光学液状シリコーン ゴム:成形の新しい治具

試作・量産部品の製造工程・材料を多数ご用意しております。しかし、1 つのプロセスには、他のプロセスとは別の素材があります。それは、光学用液状シリコーン ゴムです。 (OLSR)。 OLSR は、照明および光学部品用のポリカーボネート (PC) やアクリル (PMMA) よりも好ましい材料の選択肢となる多くの特性を備えた高度な材料です。 OLSR が提供する利点のいくつかを次に示します。

光透過

光が物質を通過すると、光の透過率が失われます。 PC、PMMA、さらにはガラスでさえ光の損失があり、ガラスは最大 95%、PMMA は約 93%、PC は 88～90% を保持します。製品に透明な PC または PMMA パーツが必要な場合、OLSR を使用して光透過率を向上させることができます。これにより、最大 94% の光透過率が維持されます。屈折率はどうですか？ OLSR の屈折率は、それぞれ 1.58 と 1.49 の PC と PMMA に比べて 1.42 と低いです。

Still another advantage is the non-yellowing factor. Thermoplastics without additives are not UV resistant, which means the parts could yellow and degrade over long exposures to lights and sunlight. OLSR is non-yellowing so it’s great for outdoor fixtures exposed to harsh environments. Heat and Chemical Resistance Because OLSR is durable under temperatures that may be close to exceeding 300°F (150°C), and able to withstand many chemicals that may break down thermoplastics, you can use OLSR in high-power light fixtures, solar power, outdoor fixtures, LED lighting, cleaning fixtures, and many other environments where PC and PMMA may fail.

Injection Molding Resilience

In plastic design, thick and thin parts are not easily achieved without sacrifice. That doesn’t necessarily ring true with OLSR design. You can achieve thick and thin geometries that oftentimes can be as thin as 0.010 in. (0.25mm) and as thick as 2 in. (50mm), all within the same part geometry because you don’t have issues with material flow, sink, or voids.

OLSR is extremely resilient against the molding issue that frequently create problems with thermoplastics, including the ability to create micro details. You also can design in negative draft angles without the need for expensive tooling that normally requires lifters, collapsible cores, and side-actions.

When to Use

As you learn about the benefits of OLSR, the applications where you can use OLSR are numerous:

• Reducing part count in your design with built-in gaskets
• Lenses of all types
• Lightpipes or guides
• Marine and wet environments
• Outdoor and indoor light fixtures
• Low- and high-heat environments
• High impact parts

To learn more about  optical liquid silicone molding and other molding, machining, and 3D printing services at Protolabs, visit protolabs.com . You can also contact us at  [email protected] or 877.479.7541 to speak with one of our knowledgeable applications engineers.