SAPPHIRE & RUBY BALLS FOR SMALL VISION SYSTEMS. Ultra-miniature sapphire and ruby balls that are unaffected by fast moving dirt and impervious to most chemicals for use in drone vision systems in micro air vehicles have been introduced by Meller Optics, Inc. of Providence, RI.
Meller Sapphire and Ruby Balls feature Mohs 9 hardness which is second only to diamond, are impervious to most chemicals, solvents, and detergents and have surface finishes to 80-20 scratch-dig. Unaffected by fast moving dirt, they can be precision ground into short focal length plano-convex micro lenses to precisely fit the vision systems on super small drones.
Available in 42 inch and metric sizes from 0.1 mm to 0.5” dia. with A/R coatings that provide 85 to 98% typical transmission, depending upon the application, Meller Sapphire and Ruby Balls can be supplied with a calib-ration certificate validating diameter and sphericity. Other applications for these tiny balls include bearings, check valves, and stylus tips.
Meller Sapphire and Ruby Balls are priced according to material, size, and quantity; delivered from stock. Samples and price quotations are available upon request.