This article is the last of our three-part series on optical design secrets. In previous
Secrets of Optical Design, Part 3: Mastering Design Software
Secrets of Optical Design, Part 2: Sourcing Optics
This article is the second in our three-part series on "secrets" that good optical designers must understand in order to become great. These tips are things that you can only learn from experience---or reading these articles!
In this article, we identify some of the supply-side challenges that optical designers face and offer some solutions. This knowledge will help you develop and protect your supply chain.
Read More >Ross Optical Quality Management System Achieves ISO 9001:2015 Certification
This international certification will save customers time during the qualification stage of the procurement process.
Read More >Controlling Cost for Large Optics
Generally speaking, a "large" optic is anything with dimensions exceeding 10 cm. Designing a large optical system is not intrinsically harder than designing a smaller system, but the stakes are higher. The classic example of a large optics project gone wrong is the Hubble Space Telescope, in which an error in metrology resulted in a mirror that was made "exactly wrong" to very high precision.
Keep in mind that, when designing a system that includes large optical elements, the effects of the usual cost factors increase and some new factors appear. The following design points will help.
Read More >Offshore Sourcing: Helping Customers Bail Out from Bad Overseas Vendors
There's nothing wrong with sourcing optical parts from overseas. We frequently do it ourselves. However, working with vendors on another continent has its risks, and when things go wrong, they tend to go really wrong. Problems include:
Read More >From R&D to Inventory Solutions: Improving Product and Supply Chain Performance for Analytical Instruments
Over the last several years, Ross Optical has worked closely with the engineering and purchasing team at Microtrac to provide custom optics that support their particle analysis instruments.
Read More >Improving Delivery of Optics through Kanban
Kanban, a method used to visualize and optimize workflows, has long been a key part of Ross' processes. Kanban has 5 core properties: (1) visualize workflow, (2) limit work-in-progress, (3) manage flow, (4) make process policies explicit, and (5) improve collaboratively. At Ross, we help you with 3–5 so that you can focus on 1 and 2. When managing and delivering optics inventory to customers, we aim to:
Read More >Going Off Map: 5 Non-Optical Considerations for Optical Materials Discovery
A “glass map” is often the first tool in optical design. The map is a quick way to determine a suitable range of optical materials in terms of refractive index (n) and dispersion (“Abbe number”, “nu number”, or “V-number”). Finding the ideal region on the glass map is only the first step, though. Several “non-optical” factors must be balanced to determine which materials are most promising. We’ll consider 5 of the most important.
Read More >The Constructive Ripple Effect of ITAR Compliance
Regardless of whether a business works directly or indirectly with the US government, it is critical to follow ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations). As we noted in a previous article, ITAR is a moving target, and it is inarguably frustrating to keep abreast of the latest developments. That said, we have noticed that maintaining our ITAR compliance has had a "ripple effect" on other aspects of our business practices. Here are four indirect business improvements we have seen because of ITAR compliance.
Read More >Tracking Down Hard-to-Find Optics
Innovative optical technology arises from fresh design concepts. Those designs often hinge on the performance of a specific optical element, but sometimes that component can be hard to find. Perhaps the part is only available in limited quantities. Perhaps it has been discontinued. Perhaps the optical element exists, but the specifications are out of line with the design tolerances. Regardless of the reason, absence of a specific part can kill some projects.
Ross Optical is the investigator to hire when you’re looking for something no one else can find. Here’s why:
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