mercury in an old thermometer).”

Lenox Laser, Inc. has also been a pioneer in developing advancements in glass processing. Our engineers were some of the first to successfully drill microholes in different types of glass accurately. Lenox Laser will also be a pioneer in the new field of metallic glasses that are currently being developed. These new glass types, mixed with exotic metals and materials, can revolutionize the optical, medical, biotechnology, space, semiconductor processing and scientific fields. Lenox Laser will be at the forefront of drilling the smallest microholes, apertures, orifices and arrays into these materials without the known risks of glass.

Lenox Laser is the premier microhole, aperture, and orifice glass driller in the industry. Our engineers can produce an aperture/orifice down to 5 microns. We mainly process the industry standard borosilicate glass, including the popular D263, but we have also processed quartz/fused silica, Pyrex variations, and soda-lime glasses. We specialize in drilling medical syringes, ampules, and vials for sophisticated leak detection systems, as well as drilling complex custom arrays in a variety of glass substrates. In addition, we have a complete line of standard glass products. Our list of customers includes many of the most recognizable names in the world, including government, university and private sector clients.

Free Online Critical Flow Orifice Calculator

Lenox Laser has been a pioneer and a leader in the critical flow orifice field for over 20 years. Customers have had orifices custom sized, drilled, and calibrated for them in various flow components in order to meet complicated and critical needs. We are able to eliminate the need for expensive and complicated mass flow controllers with our easy to use, inline, consistent, and cost-effective orifice technologies. A Lenox Laser calibrated orifice will produce consistent and repeatable flow rates of gas and liquids time and time again.

Lenox Laser has also created easy to use Orifice Sizing Calculator which has aided thousands of customers determine their orifice size for their flow control application. The calculator uses our flow control mathematics formulas which can be found in detail here. Our free online calculator can determine an orifice size using the following input values:

Inlet Pressure - PSIA, PSIG, Inches Mercury Absolute, Inches Water Absolute, Barr, Torr, Atmosphere, Kilopascals

Outlet Pressure - PSIA, PSIG, Inches Mercury Absolute, Inches Water Absolute, Barr, Torr, Atmosphere, Kilopascals

Gas Type - Air, Acetylene, Ammonia, Argon, Carbon Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide, Ethylene, Helium, Hexahydrochloride, Hydrochloric Acid, Hydrogen, Methane, Methyl Chloride, Nitrogen, Nitric Oxide, Nitrous Oxide, Oxygen, Sulfur Dioxide

Temperature - Fahrenheit, Celsius, Kelvin

Flow Rate - std cubic cm/sec, std cubic cm/min, std cubic cm/hr, std cubic ft/sec, std cubic ft/min, std cubic ft/hr, std gal/sec, std gal/min, std gal/hr, std liters/sec, std liters/min, std liters/hr, std pounds/sec, std pounds/min, std pounds/hr, std grams/sec, std grams/min, std grams/hr

Hole Units - Microns, Inches

The calculator will then display the appropriate hole size which Lenox Laser will be able to drill, calibrate, and certify your flow rate for your specific application in almsot any type of disc, VCR Gasket, Gland, Conflat, Barb/Luer, Nipple, Set/Hex Screws, and High Pressure or High Temperature Tubing. Custom parts and materials are also available for drilling with a setup fee.

Lenox Laser specializes in drilling very small, very precise holes in virtually any material. Our laboratories contain state-of-the-art laser machining tools which we designed and built ourselves to supply a small but vital service to American industry.

Lenox Laser's line of optical and flow components - apertures, slits, spatial filters, arrays, and critical flow orifice components - have become the industry standard. We are the leaders in small-hole technology.

We earn our leadership by:

• Supplying a good, dependable product that performs as promised
• Providing our customers with all the support they need
• Maintaining and improving the quality of our products
• Continuous research and development to refine and expand our product line while keeping costs under control

Please give us a call or visit our website http://www.lenoxlaser.com to see what we can do for you.

Small Hole Applications

FlowThe small hole, orifice or aperture is the key element of any device or instrument designed to control or measure the flow rate of a gas or liquid. In the recent past, the gasoline piston engine went through a transition that improved performance and reliability. Precision made small holes brought to life the fuel-injection process, an important technology that has superseded the carburetor. For general applications, precision, fixed control of gas flow rate is made possible through placement of a small hole in the flow passage. Under fixed positive pressure conditions, the small hole becomes the flow rate calibration device. In the area of high vacuum helium leak detector calibration devices, the small holes provides the calibrated leak rate.

SemiconductorIntegrated circuits and other semiconductor devices are the foundation of today's electronics industry. The development and production of semiconductor devices and manufacturing equipment bases heavily on ion or molecular beam processing technology. Ion beam drilling devices require the use of small, precise holes for beam forming.

OpticalFrom early days, optics used small holes to illustrate the wave property of light. An annular diffraction pattern of interference fringes may be observed from the passage of light through a small hole. Small holes provide important functions in optical transfer assemblies. They provide the means for beam alignment, spatial filtering, aperture limiting, image analysis, and image processing.

