Optical Design Services & Consultancy, UK

We Design It.
We Make It.
We Stand Behind It.

Kingsview Optical is a UK optical design consultancy that manufactures what it designs. Our engineers design your system in Zemax and SolidWorks, then we make the lenses, machine the metalwork, coat, assemble and test it at our site in Rye. One team takes full responsibility, from the first idea to prototypes and on into production.

  • Design
  • Lenses
  • Metalwork
  • Coating
  • Assembly
  • Test
Book a Free Design Call See the Project Route

Speak to an optical engineer, not a sales team. NDA on request.

Designed Cutaway SolidWorks model of a multi-element lens assembly designed by Kingsview Optical, optical design consultancy UK
Manufactured here Finished precision lens assembly built in the Kingsview Optical cleanroom

Designed in SolidWorks and Zemax. Machined, polished, coated and assembled in Rye.

1 teamFrom first idea to production
1 siteOptics, metalwork, coating, build, test
3 cleanroomsFor assembly on site
Since 1996Making optics in the UK
One team, full responsibility

No Handovers. No Blurred Lines.

On most optical projects, the design comes from one company and the lenses, metalwork, coating and assembly from four more. When the finished system misses its specification, every supplier can point at another. With Kingsview Optical, the team that designs your system also makes it, so the responsibility for it working sits in one place.

The usual route

Five suppliers, five purchase orders, and a handover at every step where tolerances, schedules and blame can fall through the gaps.

Optical design consultancyPO 1?handoverLens and prism supplierPO 2?handoverMachine shopPO 3?handoverCoating housePO 4?handoverAssembly and testPO 5

The Kingsview route

Every stage in one building in Rye, run by one team that owns the result from first sketch to repeat production.

KINGSVIEW OPTICAL, RYEOptical and mechanical designLens and prism manufactureCNC metalworkVacuum coatingCleanroom assemblyTesting and metrology1 team · 1 PO · 1 set of quality records
One point of responsibility If the system doesn't meet the specification, it's ours to put right. Nobody else to chase.
Tolerances you can build to Set by the engineers who will hold them, using real data from our own machines.
One contract, one set of records One purchase order, one NDA and ISO 9001 traceability from design to delivery.
Fixes in days, not months The designer can walk to the machine. Changes and prototypes don't wait in another supplier's queue.
Everything made here

Designed, Made and Built Under One Roof

Our design office sits next to the shop floor. These are the in-house stages your design passes through, all at Harbour Road, Rye.

Optical engineers working on Zemax and SolidWorks designs at Kingsview Optical01

Optical & Mechanical Design

Zemax OpticStudio for optics and tolerancing, SolidWorks for the mechanics, designed side by side.

CNC polishing of a precision lens on an Optotech machine in Rye02

Lens & Prism Manufacture

Lenses generated and polished on our Optotech CNC lines, plus prisms, windows and mirrors.

Lens manufacture
Lens barrels and housings machined in-house at Kingsview Optical03

CNC Metalwork

Barrels, cells, mounts and housings machined on our own CNC mills and turning centre. Anodising is handled by our approved finisher, managed by us.

Optomechanical manufacture
Engineer running a vacuum coating chamber at Kingsview Optical04

Vacuum Coating

AR, mirror, beamsplitter and filter coatings from five vacuum chambers, designed in Essential Macleod.

Optical coating
Technician assembling optics in the Kingsview Optical cleanroom05

Cleanroom Assembly

Three cleanrooms on site, including H14 HEPA filtration for sealed lens systems.

Cleanroom assembly
Trioptics OptiCentric measuring lens centration at Kingsview Optical06

Testing & Metrology

Trioptics, Zygo and spectrophotometer checks at every stage, with reports on request.

Our capability
Optotech CNC lens manufacturing lines at Kingsview Optical in Rye
Our Optotech CNC lens lines
Custom optomechanical parts machined in-house at Kingsview Optical
Metalwork machined in our own workshop
Optics and machined parts kitted for a production assembly batch
Optics and mechanics kitted for a production build
From CAD to finished system

Designed on Screen, Built in Rye

A few of the systems we've taken from a design on screen to a finished, tested product. Each one was designed and manufactured by the same team.

