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Material
Due to advancements in liquid silicone materials, the use of
silicone for optical purposes is now possible. Optical silicones
are available in different durometers ranging from 20 shore A to 70
shore D. |
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Optical Performance
Liquid silicone has better optical performance
properties than
thermoplastic materials such as polycarbonates and acrylics.
Silicone also has many desirable physical characteristics over those
of thermoplastics, such as heat resistance, optical transmission,
and aging.
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Cost
With Silicone, we have seen substantial cost reduction over
glass, as lenses in silicone require one-operation molding.
Glass lenses require multi-steps including glass pre-forms, molding,
and polishing. For example for very small lenses of 1mm or less in diameter, liquid silicone
optical lenses are only a fraction of the cost of glass lenses.
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Rapid Prototyping and Short Runs
With our rapid prototyping and short run capabilities, Albright can
provide liquid silicone optical lenses in 2-3 weeks. When
working with glass, not only is it more expensive but the same
design may take months for prototyping and short run quantities.
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Applications for Optical Silicone Lenses
There
are many useful applications for silicone lenses such as silicone
LED lenses and light pipes.
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