Capabilities - Fabrication

Fabrication

With our combined IDEX Optical Technologies platform of companies we have a vast resource of fabrication technologies, equipment, and over 50 years of optical and mechanical fabrication expertise.

Our optical assemblies start with superior substrates using our processes for cutting, shaping, and grinding through polishing and super-polishing expertise. Our experienced teams can help you take your optical assembly from prototype to volume production.

Distinguishing capabilities:

  • Variety of optics ranging from 5 mm to 400 mm in diameter and up to 500 mm tall
  • Knife-edge shaping for unique optical geometries and shapes with precision angles to save space, aid in precision mounting, and eliminate the need for a specialized mount in complex systems such as clipper mirrors
  • Flat optics to thickness tolerances of 5 microns or less and tolerances less than 100 um, we also provide tight dimensional tolerances
  • Precision angles on specialized optics such as homogenizer rods
  • Edge-surface polishing for endcap manufacturing for maximizing power throughput and low scatter
  • Superior surface quality and surface accuracy
  • Glass and crystal substrates resulting in high laser damage threshold, superior surface quality, and sub-micron tolerances for high energy applications
  • Chemically Activated Direct Bonding™ (CADB®) processes to simplify individual optics into one component with arcsecond beam deviations and sub-micron tolerances that will outperform multiple individual optics and save space in your system
  • High performance custom cubes and prisms with angle tolerances measured to the arcsecond
  • Custom waveplates with tight retardation tolerance and low transmitted wavefront distortion error
  • Fully equipped machine shop
  • Special tooling for unique production and automation processes
  • CAD / CAM capabilities up to 5th axis
  • CMM inspection capability

Optical Size Variations

  • Variety of optics ranging from 5 mm to 400 mm in diameter and up to 500 mm tall

Custom Shaping

  • Knife-edge shaping for unique optical geometries and shapes with precision angles to save space, aid in precision mounting, and eliminate the need for a specialized mount in complex systems such as clipper mirrors

Conventional Polishing

  • Flat optics to thickness tolerances of 5 microns or less and tolerances less than 100 um, we also provide tight dimensional tolerances
  • Precision angles on specialized optics such as homogenizer rods
  • Edge-surface polishing for endcap manufacturing for maximizing power throughput and low scatter
  • Superior surface quality and surface accuracy

Super-Polishing

  • Glass and crystal substrates resulting in high laser damage threshold, superior surface quality, and sub-micron tolerances for high energy applications

Precision Optical Assembly and Bonding

  • Chemically Activated Direct Bonding™ (CADB®) processes to simplify individual optics into one component with arcsecond beam deviations and sub-micron tolerances that will outperform multiple individual optics and save space in your system
  • High performance custom cubes and prisms with angle tolerances measured to the arcsecond
  • Custom waveplates resulting in superior retardation and transmitted wavefront distortion.

Machining

  • Fully equipped machine shop
  • Special tooling for unique production and automation processes
  • CAD / CAM capabilities up to 5th axis
  • CMM inspection capability

We continually invest back into our equipment and processes to improve quality, automation, and technology to provide smarter solutions and get you to market faster – our engineers are ready to discuss your specific need!

Fabrication Substrate Materials

  • Germanium
  • Silicon
  • Sapphire
  • Zinc Sulfide//Multispectral Zinc Sulfide
  • Zinc Selenide
  • Gallium Arsenide
  • Yag
  • Chalcogenide Glasses
  • Fused Silica
  • Suprasil 1
  • N-BK7
  • N-BAK1
  • N-SF10
  • N-SF
  • N-SF11
  • N-F2
  • Zerodur
  • Rad-hardened glasses (N-BK7 G18)
  • Zerodur
  • Calcium Fluoride
  • Crown Glass
  • Crystal Quartz
  • Infrasil 301
  • Magnesium Fluoride

Fabrication Coating Materials  

  • Titanium Oxide
  • Tantalum Oxide
  • Hafnium Oxide
  • Metals (Gold, Silver, Aluminum)
  • Magnesium Fluoride

Machining/Prototyping Materials

  • Steel
  • Titanium
  • Carbon Fiber
  • Glass
  • Green and full hard ceramic (no beryllium)
  • Aluminum Alloys
  • Stainless Alloys
  • Brass
  • Copper
  • Delrin
  • Plastics/composites
  • Polycarbonate

Fabrication Equipment

  • Dicing Saws
  • CNC Units
  • Continuous Polishers
  • Ultrasonic Clean Lines
  • Conventional Polishing
  • Double side polishers
  • Super Polishing spindles
  • Laser Marking
  • Lathe
  • Waterjet