13 Aug 2015

Drilling and Flow Calibrating Small Holes Down to One Micron in Diameter

 Blog

Lenox Laser, Inc. drills and flow calibrates small holes from one micron in diameter to six thousand microns in diameter. After flow calibrating, these orifices have a flow diameter that can be used with simple fomulae to accurately predict flow rates through them for any gas or mixture of gases under various pressure and temperature conditions. The shape of the hole has no bearing on the flow diameter thus has no negative bearing on the degree of flow control accuracy.

Flow calibrated holes have found many customer uses over the last thirteen years. They have replaced many other flow control and measuring devices used by industry. They have proven to be less costly, trouble-free and more accurate in almost all cases. These holes are drilled into many different parts and materials, such as, VCR blind gaskets, tubes with a closed end, closed pipe nipples, set screws, and many other custom shapes. The majority of holes that are drilled are in stainless steel, however, many other materials, such as, plastic, glass, and most metals are also in demand.

Let Lenox Laser help you solve your flow control and other flow related problems in an economical and precise way. For more information and technical support call 410-592-3106 or visit our website at http://www.lenoxlaser.com/

1 Jul 2015

Lenox Laser Flow Certifications

 Blog

Our methods of testing and calculating are new and unique. Our testing methods and our calculating methods will be described in a three page description included with this explanation.

Basically all test methods described depend on comparing a part being tested to one of our standards. We have over one-hundred standards which were developed by test method number one. While developing standards a certified digital test gauge that reads in absolute pressures was used to establish and maintain 29.7 P.S.I.A. To establish water volume in the tube or tubes between the lower and upper photocells, water was carefully poured into the system (using an eye dropper), until the lower light came on. Further water was added until the upper light came on. The water added was measured in graduate cylinders and also weighed on a digital scale that read to the thousand of a gram. These volumes with the computer measured time to go from the lower to the upper photocell provided the information to calculate the flow rates and the flow diameters. All tests to establish standards were run a minimum of five times.

In the past, we have sent a few standards to N.I.S.T. test facility for comparison. The first few were midsized and compared within ½ of a percent. The next time we sent some near 5 microns in size and they were found to be approximately ten percent to large. We then sent the same orifices to another N.I.S.T. test facility and they found them to be approximately ten percent too small. They guarantee their test to be within plus or minus seven percent.

We have many repeat customers that have found our work satisfactory over the years. Some of these customers are large and have very sophisticated test equipment of their own.

All of our standards are re-calibrated yearly. When calibrating parts for customers two separate standards are use to orient the computer. If there is any discrepancy, further testing and checking follows to determine the cause of the problem.
A Lenox Laser certification means we have tested your parts to meet our standards and procedure.

If you need further approval, you can purchase the orifices needed and send them the test facility of your choice.

For more Flow Calibration Certification services, please visit Lenox Lasers certification page.

13 Aug 2008

Solve Your Flow Control Problems With Flow Calibrated Orifices

 Blog

Flow calibrated orifices have a flow diameter that can be used to calculate the flow rate of any gas or mixture of gases when the absolute inlet/outlet pressures and absolute temperature are known. The flow diametre gives accurate results regardless of the actual shape of the hole.

Holes flow calibrated by the Lenox Laser Corporation are now being used by thousands of customers and have proven to be more accurate and less costly than most flow controlling devices.

Shown below are some of our standard parts used for flow control. Custom sizes and shapes are readily available. Holes are drilled in a variety of materials, such as, plastic, glass, most metals and other materials.

Let Lenox Laser help you solve your flow control problems by calling 410-592-3106 or by visiting http://www.lenoxlaser.com/

Standard Drilled Gasket

Standard Gland

1/8 NPT x 3/16 Barb

Nipple Fitting

1/4-28 TPI Set Screw

1/8 Stainless Steel Tubing

5 Jun 2008

Small Hole Applications

 Blog

The small hole, orifice or aperture is the key element of any device or instrument designed to control or measure the flow rate of a gas or liquid. In the recent past, the gasoline piston engine went through a transition that improved performance and reliability. Precision made small holes brought to life the fuel-injection process, an important technology that has superseded the carburetor. For general applications, precision, fixed control of gas flow rate is made possible through placement of a small hole in the flow passage. Under fixed positive pressure conditions, the small hole becomes the flow rate calibration device. In the area of high vacuum helium leak detector calibration devices, the small holes provides the calibrated leak rate.

Semiconductor Integrated circuits and other semiconductor devices are the foundation of today’s electronics industry. The development and production of semiconductor devices and manufacturing equipment bases heavily on ion or molecular beam processing technology. Ion beam drilling devices require the use of small, precise holes for beam forming.

Optical from early days, optics used small holes to illustrate the wave property of light. An annular diffraction pattern of interference fringes may be observed from the passage of light through a small hole. Small holes provide important functions in optical transfer assemblies. They provide the means for beam alignment, spatial filtering, aperture limiting, image analysis, and image processing.

Electron Beam, a mask containing an array of small holes, is used to control the electron beam emission in the color television picture tube. The electron microscope uses apertures as small as 2 microns in diameter to maximize control of electron beam emissions and profiling.

24 Apr 2004

Bob Gidner Designs flow for World Trade Center Fountain

 News

Lenox Laser’s Bob Gidner, senior Flow Engineer designed and built a doughnut orifice nozzle for the World Trade Center fountain in New York City back in the 1970’s. The 16 foot circular nozzle would displace a flat sheet of water over the fountain. Then the water would ripple down on a 100 foot circular piece of granite. Over 12,000 gallons per minute would flow evenly out of the stainless steel doughnut shaped nozzle. Bob managed an entire division which helped build the nozzle at Zurn Industries Inc.

Bob has a scale model of the Towers and the fountain for the memory of all of the hard work that he contributed into making such a beautiful fountain. The towers were crafted by the Danbury Mint.

On September 11th, 2001 the fountain received a gash on one of its sides but it still remained structurally stable. The sculpture has been placed as a memorial in Battery Park directly adjacent to Hope Garden and the New York Harbor.