Imagine solving a complex puzzle where each piece reveals a hidden secret. The Ross Optical team often helps customers solve such optical puzzles by deconstructing a product or system to understand its design, functionality, and operation and recommending suitable optical alternatives.

Ross Optical’s reverse engineering services can be used to: 

• Support long-running product lines with replacement optics
• Replicate obsolete or retired optical components
• Reduce supply chain risk by securing a second source
• Cut costs by matching specifications to prototype optics

Ross Optical's Reverse Engineering Services

At Ross Optical, we are committed to providing top-notch reverse engineering services to our customers. Whether it's mechanical design, systems design, or optical design, our team works hard to achieve the best results. We can test and evaluate your current optical component or disassemble a product for part measurement and documentation. After testing, Ross will also redesign the product if needed. 

The practice introduces various benefits for our customers and partners, including: 

• Identifying vulnerabilities: Our engineers can uncover potential weaknesses and security flaws that may not have been apparent during the initial design phase.
• Improving existing designs, quality, performance and interoperability with other products: By understanding the intricacies of a product's design and functionality, we can identify areas for enhancement and optimization. This can lead to the development of more efficient and higher-quality products that perform better and integrate seamlessly with other systems and devices.
• Reducing costs: The analysis can be applied to streamline production, reduce waste, and optimize resource allocation. Additionally, reverse engineering helps companies avoid costly design errors and rework by providing a deeper understanding of how a product functions.

Reverse Engineering in Practice

Through our expertise in creating accurate drawings and reverse engineering, we have helped numerous clients overcome obstacles and significantly improved their products and processes.

Case Study – Cutting Optical System Costs

Ross has the expertise to review existing optical components and identify potential cost savings. In a recent case, Ross achieved an 80% cost reduction by meticulously examining the drawings and recommending alternatives to the standard Edmund Optics’ catalog components, specifically plano-convex lenses. This strategic review resulted in total savings of $0.5 million. For example, an Edmund 12.5mm window, which typically costs $120, was sourced by Ross for just $45.

Case Study — Improving Optical Scope Performance with Accurate Drawings

A customer in Montana faced significant challenges due to inaccurate drawings of lens assemblies for scopes. These flawed drawings limited their ability to source the necessary components, leading to delays and inefficiencies. Ross stepped in to create new drawings that accurately represented the lens assemblies. With the improved drawings, Ross was able to cost-effectively supply the required optics, resulting in enhanced scope performance and increased yields.

Case Study — Reviving Retired Optics and Product Lines

Ross continues to receive requests for custom beam splitters from Rolyn Optics — a company that went out of business years ago. A customer needed a specific Rolyn beam splitter and shipped the part to Ross. Through meticulous reverse engineering, Ross recreated the part by setting up new drawings in Zemax, creating the specs, and sourcing the replacement part.

Whether it's reviewing optical components to identify cost-effective alternatives, creating accurate drawings to enhance scope performance, or reverse engineering custom parts for discontinued products, Ross is dedicated to delivering the best results for our clients.

Leverage our service today by sending us your optical systems and components to be tested and optimized. Contact us at sales@rossoptical.com to find out more.