Electron BeamA mask containing an array of small holes is used to control the electron beam emission in the color television picture tube. The electron microscope uses apertures as small as 2 microns in diameter to maximize control of electron beam emissions and profiling.

Small Hole Technologies

Hole Definition

In effect, a round hole is a cylindrical surface that extends between the front and back surfaces of a substrate sheet. Recent advances in laser hole drilling techniques have provided the means to produce precision holes in the one micron diameter region that are of a higher quality than that produced by the micro drill bit.

Mechanical Drilling

For centuries, people have made holes for many applications using the mechanical drill bit. The micro machining industry has been able to serve the market for small holes of a diameter greater than 25 microns (0.00098"). The industry, however, has found it difficult and challenging to economically produce precision small holes in the range less than 25 microns in diameter. In machining, the harder materials are more difficult to work and the very hard materials are impossible to work.

Laser Drilled Holes

Laser drilling is a non-contact procedure that yields a precision, clean, round and burr-free hole with sharp edges that may be easily reproduced for mass production. In, addition, harder materials are easier to drill and control than softer materials. Materials that are impossible to machine drill, such as diamond, sapphire, ruby, and alumina, are easily worked by the laser beam. The laser drilled small hole industry is now able to economically serve the market for small holes of a diameter less than 25 microns.

This does not imply that the laser is only useful for drilling microscopic sized holes. A hole of almost any size may be laser drilled. The drilling diameter is a function of the focused beam spot size. Larger diameter laser rods yield a larger focused spot. This new industry is a separate technology field. Lenox Laser, Inc. a leader in small hole technology has through use of recent advancements in laser drilling techniques, provides precision holes as small as one micron and below that may be reliably and quickly produced in a wide variety of materials. Small holes are drilled in discs in the range of 0.002" thickness, which are then mounted in a more massive holder for retention in the end use mechanical system.

Small Hole Features

Every physical object is three-dimensional. A hole is a void in a three-dimensional object and may be of any size or shape. A perfect round hole is a cylindrical surface that extends between and is normal to the front and back surface of a substrate sheet. Further, a round hole generates a circular void in the front surface and a circular void in the back surface of the substrate sheet. There are many parameters to consider when specifying or describing a hole.

For the sake of discussion, let us reflect upon the characteristics of a round hole, as described above. In the micro-dimensional real world, the absolutely perfect round hole is difficult to achieve. Thus, we must consider how the round hole may deviate from perfection. The ends of a cylinder describe flat surfaces that are a circular, parallel to each other and normal to the axis. The hole entrance and exit apertures may not be circular, they might be oval or irregular in shape.

• If the front and back surfaces of the substrate sheet are not parallel to each other, the cross section of the hole cylinder is trapezoidal in shape.
• If the hole is not drilled at the normal to the surface of a parallel surface substrate sheet, the cross-section of the hole cylinder describes a parallelogram.
• If the hole entrance circle diameter is different than the hole exit circle diameter, the surface extending between them (the hole wall) is a section of a cone.

Also, the surface extending between the entrance and exit aperture may be totally irregular and may contain particles. The edges of the circular entrance and exit aperture may be beveled or rounded and may contain particles or burrs known as ablation. The descriptive geometrics of dimensioning and tolerances of a round hole include roundness or circularity, cylindrically or deviation from a perfect cylinder, perpendicularity or how much the cylindrical axis deviates from the normal to the substrate sheet surface.

Pinhole Sieves

Lenox Laser Pinhole Sieves can be drilled in varying shapes, sizes, patterns, and materials. Customers can submit drawings and details for a quote. Some examples can be seen at Lenox Laser Services.

Description:

Our pinhole sieve is an array of holes with diameters of 100 micrometers. The illumination of the detector will increase with the number of holes reducing the exposure time correspondingly. The separation between holes brings more spatial frequencies causing increase in the sharpness of the image. The specific arrangement of the pinholes causes the diffraction interference and makes the filter orientation sensitive. This property can be utilized for special effects if used with combination with polarization filter.

Applications:

These pinhole sieves can be used in synchrotron's for controlling and focusing soft x-rays, pinhole sieve photography, high-resolution X-ray microscopy and spectroscopy, Fresnel zone plate applications, telescope space based surveillance, and advanced apodization.

New Family of High-Power Aperture Mounts

* Aluminum/Anodized Standard Mount
* Stainless Steel for Vacuum Applications
* Copper/Gold Electroplated for High-Power Heat Sink


Overview

This 1" square aperture holder allows interchanging pinholes drilled in 9.5mm metal foil discs. It is ideal for use in the environments where no outgassing is permitted. The combination of the materials with different thermal conductivities extends the pinhole life under the fluencies close to the ablation threshold sometimes from minutes to days. The geometrical design is robust to the large temperature range. The threaded 8-32 mounting hole is centered on a side and can be interfaced with optical posts and stages.

More Details Coming Soon......