Design World

  • Home
  • Technologies
    • 3D CAD
    • Electronics • electrical
    • Fastening & Joining
    • Factory automation
    • Linear Motion
    • Motion Control
    • Test & Measurement
    • Sensors
    • Fluid power
  • Learn
    • Ebooks / Tech Tips
    • Engineering Week
    • Future of Design Engineering
    • MC² Motion Control Classrooms
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
  • LEAP AWARDS
  • Leadership
    • 2022 Voting
    • 2021 Winners
  • Design Guide Library
  • Resources
    • 3D Cad Models
      • PARTsolutions
      • TraceParts
    • Digital Issues
      • Design World
      • EE World
    • Women in Engineering
  • Supplier Listings

Tips for Sourcing Fused Quartz

By Design World Staff | May 17, 2010

Share

Quartz glass exhibits hardness, chemical purity, resistance to high temp-eratures and corrosion, and electrical insulation – to name a few. It is a useful material for semiconductor, fiber optic, and photovoltaic (solar) cell manufacturing; specialty lighting; and laboratory ware.

quartz-glass
The unique thermal, optical and mechanical properties of quartz glass make if ideal for use in a wide variety of applications where other materials are problematic.

The properties of fused quartz vary in degree or values, so obtaining the right characteristics depends on the material, fabrication, and finishing techniques applied. When the product has a complex geometry, must meet tight tolerances, or requires very high purity, it becomes more important to source custom quartz products from a specialist. The following are some basic considerations that can help you simplify the sourcing of complex and other custom-made fused quartz parts.

• Verify what component properties are important to your application. For example, if the application is laser equipment, then quartz reflectivity is an important property. But to the semiconductor industry, high purity and excellent high temperature properties make quartz tubing an ideal furnace chamber for processing silicon wafers. Quartz can also overcome thermal expansion issues that damage silicon carbide or aluminum ceramic.

• Check that your supplier has the required finishing capabilities. Machining and other operations for finishing quartz parts are critical, particularly when working to achieve complex shapes. Finishing quartz offers latitudes similar to finishing metals, but it usually requires diamond tooling, as opposed to a standard cutting mill. Cutting or drilling with a diamond tool is more painstaking and takes longer. Many quartz products require grinding, lapping, polishing, laser, and water jet operations.

Quality control requires sophisticated instrumentation to ensure the precise purity, flatness, angularity, cylindricity, symmetry and other characteristics of each quartz component are within specifications.

• Check that your supplier offers other fabrication capabilities. Does your suppler offer quartz glass blowing capabilities for prototypes or short runs of custom products. In some cases hand-blown parts are combined with machined parts. Sometimes a graphite mold is used to keep several quartz pieces as close to identical as possible. The tolerance range is normally down to 0.005 in. That tolerance would apply to exacting specifications such as those required for semi-conductor ware and medical ampoules.

Technical Glass Products
technicalglass.com

::Design World::


Filed Under: Semiconductor, Materials • advanced

 

Tell Us What You Think!

Related Articles Read More >

Self-lubricating and wear-resistant: igus bar stock for food, continuous operation and high media resistance
Minnesota Rubber and Plastics announces plans for new Innovation Center
The importance of resin selection
EXE014 - Image 1
Composite materials help place Italian race team in pole position

DESIGN GUIDE LIBRARY

“motion

Enews Sign Up

Motion Control Classroom

Design World Digital Edition

cover

Browse the most current issue of Design World and back issues in an easy to use high quality format. Clip, share and download with the leading design engineering magazine today.

EDABoard the Forum for Electronics

Top global problem solving EE forum covering Microcontrollers, DSP, Networking, Analog and Digital Design, RF, Power Electronics, PCB Routing and much more

EDABoard: Forum for electronics

Sponsored Content

  • Global supply needs drive increased manufacturing footprint development
  • How to Increase Rotational Capacity for a Retaining Ring
  • Cordis high resolution electronic proportional pressure controls
  • WAGO’s custom designed interface wiring system making industrial applications easier
  • 10 Reasons to Specify Valve Manifolds
  • Case study: How a 3D-printed tool saved thousands of hours and dollars

Design World Podcasts

May 17, 2022
Another view on additive and the aerospace industry
See More >
Engineering Exchange

The Engineering Exchange is a global educational networking community for engineers.

Connect, share, and learn today »

Design World
  • Advertising
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Manage your Design World Subscription
  • Subscribe
  • Design World Digital Network
  • Engineering White Papers
  • LEAP AWARDS

Copyright © 2022 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search Design World

  • Home
  • Technologies
    • 3D CAD
    • Electronics • electrical
    • Fastening & Joining
    • Factory automation
    • Linear Motion
    • Motion Control
    • Test & Measurement
    • Sensors
    • Fluid power
  • Learn
    • Ebooks / Tech Tips
    • Engineering Week
    • Future of Design Engineering
    • MC² Motion Control Classrooms
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
  • LEAP AWARDS
  • Leadership
    • 2022 Voting
    • 2021 Winners
  • Design Guide Library
  • Resources
    • 3D Cad Models
      • PARTsolutions
      • TraceParts
    • Digital Issues
      • Design World
      • EE World
    • Women in Engineering
  • Supplier Listings