CADSolidWorks model of a custom liquid lens objective designed by Kingsview Optical
Manufactured hereFinished custom liquid lens objective made by Kingsview Optical

Custom Liquid Lens Objective

A compact objective built around an electrically tunable liquid lens for fast focusing. We designed the optics and the housing together, then made, assembled and tested it in Rye.

  • Optical design
  • Lenses
  • Housing
  • Coating
  • Assembly
  • Test
Read the case study
CADCAD model of a custom SWIR objective lens
Manufactured hereFinished custom SWIR objective lens assembly made in Rye

SWIR Objective

A short-wave infrared objective, with glass and coatings chosen for SWIR transmission.

  • Optical design
  • Lenses
  • Housing
  • Coating
  • Assembly
Read the case study
CADCAD model of custom microscopy optics for the Francis Crick Institute
Manufactured hereCustom micro prisms made by Kingsview Optical

Microscopy Optics for the Francis Crick Institute

Custom optics designed and made for a Crick research project that contributed to a published paper.

  • Optical design
  • Optics
  • Mount
  • Assembly
Read the case study
CADCAD model of a custom machine vision inspection lens
Manufactured hereCustom machine vision lens in use on an inspection system

Machine Vision Inspection Lens

An inspection lens designed for an industrial vision system, shown here in use on the finished setup.

  • Optical design
  • Lenses
  • Housing
  • Assembly
Read the case study
CADSemi-transparent CAD model of a custom borescope showing the relay lenses
Manufactured hereFinished custom borescope made by Kingsview Optical

Rigid Borescope

A long relay-lens borescope for inspecting inside machinery, toleranced for build before any glass was ordered.

  • Optical design
  • Lenses
  • Tube and mounts
  • Assembly
  • Test
Read the case study

See all case studies

Your project route

From First Call to Year-on-Year Supply

Every project follows the same route, with a clear decision point at each stage. You can stop after any stage, but most customers stay with us from design into production because the same team, drawings and machines carry straight through.

  1. Design

    Free Design Call

    A call with an optical engineer, under NDA if you need it, to understand what the system must do, your budget and volumes.

    You getA clear view of feasibility and the best route.
  2. Design

    Feasibility Study

    A first-order design to prove the concept and flag risks, with production in mind from day one.

    You getConcept layout, predicted performance and an early production cost estimate.
  3. Design

    Detailed Design

    Zemax optimisation and tolerancing against our own process data, with the mechanics designed alongside in SolidWorks.

    You getPerformance and tolerance reports, 3D model and design review.
  4. Prototype

    Prototype Build

    We make the optics and metalwork, coat, assemble and test your first units in Rye, on the machines that will make production.

    You getWorking prototypes with test data.
  5. Production

    Production

    The same team scales the build, writes the assembly method and sets the inspection plan. Production prices are agreed up front.

    You getBatches or scheduled deliveries, fully traceable.
  6. Production

    Ongoing Supply

    Repeat orders, design updates and glass obsolescence managed by the people who designed it.

    You getOne supplier for the life of your product.

Moving from prototype to production costs no re-qualification. Your prototypes are made on our production machines, by the people who will build the volume, so nothing changes hands when your orders grow.

Start With a Free Call
Zemax optical layout of a multi-element objective designed by Kingsview Optical
Optical layoutDesigned and optimised in Zemax
Ray trace through a shaded 3D model of a lens assembly
Optics and mechanics togetherRays traced through the 3D model
Polychromatic MTF plot from a borescope tolerance analysis
MTF and tolerance analysisChecked against what we can make
ISO 10110 manufacturing drawing of a cemented lens
ISO 10110 drawingsReady for manufacture

Talk to an Optical Design Engineer

Book a free call to talk through your idea, an existing design or a problem with a current supplier. No obligation.

