We're going nano

We are going to be exhibiting at the UK NanoForum & Emerging Technologies 2009 event, 3-4 November 2009 at the London Hilton on Park Lane Hotel.

In its fourth year running, this year's annual UK NanoForum & Emerging Technologies comprises a two-day conference and exhibition bringing over 100 senior international delegates and 350 UK delegates together to network and identify potential business and collaboration opportunities.

The event includes breakout sessions covering Life Sciences & Healthcare; Energy & Environment; and Materials & Devices, to provide a platform for discussion on how nanotechnology can meet global and societal challenges. The exhibition will showcase the very best of UK nanotechnology - we will be showing our THINKY mixing equipment, which has shown success in dealing with both mixing and material preparation in the nano environment.

Bonding optical couplets

A question from the DYMAX blog:

We have to manufacture a component which is comprised of two individual parts molded from acrylic (PMMA) that have slightly different additives. The parts have concave and convex surfaces which fit onto each other. We want optical coupling between these two surfaces. Can we place one piece as an insert and mold the other over it? Is there some other, better method to achieve the same effect?

One common technique to bond couplets together as described is to mold both acrylic lenses separately and then bond them together with an optically clear adhesive. There are optical grades of adhesives that have excellent adhesion to acrylic, are designed to be transparent to most visible wavelengths, possess low shrinkage, stress, and viscosity for easy dispensing and alignment, and then cure uniformly and evenly under the proper light source. The real benefit is that you can optically align the lenses together while the adhesive is wet, and then cure on-demand.

Micro-dot dispensing in the palm of your hand

Quick, accurate, reliable dispensing of micro-dot quantities of adhesives, greases, inks and oils is now literally “at hand” with the Tridak Micro-Dot™.

The Micro-Dot™ dispenser is a brilliant little tool – it uses a standard 10ml syringe barrel filled with pretty much any liquid you like and is ideal for manual dispensing of small quantities in every area from medical device manufacture to electronic assemblies, laboratories, jewellery, optical fluids, repairs and marking. No compressed air is required, so it is fully portable.

We love it - it is light, versatile, robust and low cost! The Micro-Dot™ features a positive displacement thumb operated action with simple stroke adjustment for volume setting from about 0.003ml to 0.200ml enabling indefinite repetition with great accuracy, with a wide range of low-to-high viscosity fluids using standard 10ml syringe barrels and smooth flow tapered dispensing tips to suit individual situations. In operation the Micro-Dot is simplicity itself with a twist safety-interlock to prevent accidental activation by leaving the Micro-Dot’s plunger completely free until the syringe is fully rotated into position and secured into the dispenser’s body. The simple incremental piston advance then expels the liquid micro-dot exactly when and where required.