Gaggione introduces liquid silicone optics

ERJ staff report (BC)

Montreal-la-Cluse, France – Optical component supplier Gaggione has launched a dedicated injection moulding facility for liquid silicone optics.

The company cites a number of advantages for silicone over thermoplastics in optical applications:

• Greater than 90 percent transmission in the >350nm region of the wavelength spectrum, even with thick parts.

• High resistance to ultraviolet radiation, and to more chemical agents than polycarbonate (PC) or acrylic (PMMA).

• Heat resistance to >150°C, by contrast with the breakdown temperatures of PC (130°C) and PMMA (90°C).

• Greater optical design possibilities attributable to “micro-detail replication” resulting from liquid material properties.

• Impact resistance greater than that of thermoplastics, with “reformation properties”.

David Veryser, Gaggione’s global sales director, said: “Silicone resin provides the opportunity to make parts with complex design features, some of which are simply not possible with thermoplastic. Designers will be able to … leverage the fast-changing technologies in [the optics] market.”

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News release from Gaggione