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Glass Capillaries: Variety in Perfection

Since the 1950s we have been producing glass capillaries in utmost perfection for a wide range of applications. In the past decades our expertise as well as the variety of our products have been growing continuously. Apart from standard dimensions we also produce numerous special sizes – even in small quantities. Our modern production technology enables us to realize customer requirements at short notice. The high-precision measuring equipment ensures compliance with tight tolerances.

Materials

We use a wide range of glass types for the production of our capillaries. We obtain them from well-known, large manufacturers as well as from small manufacturers of special glasses whose careful manufacturing processes guarantee a high product quality. For some applications we use glasses from specialized suppliers who can manufacture glasses is small quantities and on a laboratory scale.

The materials we use include the following glass types:

Soda-lime glass (AR, I860, PH360 etc.)
Borosilicate glass (DURAN©, PYREX©, SIMAX© etc.)
Neutral glass (FIOLAX© and DUROBAX©)
Aluminium silicate glass (Schott 8252/8253)
Quartz glass (naturally melted quartz glass and synthetically produced quartz glass, incl. F300)
Lead glass (lead content up to 28%)
Sealing glasses for various metals such as: kovar, molybdenum, steel, silver, platinum, palladium
Special glasses such as UV-glass or X-ray glass

Process of Production

The largest part of our capillaries is produced with the redrawing method. During this process blanks (or so-called performs) are heated and drawn until they have reached the desired measure. The process is highly flexible and allows the production of prototypes or even large quantities on the same plants and under the same conditions. In addition to the redrawing method, some thick-walled capillaries may be directly drawn from the melt. In this process, however, there are limits to the precision and dimensions of the capillaries.

Subsequent In-house Processing

Apart from the production of capillaries, their processing is also one of our particular strengths. We utilize this strength for your individual requirements!
We offer various possibilities for further processing:

Cutting:

Conventional cutting (score cutting)
Laser cutting
Conventional rotation cutting
Abrasive cutting and sawing, with or without socketing

Drawing Tips:

Computer-aided tip drawing in a hydrogen flame
Production of microinjection, patch and transfer pipettes on classic pipette pullers

Hot Forming:

Specific bending and curving of capillaries up to 90°
Crimping and pressing of capillaries in the rotational axis
Deburring of cut edges (by fire polishing or glazing)
One-sided or double-sided closing of end
One-sided blowing of a sphere at the end of a capillary
Constricting or tapering of the capillary profile
Fusing with suitable metals in tube or wire form
Laser micro-structuring (engraving/drilling/ablation/inscribing)
Internal calibration (KPG process)

Cold forming:

Surface grinding
Faceting and grinding
cylindrical grinding
Bonding
CNC processing
Longitudinal cut by grinding or laser cutting
internal drilling and grinding

Dimensions

We manufacture capillaries with an outside diameter of 0,05-10 mm and offer various wall thicknesses and inner diameters. With smaller diameters we are able to realize wall thicknesses as narrow as 10 μm (0,01 mm). In order to ensure a good handling, the smallest possible inner diameter ranges at 4- 5 μm at a wall thickness of 10-20 μm. Our standard manufacturing lengths are 1060 and 1500 mm. Our flexible production enables us to produce lengths and blanks in the range of 1-3000 mm, according to customer requirements. Small capillaries with a diameter up to 0,25mm can even be processed to lengths greater than 3000 mm.

Geometries

In addition to the standard geometry of a simple round profile with various wall thicknesses, we offer special geometries such as flat, square and triangle capillaries. Here, you can find an overview of possible geometries and geometries that have already been produced, here. These represent a rough overview of the possible geometries that he have already manufactured using our 14.000 different configurations.

Industries/Applications

Our capillaries are used by a large number of different industries and applications. Their application is not always as obvious as their use as micropipettes or test tubes for NMR-measurements. The capillaries are often installed in electronic components or used as a single piece in formative processes.

Important Fields of Application: