No single optical material is best for every industrial application. A machine-light window, precision lens, molded diffuser, inspection filter, and light guide may each place different demands on the material.
Glass Components
Rigid Transparent Materials
Glass materials can provide useful optical, thermal, chemical, and dimensional properties for windows, lenses, covers, and other technical components.
Glass fabricators can cut, shape, finish, drill, polish, or otherwise process glass according to the component geometry and manufacturing requirements.
Borosilicate
Borosilicate Glass
Borosilicate glass is one technical glass family used in industrial applications where its particular material properties are appropriate.
Material suitability should still be evaluated against the actual wavelength, temperature, pressure, impact, coating, cleaning, and mounting requirements.
Optical Plastics
Transparent Polymer Materials
Optical polymers can support lightweight parts, molded geometry, integral mounting features, diffusing textures, complex shapes, and economical repeat production.
The broader category of plastic materials includes many polymers with very different optical, mechanical, thermal, and chemical properties.
Polycarbonate
Impact-Resistant Transparent Components
Polycarbonate can be considered for protective covers, windows, formed components, and molded optical hardware where its combination of properties fits the application.
Polycarbonate manufacturers supply material forms used throughout industrial products.
Acrylic
Fabricated and Guided-Light Components
Acrylic can be fabricated into transparent panels, diffusers, windows, and light-guide structures when its optical and mechanical characteristics suit the assembly.
Acrylic fabrication can include cutting, machining, shaping, joining, and other processes used to create finished parts.
Manufacturing
Molding Optical Polymers
Complex lens, diffuser, light-guide, and optical housing geometries can be produced through plastic injection molding when the selected polymer, optical requirements, tooling strategy, and production quantity support that process.
Selection