Precision Machining Service For Optics
United Lens Company offers precision molding and machining services for optics used for a wide variety of applications. From industrial to medical, aerospace to telecom, and a variety of other fields, we maintain the industry’s largest inventory of annealed optical glass, fused silica, and quartz, and maintain a generous supply of filter glass and low expansion glass in stock at all times to ensure the material you need is always available when you require it to meet your molding and machining specifications. We can also machine customer-provided materials, and mold optical glasses, Borofloat®/Supermax, and filters with precision and accuracy.
Whether cylindrical, flat, prism, spherical, rectangular, or a custom/irregular shape, we can accommodate almost any optic type. With our extensive machining equipment, we can also achieve virtually any configuration: beveled, curved, holed, or angled. Our extensive inventory, coupled with materials supplied by you, allows us to do it all when it comes to machining: prism and curve generating; wire saw and band saw slicing, centerless and fine grinding, core drilling, and Waterjet cutting. Our equipment capabilities, which include CAD/CAM, multi-axis, CNC, and multi-spindle, not only enable us to be your one-stop-shop for molding and machining projects; they also allow for production quantities ranging from single pieces to hundreds of thousands, in sizes that vary from 4 mm to 600 mm in diameter.
Let us show you how our expertise can be put to work for you. Please see below for additional details on our capabilities, or contact United Lens Company.
Precision Machining Capabilities of Optical Blanks
Optic Type
Cylinders
Flats
Prisms
Spheres
Rectangles
Odd Shapes
Machining Processes
Prism Generating
- Up to 5.9" Diagonal
- 5' Angle
- ±.002"
Curve Generating
- ±5 Microns w/ Supplied Master
Wire Saw Slicing
- Flat Within .002"
- Tighter Upon Request
Centerless Grinding
Core Drilling
Fine Polishing of Rods
Band Saw Slicing
Waterjet Cutting
CNC Machining Capabilities
Holes
Curves
Slots
Pockets
Equipment Capabilities
CAD / CAM
Multi-Axis
CNC Controlled
Multi-Spindle
Glass Materials Machining
Fused Silica
Fused Quartz
Ceramic
Optical Glass
Filter Glass
Low Expansion Glass
- Zerodur®
- ULE®
- Borofloat®
- Clearceram®
Customer Supplied
Glass Materials, Molding
Optical Glasses
Borofloat®/Supermax
Filters
Customer Supplied Materials
Shape Configurations, Molding
Bevels
Curves
Angles
Diameter Molded
.250 to 24 in
Diamond Edging
.030 to 42 in
Blanchard Grinding Diameter
Up to 42 in
Blanchard Grinding Thickness
Up to 18 in
Precision Machined Prisms
Up to 5.9 in (Diagonal) or Up to 22 in (Diagonal) CNC
Wiresaw Slicing
Up to 12in Diameter or Square
Wiresaw Slicing Thickness
As Thin as .011 in
Wafer I.D. Slicing Diameter
Up to 8 in
Wafer I.D. Slicing Square
Up to 7.5 in
Wafer I.D. Slicing Thickness
Down to .011 in
Centerless Grinding Diameter
Up to 4 in
Precision Curve Generating Diameter
1 to 36 in
Diamond Core Drilling Diameter
Down to .040 in
Diamond Core Drilling Length
Up to 9 in
Fine Polishing of Rods Length
4 to 36 in
Fine Polishing of Rods Diameter
.250 to 6.000 in
Diamond Band Saw Slicing Height
Up to 30 in
Water Jet Cutting Length
Up to 144 in
Water Jet Cutting Width
Up to 72 in
Flatness
.001 in (Dependent on Size and Configuration)
Parallelism
.001 in (Dependent on Size and Configuration)
Tolerance (+/-)
.001 in (Dependent on Size and Configuration)
Finish
RMS as Fine as 16 Micro-Inch
Down to 15 micron
Parenthetical (1200 grit)
Diamond Machined Edges
Commercial Polish
Metrology
Laser
Probe
Camera
Non Contact
Mechanical
Measurement Accuracy
.0005 in (Dependent on Operation)
Melt Data / Material Certification
MIL-G-174 Class 1
Annealing Temperature Control
.1° / hr
Annealing Index Control
Nd ± .0002
Vd ± .2%
Testing
Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM)
Typical Products
Centerless Ground Rods
CNC Machined Blanks
Cored Rods
Curve Generated Blanks
Cylinder Blanks
Laser Debris Shields
Laser Flow Tubes Lens Blanks
Mirrors
Polished Rods
Prism Blanks
Telescope Blanks
Wafer Blanks
Wire Saw Blanks
Production Volume
1 to Millions of Units
Typical Lead Time
2 weeks
Rush Services Available
Annealing: 3 to 4 weeks
Additional Info
Industries Served
Industrial / Commercial
Medical / Bioscience
Laser
Semiconductor
Aerospace
Military
Telcom
Astronomical
Industry Standards
ISO 9001:2008
ITAR Registered
File Formats
SolidWorks, PDFs, and DXFs
