Q&A for Engineers: Five Core Values of the OFSCN® Fiber Optic Vacuum Sealed Flange (KF/CF)

In optical integration within Ultra-High Vacuum (UHV) environments, choosing a connector that can withstand extreme conditions, avoid chamber contamination, and reliably transmit optical signals is a major challenge for engineers.

[Beijing Dacheng Yongsheng Technology Co., Ltd. (DCYS)] specializes in specialty fiber optic connectivity solutions. We have compiled the five most common questions about the OFSCN® Fiber Optic Vacuum Sealed Flange and provided expert answers to help you make critical engineering decisions.

Q1: What are the limits of sealing performance? Can it meet the "cleanliness" of the UHV standard?

A: Sealing reliability is the lifeline of a vacuum flange.

The OFSCN® flange is specifically designed to eliminate the risks of leakage and outgassing.

• Vacuum Level Guarantee: Our standard products ensure a vacuum level better than 1*10^-5 Pa, suitable for the vast majority of High Vacuum (HV) and Ultra-High Vacuum (UHV) applications.
• Zero Outgassing Risk: The main body of the flange uses UHV-compatible materials like stainless steel. Critical internal sealing components are made of special ceramics and glass materials, avoiding the risk of gas release (outgassing) that contaminates the chamber, which is often caused by traditional polymers or adhesives in a vacuum environment.
• Bakeout Compatibility: To achieve UHV targets, the flange can withstand high bakeout temperatures (standard product is 50°C, higher can be customized upon request), accelerating the outgassing process and ensuring chamber purity.

Q2: Can the flange withstand thermal cycling in extreme cold (e.g., liquid nitrogen environments)?

A: Yes. The flange supports the harsh challenges of cryogenics and thermal cycling.

• Cryogenic Customization: The standard product operating temperature range is -20°C to 50°C. However, we can customize cryogenic flanges to support temperatures as low as -196°C (liquid nitrogen temperature).
• Anti-Thermal Cycling Design: The sealing structure of the flange is specially designed to handle thermal cycling stress—ranging from room temperature to extreme cold and back to pump-out temperature. This is crucial for cryogenic physics experiments and space simulation testing, ensuring the sealed structure does not fail due to differential thermal expansion.

Q3: How much does the flange affect optical signal quality? Can it support high-power lasers?

A: The impact on optical signal quality is minimal, and it supports multi-channel transmission.

• Low Insertion Loss: The flange is precisely engineered in the feedthrough design to achieve low insertion loss, ensuring stable optical power transmission.
• High-Compatibility Connectors: The flange is compatible with various standard connector types, including FC/APC (critical for sensing and testing requiring high return loss), FC/PC, ST/PC, and SMA905 (often used for large-core fibers and high-power applications).
• High-Power Support: When paired with appropriate large-core fiber and SMA905 connectors, the flange can be used for transmitting Watt-level lasers, suitable for high-power applications in laser processing or scientific research.

Q4: What is the difficulty of installation and system integration? Does it support multi-channel?

A: Highly standardized and flexibly customizable, with easy installation.

• Standardized Interface: The flange is available in two industry-standard series: KF (quick clamp) and CF (knife-edge metal seal), ensuring plug-and-play compatibility and precise dimensional matching with your existing vacuum system.
• Multi-Channel Customization: For complex experiments or integrated equipment, we can provide multi-channel (e.g., 4- or 8-channel) customized flanges. Engineers can feed multiple fibers through a single flange simultaneously, significantly simplifying system integration and routing.

Q5: Which high-value fields primarily utilize this flange?

A: Any critical junction requiring "vacuum isolation" and "optical signals."

• Semiconductor Manufacturing: Optical monitoring interfaces for vacuum lithography and thin-film deposition (PVD/CVD) equipment.
• Scientific Research: Introducing optical signals into cryogenic physics experiments, high-energy particle colliders, and plasma research.
• Aerospace: Feedthrough for optical sensor signals and vacuum environment simulation testing of aerospace materials.

[Beijing Dacheng Yongsheng Technology Co., Ltd. (DCYS)] is committed to providing the highest standards in specialty fiber optic connectivity solutions. Choose our Fiber Optic Vacuum Sealed Flange to provide the most robust and reliable optical barrier for your UHV system.

[Beijing Dacheng Yongsheng Technology Co., Ltd. (DCYS)]

Official Website: https://www.ofscn.org

Product Link: https://www.ofscn.org/connectors/fiber-optic-sealed-flange.html