Shipment Record Kovar Tubes Exported to Italy Lork Group
Order Overview
Client Needs and Our Execution: "Quality Redundancy"—Moving from 3 Strands to 4
At Lork Group, we fully recognize that for critical materials like Kovar—used in hermetic sealing—dimensional tolerances and material uniformity directly determine the success or failure of the client's subsequent glass-sealing processes. To ensure the samples delivered to the client were flawless while also establishing a process reference for potential future volume orders, we procured an extra tube, bringing the total to four. Three were delivered to the client on schedule, while the fourth was retained in our sample archive. This retained sample serves not only as a dimensional benchmark for future orders but also as a valuable physical record for batch traceability and process optimization.
Technical Parameter Matching: Why Is the Kovar Tube This Size?
The customer-specified dimensions—an outer diameter of 10.2 mm and an inner diameter of 5.8 mm (resulting in a wall thickness of approximately 2.2 mm)—fall into the category of precision capillary and thick-walled structural tubing. These specifications represent a high level of technical sophistication: the outer diameter falls within the precision machining range, making the component suitable for use as a sealed lead-out terminal or a structural housing part, while the 2.2 mm wall thickness ensures the compressive strength and mechanical rigidity required for vacuum or high-pressure environments, as well as resistance to thermal deformation during the sealing process.
Quality Inspection Details
Our quality inspection process is safeguarded by a dual-stage system comprising both initial and secondary inspections. The preliminary inspection for every shipment encompasses five fundamental checks: specifications, quantity, tolerances, surface quality, and packaging. For example:
Dimensional Tolerances: Use a micrometer to measure the inner and outer diameters of the Kovar alloy tube at multiple points, and carefully inspect the edges for burrs.
Surface Quality: The surfaces of Kovar precision tubes are prone to scratches, dents, and oil contamination. After unboxing, a thorough inspection of both ends and the inner walls of the tubes is required.
The second round of re-inspection comprises 3 to 6 specific data tests—such as chemical composition analysis, mechanical property testing, hardness testing, and specialized examinations. Adhering to the principle of "grounding operations in standard protocols and relying on the proper use and sterilization of testing instrumentation," multiple rounds of random sampling and data cross-verification are conducted to ensure the "correctness" of the material.
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Industrial Application: "Vacuum Skeleton" for Optical Communication and Sensor Modules
Given the dimensions and material properties of Kovar, the industrial applications for this type of tubing—as utilized by the Italian client—include housings for high-reliability optical communication devices and pressure sensors.
Specific application scenarios include:
Optical Module Laser Carriers/Housings: Italy boasts a leading optical communication equipment manufacturing sector in Europe. Kovar tubes with an outer diameter of 10.2 mm serve as metal housings for laser diodes (LDs) or packaging shells for optical receiver assemblies. One end of the tube requires a matched seal with a ceramic optical fiber ferrule (zirconia), while the other end is sintered to a metal electrode or glass insulator. Kovar’s low thermal expansion characteristics prevent internal optical path displacement during temperature cycling between -60°C and +200°C, ensuring signal transmission stability.
Automotive/Industrial Grade Pressure Sensor Bases: Italy is a major hub of the European automotive industry. Tubes of this size serve as vacuum-sealed cavities for MEMS pressure sensors or support rings for media-isolating diaphragms. The 5.8 mm inner diameter accommodates miniature sensor chips, while the thick-walled structure withstands fluid pressures of several megapascals. Utilizing Kovar-to-glass sealing technology to route electrical leads through the tube wall ensures IP67/IP68 airtightness (with leak rates reaching the 1×10⁻⁹ Pa·m³/s level) and resolves sealing failures caused by thermal expansion mismatches between metal and ceramic.
We welcome global customers to contact us for further discussion regarding Kovar tubes for the aforementioned applications.
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