Case studies

Real Projects, Designed and Made in Rye

Each of these started with a customer problem and ended with a working system on their bench, line or rig. The optical design, lens manufacture, coating, metalwork and assembly were all carried out at our site in Rye, East Sussex, by one team responsible for the whole job.

Discuss Your Project Optical Design Consultancy
Miniature microscope objective for the Francis Crick Institute
Francis Crick Institute · Research

A Miniature Microscope Objective Weighing Under 5 Grams

A complete objective in non-magnetic 316 stainless steel, for an extremely tight space. The results were published in a scientific paper.

  • <5gMass
  • 0.3NA
  • 3mmWorking distance
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Bearing bush inspection lens for Mahle Engine Systems
Mahle Engine Systems · Machine vision

A Machine Vision Lens That Keeps a Whole Bore in Focus

A Scheimpflug lens system that holds focus along bearing bushes up to 80mm long, from one fixed camera on a production line.

  • 80mmBush length
  • F/5Lens system
  • 10 wksTo delivery
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Three-channel wafer inspection optical system
Semiconductor test equipment · UK

Three Magnifications, One Point of Focus, for Wafer Inspection

Three channels aimed at the same point on the wafer within 2 microns, so the operator can switch magnification with no refocusing.

  • 3Channels
  • 2µmCo-alignment
  • 0.5–6×Mag. range
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75mm SWIR copy lens assembly
Camera manufacturer · UK

A SWIR Copy Lens That Helps Expose Art Forgeries

A 75mm short-wave infrared copy lens with a clicking iris, made with in-house SWIR coatings. Approved and followed by an order for 50 more.

  • SWIR900–1700nm
  • F/8–22Clicking iris
  • 50Repeat order
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750mm custom borescope
Robotics · UK

A 750mm Borescope, Redesigned and Built in 8 Weeks

Brought to us for manufacture only, then redesigned with less than half the lens elements of the original design.

  • 750mmLength
  • 25mmHole
  • 8 wksTo delivery
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Wide-angle macro lens with integrated liquid lens
Animation studio · UK

A Wide-Angle Macro Lens With Electronic Focus

A compact lens built around a Corning liquid lens, capturing a performer's whole face from just 150mm away.

  • 230mmField at 150mm
  • F/4Aperture
  • 8 wksTo delivery
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What these projects have in common

One Team, From Design to Delivery

  1. 01

    Designed for Manufacture

    Every design is checked by the engineers who will make it, so there is no redesign halfway through.

  2. 02

    Made on One Site

    Lenses, coatings, metalwork and assembly are all carried out in Rye, with no hand-offs between suppliers.

  3. 03

    One Point of Responsibility

    If something needs putting right, it is ours to fix, quickly and on site.

Your project

Have an optical problem that nothing off the shelf will solve? That is where most of these projects started.

Talk to an Engineer

Tell us what you need to see, the space you have and the camera you are using. An engineer who works beside our production line will tell you what is possible.

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We reply within one working day. All projects can be handled under NDA.