Newton, NJ - June 20, 2013 - Thorlabs, a worldwide manufacturer of photonics tools and systems, recently released its new line of Nexus™ vibration isolation optical tables and breadboards. Realizing that multiple damped offerings lengthen the decision making process and increase the risk of selecting insufficient damping for an application, Thorlabs focused on making one high-quality grade line of tables and breadboards that is suitable for photonics, imaging, and microscopy applications.
“Nexus is the result of melding customer feedback we’ve received over the years with our extensive vibration isolation manufacturing experience to produce a single family of high-quality tables and breadboards that address the vibration isolation needs of researchers working in a variety of fields,” said Chris Lowe, the lead engineer on the project. “Hearing about the needs of the research community from our customers keeps Thorlabs an integral part of the photonics community.”
The all-steel construction of the Nexus line incorporates 5 mm thick top and bottom skins and a precision formed and welded steel honeycomb core that extends from the top skin to the bottom skin without intermediate layers. The result is a stiffer, more thermally stable product with steel components that expand and contract similarly, maintaining flatness during changes in temperature.
New features include a precision-machined matte top and bottom finish and holes to the edge of the working surface. A custom-designed core maker produces precision formed and welded honeycomb core strips that do not intersect with any screw holes, allowing screws to be inserted far into the table or breadboard.
The Nexus Breadboards and Optical Tables are offered in many different sizes and two thicknesses each: 60 mm or 110 mm for breadboards and 210 mm or 310 mm for tables. To optimize the thickness-to-size ratio and stability of these products, the largest breadboards and tables in each line are only available from stock in the thicker version. Other thicknesses can be custom manufactured upon request.
Options for Nexus products include sealed holes, nonmagnetic steel construction, table and leg kits, and breadboards with no holes. Each product is individually optimized, tested, and shipped with a unique test certificate that includes a compliance curve.
Thorlabs’ Nexus products made their debut at Laser World of Photonics 2013, held in Munich, Germany, where 17 tables and 13 breadboards provided vibration isolation for the sensitive equipment and laser sources found in various exhibitors’ booths. Nexus was also featured in the Thorlabs booth at CLEO 2013 in San Jose, CA.
About Thorlabs:
Thorlabs, a vertically integrated photonics products manufacturer, was founded in 1989 to serve the laser and electro-optics research market. As that market has grown and expanded into new research areas, Thorlabs has extended its core competencies in an effort to consistently serve its industry at the research end, as well as the industrial, life science, medical, and defense segments. The organization’s highly integrated and diverse manufacturing assets include semiconductor fabrication of VCSEL lasers that are being integrated into OCT systems, fiber towers for drawing glass optical fibers (silica, fluoride, tellurite, and hollow core), brushless DC motor technology for advanced microscopy positioning stages, advanced thin film deposition capabilities, and optomechanical and optoelectronic shops.