Book a Free Call 01797 226202
Designed by the people who make it

Design for Manufacture, Not Just for the Simulation

Optical design software optimises for theory. It won't tell you that a lens shape is hard to polish, that a better glass will double your reject rate, or that a tolerance will triple the cost. That judgement comes from making optics every day, and it's built into every design we do.

Typical design-only routeKingsview Optical
TolerancesSet from software defaults, often tighter than neededSet by engineers who hold them on our own machines
Glass choiceChosen by the optimiserChosen for performance, cost, availability and how well it polishes
MechanicsDesigned later, often by another supplierDesigned with the optics and machined in-house
Manufacturing feedbackWeeks later, once a manufacturer quotesSame day, from the shop floor next door
Prototype to productionNew supplier, new learning curveSame team, same machines, same drawings
When something's wrongDesigner and manufacturers point at each otherOne team owns it and fixes it, in days
Is a 0.1% improvement on paper worth twice the cost to make?

That's the question our designers ask at every step. We design the system that meets your specification at the lowest cost to build, not the one that looks best in the software.

10mFrom our design office to the machines that make your optics.
What we design

Optical Systems We Design and Manufacture

From single custom elements to complete multi-element systems with their housings, for OEMs, research labs and start-ups.

Imaging & camera objectivesFixed-focal and multi-element objectives matched to your sensor.
SWIR & NIR objectivesGlass and coatings selected for infrared transmission.
Microscope & fluorescence objectivesIncluding high-NA designs for life science and research.
Telecentric lensesConstant magnification for precise measurement and gauging.
Machine vision lensesInspection optics for industrial and robotic vision systems.
Borescopes & relay opticsRigid borescopes and relay systems for inspection inside machinery.
Liquid lens & autofocus systemsTunable-focus objectives built around liquid lens technology.
Laser & beam delivery opticsBeam expanders, focusing optics and fold assemblies.
Sighting & defence opticsRugged optical sights and imaging assemblies, built to drawing.
Ways to work with us

Choose Where to Start

Start small with a feasibility study, or hand us the whole project. Either way you deal with the same engineers.

Start here

Feasibility Study

Find out if your idea works and what it will cost to make, before you commit to a full design.

  • First-order optical design
  • Predicted performance against your spec
  • Risks, options and trade-offs
  • Early production cost estimate
Ask About Feasibility
Prove it

Design & Prototype

A full design, then working prototypes made and tested in Rye, so you can evaluate the real thing.

  • Detailed optical and mechanical design
  • Tolerance analysis with our process data
  • Prototypes made, coated, built and tested
  • Test report against your specification
Plan a Prototype
Best value Full responsibility

Design to Production

We take the whole project, from concept to production and repeat supply, as your single optical partner.

  • Everything in Design & Prototype
  • Production price agreed up front
  • Assembly method and inspection plan
  • Repeat batches, updates and obsolescence handled
Start a Project
Already have a design?We'll review it for manufacture, suggest cost savings and quote to make it.
Supplier stopped making your optic?We reverse engineer and remake obsolete lenses and assemblies.
Need design only?Full handover: Zemax files, ISO 10110 drawings, tolerances and BOM.
Who we design for

Optical Systems for Demanding Industries

Our customers are OEMs, research institutions and start-ups who need an optical system designed and built to a specification, not picked from a catalogue.

Defence & SecuritySights, imaging and surveillance optics, with production runs to match.
Medical & Life SciencesMicroscopy, fluorescence and diagnostic imaging optics.
Machine Vision & RoboticsInspection and guidance optics for automated systems.
SemiconductorPrecision optics for inspection, metrology and processing tools.
Research & DevelopmentOne-off and small-batch systems for labs and universities.
Photonics & ImagingCamera, SWIR and laser optics for photonics product makers.
Trusted since 1996

Trusted by UK Science and Engineering Teams

We've designed and built optics for organisations including Mahle Engine Systems, the National Physical Laboratory and the Francis Crick Institute, where our work contributed to a published scientific paper.

