Steel Carriers

Versatile manufacturing capabilities enable us to supply lapping carriers to fit most customer specifications. Stock materials include spring steel (strongest, most durable, for closest tolerances of thickness and flatness), steel with moulded plastic inserts (for use in manufacturing large diameter silicon wafers), Lamitex (FR-4/G-10 Fiberglas reinforced, non-corroding and non-hygroscopic, ideal for thicker parts), PVC (for lapping relatively thick parts), Polycarbonate (Lexan) - (for scratch-free polishing applications), vinyl (most economical for short runs), phenolic (resin-laminated cloth, absorbs water, better for use with oil-based slurries), and zinc alloy (a soft material, used only on small parts, that helps reduce edge damage).
Carriers can be machined using punch and die tooling, CNC machining, EDM and laser cutting. Workholes can be custom-cut to suit any application and any geometry.

Materials

• Steel - Spring steel is the strongest, most durable carrier material. Closer tolerances of thickness and flatness are obtainable with spring steel material making it ideal for thin work.
• Lamitex - Lamitex, also known as G-10 and FR-4, is an epoxy-based material reinforced with fiberglass. Lamitex is an excellent alternative to steel offering excellent machining capabilities, high mechanical strength, noncorrosive, and low water absorbing properties. Lamitex is also an excellent choice for large thick parts.
• PVC - PVC is a thermoplastic vinyl. Combining chemical inertness, high strength-to-weight ratio and economical cost, PVC is an excellent choice for corrosion resistant applications. PVC can be sanded to achieve tight thickness tolerances and is commonly used for lapping thick parts.
• Phenolic - Phenolic is a resin binder reinforced with cotton fabric. Phenolic is very wear resistant and stronger than most plastics. It is typically used with oil-based slurries due to its water absorbing qualities. Phenolic is an excellent choice when steel or fibreglass are not permitted in a process.
• Lexan - A plastic without fibre reinforcement, this material gives up some of the strength of lamitex but does not cause scratches in polishing applications.
• Vinyl - Softer and less expensive than lexan, vinyl is an economical choice for short runs on smaller lapping machines.
• Zinc - This Zinc alloy is a soft material that helps protect the edges of fragile parts. This material is only available for use on small machines.

_{Information reproduced by kind permission of PR Hoffman. Specificatioin subject to change without notice}