Using Reverse Engineering and Custom Optics to Meet Changing Industry Needs

Optical systems are highly integrated, and every component plays a critical role in achieving precise performance. But when a product is discontinued, it can disrupt the entire system. For example, a single lens made from Schott F4 glass may have been selected for its unique refractive index and transmission properties. If that lens becomes unavailable, what’s next?

Engineers face tough questions: How do we maintain performance and throughput? How do we keep projects on schedule without completely redesigning?

At Ross Optical, we see these challenges as opportunities to innovate. Through reverse engineering, custom optic design, and proactive regulatory compliance, we help clients turn disruption into progress while preserving the system’s integrity.

Why Discontinuation Happens - and Why It Matters

Discontinuation of optical components can occur for several reasons, each with critical implications. Glass types, coatings, and optical components can be discontinued due to:

• Material shortages can limit the production of certain components.
• Manufacturer changes or consolidations of suppliers can stop the production of low-volume optics.
• Evolving industry standards often make older coatings and designs that are not applicable become non-compliant or technically outdated.

For OEMs and medical device manufacturers, these changes can affect optical performance parameters like modulation transfer function (MTF), chromatic aberration correction, and thermal stability. Beyond performance, discontinuation can disrupt regulatory timelines, as any design change in a Class II or III medical device requires documentation and validation under FDA guidelines. Ultimately, these factors can delay product launches, increase costs, and even jeopardize market availability.

Our Approach: Reverse Engineering First

When a component becomes obsolete or unavailable, our first step is reverse engineering - analyzing the original design to understand its optical and mechanical characteristics. This process includes:

• Testing and evaluating the systems to understand the overall performance.
• Disassembling to measure subassemblies and components to character their performance and measurable characteristics.
• Modeling the optical systems from the taken measurements — ensuring a design to fit the measured performance and characteristics to real glasses, where some materials may have been unknown.

This process allows us to pinpoint which aspects of the design are essential for maintaining system performance. In many cases, reverse engineering reveals opportunities for improvement while ensuring compatibility with the existing mechanical envelope. By starting with a thorough technical analysis, we minimize risk and lay the foundation for a robust redesign.

Curious about how Ross’s reverse engineering services work? Learn more about the process today in our blog: "Unlocking Innovations: The Power of Reverse Engineering."

Custom Optic Design for a New Reality

Once the original design is mapped, Ross Optical leverages its full custom optics capability to deliver precision-engineered solutions tailored to your system requirements. Our team can fabricate lenses ranging from sub-millimeter sizes (<1 mm) to large-format optics exceeding 150 mm in diameter, accommodating everything from micro-optics for medical devices to complex assemblies for machine vision and aerospace applications.

Key factors when manufacturing a custom optic:

• Material Selection: Ross evaluates glass types and coatings to match optical and mechanical requirements, ensuring performance across the specified wavelength range. Our team offers a full range of materials sourced from around the world, including visible glasses, calcium fluoride, and fused silica.
• Manufacturing Tolerances: Ross adheres to rigorous tolerances for critical parameters of both commercial and consumer products:

• System Redesign: Beyond individual lenses, we optimize entire assemblies, adjusting spacing, introducing aspheric or achromatic elements, and validating optical performance through interferometric testing.
• Collaborative Engineering: From concept to coating and assembly, Ross’s team of experts works closely with clients to ensure cost-effectiveness, feasibility, and manufacturability. We work to deliver solutions that will meet the needs of customers’ specific application needs.

Rather than a quick fix, this process results in a robust, future-ready optical system that maintains performance integrity and regulatory compliance.

Case Study: Redesigning Schott F4 Glass Components

When products are discontinued, Ross Optical provides more than replacement parts. We deliver engineering expertise, custom design capabilities, and regulatory support to keep your systems running at peak performance.

A leading life-science company was looking for lenses that were previously made with Schott F4 glass. This material, widely used for its specific refractive properties, was discontinued, and the CDGM equivalent was also unavailable. This created a significant challenge: three lenses in the client’s optical system relied on these materials for precise performance.

Rather than sourcing a suboptimal substitute, the company turned to Ross. Our team used the system performance and specifications to design drop-in replacements, negating the need for a full system redesign. By optimizing the design using available replacement glasses, we maintained the same performance as before, and the new lenses fit in the same mechanical mounts as before, avoiding collateral impacts to the mechanics.

Regulatory Considerations: FDA Compliance

For regulated applications, redesigning optics is more than a technical process. It comes down to meeting stringent compliance standards.

Ross operates under a robust quality management system certified to ISO 9001:2015 and ITAR registered, ensuring adherence to international standards for both industrial and medical device optics. These certifications validate our processes for design control, risk management, and traceability, critical elements for FDA-regulated environments.

Key Compliance Elements in Our Process:

• Risk Assessment: We evaluate how material changes, coating modifications, or design adjustments affect biocompatibility, optical performance, and patient safety.
• Documentation & Traceability: Every design modification is documented in accordance with ISO and FDA requirements, including material certifications and process validations. This ensures full traceability from raw material to finished component.
• Validation Testing: Our protocols include optical performance verification, environmental stress testing, and biocompatibility assessments aligned with ISO standards.

By meeting these requirements early in the cycle, we help our customers avoid costly delays and maintain regulatory timelines. Ross is committed to quality and compliance with every solution.

Discontinuation doesn’t have to mean disruption. With the right approach, Ross Optical turns supply chain challenges into opportunities for innovation. Our innovations not only restore system performance but also position companies for long-term success in an ever-changing industry.

In need of a replacement for a discontinued component? Partner with our team of experts to start the journey to optimized success. Contact us today.