Mahle Engine SystemsAutomotive engineering
National Physical LaboratoryUK national measurement institute
Francis Crick InstituteBiomedical research
ISO 9001Certified design and manufacturing processes
5 chambersVacuum coating on site
3 cleanroomsOn site, including H14 HEPA
NDAAs standard, before you share a thing
What you receive

Optical Design Deliverables

Every design stage ends with documents you can review and sign off. What you receive depends on how far we take the project together.

Feasibility reportConcept layout, predicted performance, risks and an early production cost estimate
Optical design reportPrescription, MTF, spot diagrams, distortion and other performance data from Zemax
Tolerance analysisSensitivity and Monte Carlo analysis, with tolerances matched to our manufacturing capability
Mechanical designSolidWorks 3D model and drawings of barrels, cells, mounts and housings
Manufacturing drawingsISO 10110 optical drawings and a bill of materials
Prototype test reportMeasured results for the units we build, against your specification
Production packageAssembly method, inspection plan and agreed production pricing

See Where Your System Would Be Made

Choosing a design and manufacturing partner? Visit Rye, meet the engineers who would design your system, and walk the CNC lines, machine shop, coating chambers and cleanrooms that would build it.

Arrange a Visit

Optical Design FAQs

Why use one company for optical design and manufacture?
Because one team is responsible for the result. When design, optics, metalwork, coating and assembly sit with different suppliers, a performance problem can belong to any of them and the lines get blurred. At Kingsview Optical the people who design your system also make, assemble and test it, so if it doesn't meet the specification it's ours to fix. You also get one contract, one NDA and one set of quality records.
How much does optical design cost?
It depends on the complexity of the system, so we quote each stage before it starts. Most projects begin with a short feasibility study. Because we also manufacture, we give you an early estimate of what the finished system will cost to make, so you know the production cost before you commit to detailed design.
How long does an optical design project take?
A feasibility study is the quickest step. Detailed design and prototypes depend on the number of elements, the mechanics and glass lead times, and we'll give you a timeline with the quote. Because design changes, prototypes and fixes all happen on one site, each iteration takes days rather than weeks.
Can you manufacture a design that someone else has done?
Yes. Send us the design and we'll review it for manufacture, suggest tolerance, glass or mechanical changes that reduce cost without losing performance, and quote to make it. We often take over designs that have proved hard or expensive to build elsewhere.
Who owns the design?
We agree ownership at the quote stage. If you need the design rights, we can hand over full documentation, including the Zemax files, ISO 10110 drawings, tolerances and the bill of materials.
Do you sign NDAs?
Yes. We're happy to sign your NDA, or send ours, before you share any details of your project.
What software do you use for optical design?
We use Zemax OpticStudio for optical design, optimisation and tolerancing, SolidWorks for optomechanical design, and Essential Macleod for coating design. Tolerances are set using data from our own manufacturing processes.
Can you replace an optic that my supplier no longer makes?
Yes. We can measure and reverse engineer an existing lens or assembly, rebuild the design, and manufacture a replacement, so your product can stay in production.
What production volumes can you handle?
From single prototypes to full production runs. When a design moves into volume, we write the assembly method and set the inspection plan, then supply repeat batches year after year from our site in Rye.
What do you need from me to start?
Whatever you have: a specification, a sketch, an existing design or just a description of what the optics must do. Useful details are wavelength range, field of view or focal length, image sensor, size and weight limits, environment, target cost and expected volumes. We'll tell you what else we need.

Start Your Optical Design Project

Tell us what your optics need to do. An engineer from the team that would design and build your system will review it and call you back. If it can't be done, or can be done more cheaply another way, we'll say so.

Useful to send

  • Your specification, sketch or existing design (PDF, STEP or Zemax)
  • Wavelength range, field of view or focal length, and sensor
  • Size, weight and environmental limits
  • Target cost and expected annual volumes
  • Timescale for prototypes and production

What happens next

  1. An engineer reviews itWithin one working day, and arranges a call if it helps.
  2. We propose a routeUsually a feasibility study, with an early view of production cost.
  3. We design, build and supplyAll in Rye, from prototype to repeat production.
Send Your Enquiry Call 01797 226202

Have a project in mind?

Let’s explore how we can design and deliver it, on time, on budget, and ready for production.

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