Different Shapes and Qualities
Intended use. Protective windows (also known as protective glass) are used in laser material processing. They prevent vapors and splashes from processed material from entering the inside of the laser head and damaging the coated components. Round and rectangular protective windows are common. Customized shapes (octagonal, elliptical) are also available.
Typical dimensions for round protective windows are 1 to 2 inches in diameter and a few millimeters thick. However, large square or round windows up to a diameter of 8” are also quite common - for example in LAM applications (3D metal printing), where these windows are located between the installation space and the scanner.
Quality. Protective windows are available in varying quality. For cost reasons, protective windows without an anti-reflective coating are often used. With these windows, however, transmission losses of approx. 8% and back reflections into the laser system must be tolerated.
If the lowest possible power losses are required, protective windows with an anti-reflective coating are used. In addition to standard AR coatings (typ. R< 0.3%), anti-reflective coatings with a very low absorption of a few ppm can also be produced for high-power lasers - this is particularly interesting for cw lasers. In addition, special coatings such as broadband anti-reflection coatings (e.g. 633 to 1064 nm), multiple anti-reflection coatings (e.g. 1064 plus 532 nm) and low residual reflections (e.g. <0.1%) are also possible.
In-house Production
LASER COMPONENTS manufactures protective windows from BK7 for standard applications or from quartz glass for lasers with higher output power. A typical surface quality of the substrates is a scratch-dig value of 40-20 after coating. The typical surface evenness of such windows is a fit of λ/2 or λ/4. If a significantly higher substrate quality is required, we can manufacture up to a high-precision fit of λ/10.
LASER COMPONENTS manufactures laser protection windows for all wavelengths in the range from 248 nm to 3000 nm in house. Standard and customized windows are available in small and large quantities at short notice. Please contact us regarding your individual inquiry. We will be happy to advise you.
The protective glasses are coated with an anti-reflective coating for the working beam. Other wavelengths (e.g., for the pilot laser) can also be considered upon request.
Protective glasses are available in the following materials:
- BK7 or similar for the simplest applications
- Quartz glass for lasers with higher power
LASER COMPONENTS offers protective glasses in all common designs in small and large quantities.
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Benefit
- Customer reduction in manufacturing costs and system size
Features
- Ø of substrate: 3.0 - 6.5 mm
- BK7 for simple applications
- Quartz glass for high power lasers
Supplier
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FAQs
What is Scratch-Dig?
The scratch-dig value describes the surface defects such as scratches, holes or point defects that can occur during the manufacture of the optics.
Do you manufacture customized optics?
Yes, the production of customized laser optics is one of LASER COMPONENTS' major strengths. Please contact our experts for further details.
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Laser Optics
LASER COMPONENTS Germany - Your competent partner for optical and optoelectronic components in Germany.
Welcome to LASER COMPONENTS Germany GmbH, your expert for photonics components. Each product in our wide range of detectors, laser diodes, laser modules, optics, fiber optics, and more is worth every Euro (€/EUR). Our customized solutions cover all conceivable areas of application: from sensor technology to medical technology. You can reach us here:
Werner-von-Siemens-Str. 15
82140 Olching
Deutschland
Phone: +49 8142 2864-0
Email: info(at)
