In general, our waxes are used to hold down glass lenses, prisms, semiconductors, or ceramics and ferrites during all phases of production. These waxes are used when mechanical clamping is not reasonable. They are temporary, and are easily removed when the process is complete, using a solvent or other means. The terms used in the industry, such as "wax" and "pitch" often have little to do with the ingredients of these materials. Here are some common applications:

SEMICONDUCTORS: Most work in semiconductors or ceramics would use stacking waxes. Applications include polishing and dicing. Our 7036 specifically is widely used in these fields because of its resistance to solvents and pH extremes. (7036 is easily removed with acetone) Application details vary widely with circumstances. The best bonds are achieved when the workpiece, the substrate and the wax are all at least warm (roughly 200F, 100C). Naturally, the thinnest glue line is achieved when all are hot (roughly 400F, 200C). For some users, a hair-dryer may provide the necessary heat.

CERAMICS: The chief application in ceramics is in polishing recording heads, mostly for computer disks. The wax is used to hold a large number of ceramic heads on a block. The exposed surface is lapped or polished for smoothness, flatness and thickness. We offer 7036, which is soluble in acetone, and 7030, which is not. Parts can be deblocked directly onto another block using the two waxes, which allows processing of the "flip" side.

BLOCKING: An inexpensive material is generally used to hold lenses with a noticeable curvature to an aluminum or cast iron block, where the pitch must fill in large gaps between the lens and the block. These materials are generally kept in a warm kettle, ready for use. Frequently, masking tape is wrapped around lenses, and the resulting pocket is filled with the melted pitch. When this cools, the assembly is attached to the block. Many lenses can often be attached to one block in this way. After polishing, the block is placed in a freezer until cool, and if the lenses do not fall off the block, they are easily removed by tapping with a leather hammer (this step is easy if you have a good pitch!). The pitch may be reused several times, ultimately becoming unusable because of embedded polishing compound and glass. Our 7115 is a good, inexpensive, general-purpose blocking pitch. STRONGHOLD 7010 falls between heavy 7115 and light stacking waxes.

BLANCHARD GRINDING: A Blanchard Grinder is used to grind a lens blank to the intended curvature. A strong wax is required for this application, as the blank is exposed to a fair amount of force and vibration. STRONGHOLD 7107 or 7117 are good candidates. For the greatest strength, use 7036.

STACKING OR EDGING: Many flat pieces are stacked together so the edges may be ground to size. We offer a wide range of waxes with different softening points, strength, and solvent resistance for these purposes. Many, but not all, of our stacking waxes actually contain at least a small amount of wax. STRONGHOLD 7117 is a good starting point for this application.

CENTERING: A finished lens is mounted against the end of a tube which fits in a lathe. The lens is properly located before the assembly sets, requiring that the wax cools slowly. The lathe spins the lens as the edge is ground to size. We offer 7036, 7101, 7103, and 7118, the choice is a matter of personal preference.

POLISHING: An example of use follows: A ground lens is coated with a slurry of fine abrasive polishing compound, used for the moment as a release agent. The compound is commonly called rouge; cerium oxide is a popular material. The coated lens is then pressed into warm polishing pitch. This assembly is allowed to cool, then channels are cut or scratched in the pitch, allowing slurry to flow in and out of the interface. The lens is worked against the pitch, with a steady supply of slurry between the two. The pitch usually does no polishing itself, it only serves to hold the desired curvature. We offer 8068, a hard polishing pitch similar to hard Gugolz and 8071, a lapping wax.

OTHER: We offer a "Tacky Wax", useful, for example, in an optical test stand where you do not have the right clamp.