CUSTOM
MOLDED GLASS DOME CAPABILITIES


PARAMETERS COMMENTS
Maximum Operating Pressure  
Up to 30,000PSI Glass domes can go to over 100,000psi. However, dome mounting  is the limiting factor in pressure systems. The maximum operating pressure  is determined by how the dome is mounted. Over time mounting may  contribute to degradation of maximum operating pressure.  External Pressure convex side only.  Never operate with internal, concave side pressure. 
Minimum Size  
3mm diameter Contact Rayotek engineering for smaller size requirements.
Maximum Size        
2 meter base diameter Larger domes may required a post molding, grind & polish on Rayotek's 5-axis diamond grinder.
1 meter height
Tolerance  
Depends on size & wall thickness Custom dome tolerances vary depending on size & application. Normally higher tolerances mean higher cost. Contact Rayotek Engineering for details.
Surface Quality  
Better than 10/5 scratch/dig Proprietary Rayotek Non-contact glass molding technologies introduce no scratches or mold marks on the glass surface. Both surfaces are pristine, better than ground & polished.
Testing  
Proof pressure testing up to 100,000PSI Rayotek maintains a proof pressure testing lab with NIST traceable measurement capabilities. Test equipment includes: pumps, gauges, a confocal laser surface defect measurement station & furnaces. Glass domes & coupons can be dried to a specified dew point to avoid damaging glass during non-destructive proof pressure testing.
Most fluids & gasses Can be tested in virtually any chemistry; some chemistries will require special tooling & fixturing for safety & reliability of measurements.
Max temp 1750 C Rayotek has air & atmospheric controlled furnaces up to over a meter in size for testing.
Helium leak checking Can measure He leak rates down to 5x10^-12 Atm-cc/sec helium.
Dry MOR bar, tensile &  flexural testing Testing can be performed in air or a controlled atmosphere. Test pieces can be dried in a controlled manner to reduce micro crack moisture impact on test results.
Durability Resistance
Excellent High quality, very homogeneous borosilicate glass is exceptionally durable in high mechanical, thermal &/or chemical environments.
Dome Materials  Transparency  Max Temp  Relative Cost  Comment       
Borosilicate 340nm to 2.3 microns 450C Low Range The ideal dome material for high quality, thermal & chemical resistant domes. For fast delivery of optical quality borosilicate glass domes see our Build to Order Domes Chart
BK7 (BSL 7) 350nm to 2.1microns 250C Mid Range Easy to mold, no color filtering & dispersion, very low bubbles/striations. Low cost alternative to fused silica & quartz but significantly higher cost than borosilicate.
Chem. strengthened glass** 380nm to 2.0microns 190C Low-Mid Range Superior scratch resistance to all listed materials. Can only be molded from up to 2.1mm thick material, which means maximum dome wall thickness of 2mm or less.
Exotic glasses       Many exotic optical glasses are moldable including some chalcogenide IR glasses. Contact Rayotek for details.
Click for  materials comparison chart        
Housing Materials  Rayotek can mount domes into flanged & threaded metal housings. Go to Rayoteksightwindows.com for more information
Stainless steel 316 Good for chemical, industrial & pharmaceutical applications for moderate temperatures.
Titanium Excellent for ultra-high pressure & temperature applications. Also for situations where high strength to weight ratio are critical such as aerospace & space.
Inconel Ideal for chemical & temperature extreme environments.
Steel Low cost option for industrial applications. Ideally should be treated to avoid rust.
Availability  
Stock On the shelf & ready to ship upon order. Lead time 1-2 days. Call for stock sizes.
Stock - Built to Order Standard sizes built on order, all subcomponents stocked, designs already engineered .  Lead time 2-4 weeks.
Custom Built to customer spec. Co-engineering with customer required. Lead time project determined.
Industries Served Applications
Aerospace & aviation Camera, lighting, radome, sensor & instrument covers, cockpit view domes, nose cones for recon & surveillance.
UAV & RPV Camera & lighting covers & nose-cones for drones & missiles.
Deep sea & marine, AUV & ROV High pressure camera, lighting, sensor & instrument covers, clamshell buoyancy, spherical & hemi-spherical pressure boundaries for manned & unmanned  submersibles.
Surveillance & security High strength, wear resistant optical camera, visible & NIR.
Optics & astronomy Large lenses, reflectors & collectors.
Petroleum & gas Downhole (borehole) cameras & lighting covers, inverted manway covers.
Optics fabricators &  master opticians Low cost molded blanks that can be ground & polished by customer.
Art & architecture Public art installations & high-end commercial architecture.
Why Rayotek?  
  Onsite engineers, physicist & master optician to serve you.   
  24-years of expertise in dome manufacturing, sealing, materials mating & mounting. 
  Certified Small Business.
  ISO 9001:2008 Certified. 
  ITAR Registered. 
  State-of-the-art manufacturing, test equipment & measurement analysis.
  US Manufacturing at Rayotek's  30,000 SqFt facility.
NOTES        
Borosilicate optical glass molded domes are the most economical solution because Rayotek maintains stock sizes in inventory. See our Build to Order Domes Chart
For custom sizes a mold & tooling charge will apply. However, for quantity runs the mold/tool cost amortized per dome is often still lower than grinding & polishing
**Corning Gorilla® Glass is a trademarked glass engineered to be highly resistant to pitting & scratches. Similar glasses by other manufacturers are Dragontrail® by AGC & Xensation® by Schott AG

 


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8845 Rehco Road, San Diego, CA 92121 USA, Tel: 858-558-3671

 

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