Product News - Carbon Fibre Optical Breadboards Announced

Carbon Fibre Breadboards

August 2010: Pro-Lite has teamed up with German specialists CarbonVision to bring their advanced carbon fibre breadboards to market.

Since time immemorial, steel breadboards have been the only choice for those who require a stable platform for building an optical system. However, structures made from carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) have been used in the aerospace and space industries for many years due to their low weight, high strength, excellent thermal stability and low resonant frequencies. Pro-Lite now brings this advanced technology to the world of photonics with carbon fibre breadboards from CarbonVision. Four grades of carbon fibre breadboard are offered, from the affordable EC-series to the SL-series that provides superior damping characteristics.

Why carbon fibre? Compared with regular steel breadboards, carbon fibre breadboards typically weigh 75% less (size for size), exhibit 10% of the thermal expansion, possess damping coefficients that are up to 60% higher and provide a superior weight-to-stiffness ratio.

Pro-Lite offers standard CarbonVision breadboards in sizes from 300 x 300mm up to 1200 x 2500mm with custom sizes built upon request.

About Pro-Lite: Pro-Lite is a specialist distributor providing value-added service to the laser and optical radiation measurement communities in the UK and Ireland. Pro-Lite supplies lasers, laser safety eyewear, laser power and energy meters, precision opto-mechanics, as well as a complete spectrum of equipment for measuring optical radiation and the optical properties of materials.

For further information on CarbonVision breadboards, click here.