Rocky Mountain Instrument Co.
1.303.664.5000
 

Diamond-Turning Capabilities

RMI’s diamond-turning capabilities give optics designers the precision they crave. Our 3-Axis Diamond-Point Turning (X,Y,C) makes it possible to produce flawless custom aspheric lens surfaces on a wide range of IR substrates with minimal effort. 

We understand that savings in weight, space and cost are critical for high-performance FLIR optical systems. That’s why we combine and thereby reduce the number of optical elements needed to fully cover detectors. Our infrared optical elements feature aspheric lens surfaces that also boost the imaging performance and efficiency of optical system designs.

250UPL with Doors Open box DT Metal
 
Materials Surface Figures Specifications
Germanium Aspherical Up to 350mm diameter
Silicon Spherical Form accuracy of <10nm
ZnSe, ZnS Cylindrical Surface figure of λ/4- λ/10
CaF2, BaF2 Off-Axis Parabolic Surface quality S/D 60-40
AMTIR/IRG Freeform Roughness ~ 10-20nm

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Your one-stop shop for thermal-imaging optics

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RMI offers world-class capabilities for every aspect of thermal-imaging optics, so you can find everything you need with us. We’re an industry leader in diamond-turned optics, infrared (IR) thin-film coating, environmental testing, optical engineering, opto-mechanical assemblies and conventional infrared components. Whatever you need, you can rely on us for just the right solution. 

Optical component manufacturers need to be constantly innovating to keep up with the rapidly evolving requirements of next-generation IR sensors and detectors. For over 35 years, RMI has been on the forefront of advancements in IR production capabilities

OEMs that make IR imaging systems count on us to meet all of their needs. Our advanced MadeInUSAcustom solutions include diamond-turned IR aspheric lenses, large IR elements (up to 12” in diameter), environmentally durable MWIR & LWIR coatings, and IR opto-mechanical assemblies.

IR Thin-Film Coatings

With over 30 years of IR coating experience, RMI offers unrivaled, full-service custom coating capabilities. Our expertise extends across a wide range of coating materials and deposition techniques. Our thin-film FLIR coatings feature thorium-free designs that are specially tuned to maximize transmission and enhance image quality in the MWIR (3-6 micron), LWIR (6-15 micron), and SWIR (0.9-1.7 micron) wavelength ranges. 

Thanks to our comprehensive battery of in-house tests, RMI is able to produce IR coatings that are incredibly environmentally durable. We also excel at solving difficult custom IR coating challenges and can handle large IR optical substrates requiring coatings up to 12” in diameter.

Coating 2 Coating 1
IR Application Specialties Coating Types Coating Methods
IR Imaging Dielectric Electron Beam Evaporation
0.9-1.7 μm (SWIR) Metallic Thermal Evaporation
3-6 μm (MWIR) Metal / Dielectric Hybrid Ion-Assisted Deposition (IAD)
6-15 μm (LWIR) Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) Magnetron Sputtering

Environmental Testing

FLIR Lion

Mission-critical FLIR optics must be able to withstand any conditions. That’s why we rigorously test each IR optical element through an exhaustive battery of in-house environmental tests. Recognizing the unique challenge that FLIR systems (and Airborne Imaging Systems in particular) face in gathering light in the most extreme and harsh environmental conditions, we have developed comprehensive testing and certification procedures around MIL-SPEC and ISO standards.


Comprehensive Testing

Test Type Specification
Humidity Optics are exposed to 50°C/95% humidity for 24hrs standard
Abrasion Moderate and severe tested by rubbing a cheesecloth over the optic
Adhesion Coated surface tested with cellophane tape and quickly removed
Salt Fog/Spray 24hr standard
Salt Solubility Optics are immersed in saline solution for 24 hrs
Water Solubility Optics are immersed in distilled water for 24 hrs
Solvent Solubility Acetone, Ethanol
Temperature Extremes (+80/-65°C) standard
Temp Cycling (±2°C/minute standard)

RMI Testing Standards

Specifications Description
Mil-PRF-13830B Manufacture, assembly and inspection of finished optical components
Mil-C-675 Durability and abrasion resistance, salt solubility, severe abrasion, and salt fog
Mil-C-48497 Durability requirements for single layer and multilayer interference coatings
Mil-F-48616 General performance and durability requirements for thin-film coated optical elements
Mil-M-13805 Coating quality adhesion
ISO 9022 Test for the ability to resist the influence of salt mist
ISO 9211 Standard form for surface treatments of components and substrates on optical coatings