Overview
Recently, FANMETAL has successfully delivered a batch of high-precision Beryllium Window products to a Swiss precision instrument manufacturer. These products, distinguished by their exceptional material properties, micron-level machining precision, and stability under extreme operating conditions, not only fulfil the client's core application requirements for high-end optical inspection equipment. Through comprehensive customised services, they have also efficiently resolved three major challenges previously faced by the client, demonstrating the competitiveness of China's high-end non-ferrous metal manufacturing enterprises in the international market.
Customer Difficulties
It is understood that the X Ray Tube Beryllium Window procured by the Swiss client is primarily intended for their independently developed vacuum optical inspection equipment. This apparatus must operate within an extreme temperature fluctuation range of -40°C to 80°C, imposing requirements on the windows' light transmittance, flatness, and sealing integrity that far exceed industry standards. Previously, the client had collaborated with multiple international suppliers, yet consistently encountered three major bottlenecks:
- The challenge of balancing precision and performance. In conventional beryllium window processing, pursuing flatness at the 0.005mm level risks damaging the material's microstructure, compromising light transmittance (the client requires ≥92%). Conversely, ensuring light transmittance makes it difficult to control flatness errors, leading to vacuum seal failure in the equipment.
- Inadequate adaptation to extreme environments. The client's equipment experiences significant temperature fluctuations during operation. Conventional beryllium windows, due to poor control of thermal expansion coefficients, frequently exhibited edge cracking, severely compromising equipment lifespan.
- Pressure from tight delivery schedules. As the client's project entered a critical commissioning phase, the requirement was for the lead time from order confirmation to product delivery to be no more than 35 days.
Our solutions
- Upon receiving the client's order, our company established a dedicated technical team to oversee the entire process from requirements analysis and solution design through to production delivery. Utilising our proprietary 99.95% high-purity beryllium material, we employed a combined process of 'low-temperature slow sintering coupled with five-axis simultaneous precision milling'. Throughout machining, we continuously monitored stress variations in the beryllium alloy while performing dynamic precision calibration using a laser interferometer. ultimately achieving dual breakthroughs of 0.003mm flatness and 93.5% light transmittance, significantly exceeding client expectations. The product passed 72-hour extreme temperature cycling tests (-40°C to 80°C repeated switching), verifying no cracking or deformation, and full compatibility with the client's operational environment.
- As a non-ferrous metals enterprise specializing in export trade, FANMETAL operates under ISO 9001 quality management certification. Our Beryllium X Ray Window production implements a three-stage comprehensive inspection covering 'raw materials – processing – finished goods'. At the finished goods stage, we conduct 72-hour stability testing simulating actual customer operating conditions, ensuring every product complies with EU REACH regulations and Swiss SGS testing standards.
- In logistics, our company maintains long-term partnerships with international carriers including DHL, UPS, and FedEx. We design bespoke packaging solutions for precision metal components (featuring triple-layer protection: shock-absorbing foam + vacuum sealing + plywood crates) and provide end-to-end tracking services. We assist clients with import customs clearance procedures, ultimately reducing delivery cycles to 32 days – three days ahead of the client's requirement.
Conclusion
The delivered products effectively resolved critical challenges faced by the client in their vacuum optical inspection equipment, including insufficient X-ray transmittance and sealing integrity, thereby providing robust assurance for enhancing the performance of the Swiss client's products. Moving forward, the company will offer more targeted, customised solutions to meet the individualised needs of clients in markets such as Europe and North America. Concurrently, we will strengthen technical collaborations with international research institutions and high-end manufacturing enterprises to support the high-quality development of foreign trade exports.
