Commitment. Capability. Continuity.

Absolutely. CRT technology is common in the vacuum tube industry as a whole, which continues to serve many applications across a wide variety of industries. These include:

• Lighting: incandescent, fluorescent, & high-power arc lamps
• Communications: microwave, traveling wave, & high-power amplifier tubes
• Medical Testing: x-ray tubes
• Commercial & Industrial Heating: magnetrons

There are many advantages of CRTs, and one major one is the fact that CRTs use tried-and-true technology that has been in successful application for many decades. That doesn’t mean it’s old; it means it’s a reliable solution. In addition, they’re also:

• Cost-effective: high value components can be refurbished & reused
• Available & Accessible: quick turnaround, short setup, continuous production, & no minimum buys
• Eco-friendly: refurbish, reuse, recycle, & avoid waste
• Proven: no need for costly & risky system updates when you’re working within a familiar, stable design

The biggest maintenance upkeep needed throughout the life of your CRT is refreshing the phosphor coating. The phosphor coating determines the brightness, color, and persistence of the illumination, and various types are available depending on your needs. For example, to best see brief, fleeting events, a long persistence phosphor is recommended. For events that are fast and repetitive, or high frequency, a short-persistence phosphor is generally preferred.

Over time, phosphors wear down and lose some of the properties that make them functional. By replacing the phosphors in the CRT technology that you utilize, you are able to extend the overall life of that CRT. There are around 50 different phosphors available for your CRT, ask us which ones are best for your application.

Indeed, they will. For over 65 years, our focus has been CRTs; they will continue to be our focus for the foreseeable future. Further evidence of our commitment is shown through:

• Our Facilities: We’re making ongoing, aggressive investments to maintain & modernize our 3-building, 38-acre campus
• Our Global Presence: We’re not going anywhere, with production & manufacturing facilities around the world (New York, Illinois, Kentucky, & France)
• Our Staff: Our team is intensely committed to maintaining & furthering our expertise in all aspects of CRT displays

The technologies we use at Thomas Electronics are the same as those used in a variety of high-technology manufacturing processes and industries. For example:

• Glass Working: lathe forming, frit sealing, grinding & polishing
• Coatings: screen print, settle, spin, spray, photolithography, vacuum evaporation
• Vacuum: turbo-molecular pumping
• Testing: photometry, image analysis, vibration & temperature cycling
• Assembly: solder & crimp connections, silicone rubber encapsulation

Our Quality Assurance tools are common to today’s high-tech world. Processes such as thin film measurement, optical & laser measurement, and RGA are in place across an array of industries. Other consistencies include:

• DMAIC: We apply Six Sigma’s 5-part improvement cycle (define, measure, analyze, improve, control) to every work center in our facilities
• Manufacturing Execution System: We utilize a finely-honed control system for operator instruction, consistent data capture, & real-time monitoring of work-in-process
• Factory Automation: Our LabVIEW-based control systems & Keyence sensing/measuring solutions allow the automation of various processes and machinery

We’ve been manufacturing products for the electronic display and imaging market since 1948. Over this time, we’ve developed strong, enduring relationships with our suppliers at all levels. We actively maintain those relationships with frequent visits and collaborative interchange of key data.

• Forecasting: provided at regular intervals
• Parts Commonality: established over many designs
• Basic Materials: procured when necessary
• Vertical Integration: undertaken when necessary

Interested in joining our team? View open positions >