Optical Tables & Breadboards
- Same day shipping on extensive stock of breadboards and enclosures
- Fast turn-around on custom breadboards, tables, and enclosures
- Laser engraved alpha-numeric grid available
- Table Support Legs, Breadboard Stands & Vibration-damping support systems
- All of our optical tables and optical breadboards are proudly manufactured in the USA
How do I choose whether I need a solid aluminum or honeycomb core optical breadboard?
It all has to do with rigidity. The rule of thumb is that the thicker the breadboard, the more rigid (less deflection for a given weight). As an example, here is a side by side test of a 1/2 in. (13mm) solid aluminum breadboard (SAB2424) compared to a 3/4 in. (19mm) solid aluminum breadboard (SAB2424-T) compared to a 2 in. (50mm) aluminum honeycomb core breadboard with aluminum skins (BB2424-A-2).
While the units in this graph are arbitrary and relate to only the particular setup, it is important to note the trend. The honeycomb breadboard deflects less than 1/3 as much as the same sized 1/2 in. solid aluminum breadboard. The trend only improves when the thickness is increased to 4 inches, 8 inches, or even more. Likewise, moving from a 1/2 in. solid aluminum breadboard to the 3/4 in. solid aluminum breadboard also increases the measure of rigidity.
