There is always more than one way to solve the optical problem in robotics and factory automation, and the options are not equally good at everything. This article compares quartz and crystal glass against the materials, processes and design approaches it competes with, on the criteria that matter commercially: performance, durability, unit cost and lead time.
Optical Quartz and Crystal Glass in Robotics and Factory Automation
In robotics and factory automation, that translates into a specific set of requirements rather than a general preference for quality. Robots and automated cells use optical components continuously in environments built for metal, not glass: coolant, swarf, vibration and cleaning chemicals. Sensors and vision windows must survive being wiped, bumped and hosed down, while maintaining the repeatability the control system assumes.
The tolerances that actually matter
Quartz parts are quoted like other optical elements, but a few tolerances deserve special attention. Flatness and transmitted wavefront are measured at a stated wavelength, and because quartz is stiff and low-expansion, excellent flatness is genuinely achievable rather than nominal. Birefringence is specified in nanometers per centimeter for fused parts and is intrinsic to crystalline material; if the application is polarisation-sensitive, that number belongs on the drawing. For wafers, total thickness variation and warp matter alongside the optical figure, because the part may be processed in a vacuum chuck where flatness is imposed mechanically. Surface quality is quoted in scratch-dig, and edge finish in chip size. In Robotics and Factory Automation, it is worth stating whether the surface figure must hold at temperature or only at room temperature.
How it compares with the alternatives
Alternatives depend on what property is driving the choice. Where deep UV transmission is needed, calcium fluoride is the main competitor, offering transmission further into the ultraviolet at a much higher cost and with greater fragility. Where thermal stability is the driver, borosilicate or a low-expansion glass is often adequate at a fraction of the price. Where hardness is the driver, sapphire wins on scratch resistance and infrared transmission, though it is anisotropic and expensive. Where the part is simply a mechanical window, ordinary borosilicate will usually do the job. In Robotics and Factory Automation, the reliable test is to identify the single property that fails with the cheaper material, and to check whether the application actually reaches that limit.
Substrate and material selection
Within fused silica there is a real choice to make. Low-OH grades have almost no hydroxyl content and transmit further into the infrared, with less absorption around 2.7 micrometers, so they suit IR and high-power applications. High-OH grades contain several hundred parts per million of hydroxyl and are preferred where deep UV performance and resistance to solarisation matter. Natural quartz is used where its crystalline properties are needed, but it carries more inclusions and its anisotropy complicates polishing. Synthetic crystal (cultured quartz) offers the same optical behavior with better consistency. In Robotics and Factory Automation, the specification that prevents most disputes is not a grade name but a set of numbers: OH content, bubble class, and the transmission curve over the band of interest.
What drives cost and lead time
Quartz costs more than optical glass at every stage. The raw material is several times the price of BK7, and it polishes far more slowly because of its hardness, so a deep-UV grade window can cost five to ten times an equivalent borosilicate part. Grade selection drives the price more than size does: low-OH material and low-bubble, high-homogeneity grades carry large premiums. Flatness and surface quality follow the usual pattern, with each step tighter adding a finishing operation. In Robotics and Factory Automation, the sensible approach is to buy the cheapest quartz that satisfies the transmission requirement and to specify deep-UV grade only where the band actually needs it, since most parts specified as deep UV never see light below 350 nm.
Requirements specific to Robotics and Factory Automation
In robotics and factory automation, that translates into a specific set of requirements rather than a general preference for quality. Robots and automated cells use optical components continuously in environments built for metal, not glass: coolant, swarf, vibration and cleaning chemicals. Sensors and vision windows must survive being wiped, bumped and hosed down, while maintaining the repeatability the control system assumes.
- Impact and abrasion tolerance for a factory floor
- Repeatable optical performance over millions of cycles
- Solvent and coolant resistance
- Compact outline with simple mounting geometry
ISO 10218 context for robotic safety, ISO 10110 drawings, and customer-specific environmental test protocols.
Selection data at a glance
| Parameter | Typical value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Transmission band | 185-2500 nm (fused silica) | Deep UV to near IR |
| Refractive index | 1.458 (fused silica) | Low and highly uniform |
| CTE | 0.55 × 10⁻⁶ /K | Thermal shock resistant |
| OH content | < 10 ppm low-OH, > 200 ppm high-OH | Selected by UV or IR use |
| Birefringence | < 5 nm/cm (fused) | Crystalline quartz is anisotropic by nature |
| Flatness | λ/4 to λ/10 | Quartz wafers to λ/20 |
| Scratch-dig | 40-20 standard, 20-10 precision | ISO 10110-7 |
| Thickness range | 0.1-30 mm | Wafers from 0.1 mm |
| Edge finish | ground, chamfered or fine-lapped | Chips ≤ 0.05 mm |
Frequently asked questions
Can quartz be coated for laser applications?
Yes, and the coating usually matters more than the substrate. Damage threshold is specified at the operating wavelength and pulse duration, and is verified on witness samples from the same material lot.
How flat can a quartz window be made?
Lambda/4 to λ/10 at 633 nm is routine, and quartz wafers can be polished to λ/20. Because quartz is stiff and low-expansion, the figure is stable, but it must be specified whether flatness is required free-standing or mounted.
Do you supply quartz wafers as well as windows?
Yes, from 0.1 mm upwards, with total thickness variation and warp controlled for vacuum-chuck processing, and with edge profiles selected for automated handling equipment.
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