Precision Prisms, Polished and Coated in Rye

Kingsview Optical is the optical prism manufacturer UK instrument makers and OEMs have relied on since 1996. We make custom prisms to your drawing at our site on Harbour Road in Rye, East Sussex. They range from micro prisms as small as 0.8mm to periscope prisms over 100mm. We shape, polish, coat, cement and measure every one on site.

  • Made in Rye, East Sussex
  • Coated & cemented in-house
  • Angles checked by autocollimator
  • ISO 9001:2015
Send Us Your Prism Drawing See How We Make Them
Micro prisms manufactured by Kingsview Optical, optical prism manufacturer UK
Micro prisms, made in Rye.
0.8mm+Micro to periscope prisms
±3′Standard angle tolerance
<5″Parallelism on twin lap
Since 1996Making optics in the UK
Prisms made here, start to finish

From Glass Block to Coated Prism, in Rye

Every stage below happens at our site in Rye. You deal directly with the engineers who make your prisms, with one set of quality records from blank to finished part.

Kingsview Optical LtdHarbour Road, Rye
East Sussex TN31 7TE
  1. CNC machining an optical glass blank at Kingsview Optical

    CNC Profiling

    We shape prism blanks on our CNC machines, adding steps, bevels, chamfers and drilled holes where your design needs them.

  2. Optical parts loaded into twin-lap polishing carriers in Rye

    Lapping & Polishing

    Parallel faces run on our twin-lap machines, to under 5 arcseconds. Angled faces go on four 1m open-face laps, held in precision angle jigs. Faces with the tightest requirements are finished by A-frame pitch polishing.

  3. Prisms and optics loaded in a coating jig at Kingsview Optical

    In-House Coating

    We coat in our own chambers: AR on transmitting faces, metal or dielectric mirrors on reflecting faces, and polarizing coatings.

    Optical coating
  4. Cemented polarizing prism made in Kingsview Optical's cleanroom

    Cementing & Assembly

    We cement Risley pairs and polarizing prism pairs in our cleanroom, using Norland or NTT adhesives. We also assemble prisms into housings.

    Cleanroom assembly
  5. Zygo interferometer measuring prism face flatness in Rye

    Angles & Flatness Measured

    We check every angle on an autocollimator with OEG software, and face flatness on our 4″ Zygo interferometer.

Every photo on this page was taken at our site in Rye.

Prism types

Custom Optical Prisms We Manufacture

We make every standard prism type to your drawing, in the glass, size, angles and coatings your system needs. Each drawing shows the prism's ray path.

Right angle prisms90° deviation by total internal reflection
Penta prismsConstant 90° deviation, image not inverted
Dove prismsImage inversion and rotation
Roof prismsDeviate and correct the image in one part
Risley prismsMatched wedge pairs for beam steering
Porro prisms180° return for image erecting systems
PS
Polarizing prismsCoated beamsplitter cubes, cemented in-house
Optical wedgesWedge prisms and wedged windows
0.8mm
Micro prismsFrom 0.8mm
Something else? Custom geometries, cemented assemblies and prisms with mounting features, made to your drawing. Send your drawing →
Roof prisms manufactured by Kingsview Optical
Roof prismsMade in Rye
Custom penta prisms manufactured by Kingsview Optical
Penta prismsMade in Rye
Custom Dove prisms manufactured by Kingsview Optical
Dove prismsMade in Rye
Achromatic Risley prisms manufactured by Kingsview Optical
Risley prismsMade in Rye
How we polish

Four Processes, Chosen to Suit the Prism

Prisms need flat faces at precise angles to each other. We choose the process for each face that holds your tolerance at the lowest cost.

Twin-lap polishingTop and bottom plates polish both faces at once. We use this for flat and parallel parts, with parallelism better than 5 arcseconds.
Open-face lappingFour 1m open-face laps (two smoothers, two polishers), with precision angle jigs holding each angled face.
A-frame pitch polishingConventional pitch polishing, for faces that need the highest angle and surface-figure accuracy.
CNC profilingFor complex prism shapes: steps, bevels and chamfers, drilled holes and blackened edges.
Who we work with

Prisms That Go Inside Other People's Instruments

Our customers are engineers building optical systems. Some arrive with a fully specified drawing. Others need help choosing the right prism type. We do both.

Defence & SecurityPeriscope, sighting and image-erecting prisms.
AerospacePrisms and cemented assemblies for aerospace optical systems.
Medical ImagingPrecision prisms for imaging and diagnostic instruments.
Scientific InstrumentsBeam steering, polarizing and folding prisms for research optics.
Industrial & Machine VisionFolding and beam-splitting prisms for inspection systems.
Augmented RealityCustom prisms for AR optical systems.
Specification

Optical Prism Tolerances

These are our standard tolerances. If your design needs tighter, tell us which parameter. We'll tell you honestly whether we can hold it, and what it adds to cost.

Size range0.8mm micro prisms to periscope prisms over 100mm
Dimension tolerance±0.1mm
Angle tolerance±3 arcmin standard
Parallelism (twin lap)Better than 5 arcsec
Flatnessλ/4 @ 633nm
Irregularityλ/4
Surface quality (scratch-dig)60/40
MaterialsSchott, Ohara and CDGM optical glass; fused silica
CoatingsBroadband AR, wide-angle AR, V-coat, MgF2, metal and dielectric mirrors, polarizing
FinishingBlackened edges, steps, bevels, drilled holes

Not sure what to specify? Angle tolerances tighter than your system needs are the most common hidden cost in a prism quote. Send the design and we'll help you check.

Coated and measured on site

Coating and Metrology, In-House

Prism coatings

  • Mirror coatings: metal or dielectric, on reflecting faces
  • Broadband AR: standard 425–650nm, wider on request
  • Wide-angle broadband AR, for large angles of incidence
  • Polarizing coatings, designed for your angle and wavelength
  • Single-layer MgF2

How we measure

  • Autocollimator with OEG software: prism angles
  • 4″ Zygo interferometer with MX software: face flatness and form, with surface reports on request
  • Spectrophotometer, UV to 3000nm: coating performance, with witness samples available

See Your Prisms Being Made

Planning a production run, or qualifying a new supplier? Come to Rye, see the laps, coating chambers and cleanroom, and meet the engineers who would make your prisms.

Arrange a Visit

Custom Prism FAQs

Do you make the prisms yourselves?
Yes. Every stage happens at our site in Rye, East Sussex: CNC profiling, lapping and polishing, coating, cementing, assembly and measurement.
What angle tolerance can you hold?
Our standard angle tolerance is ±3 arcminutes. Parallel faces on our twin-lap machines are better than 5 arcseconds. For tighter angles, we finish faces by A-frame pitch polishing and check them on an autocollimator. Tell us the angle and tolerance you need, and we'll confirm what we can hold.
Which prism type do I need?
It depends on what the prism has to do to the beam and the image. A right angle prism folds the beam 90°. A penta prism also deviates 90°, but the deviation stays constant even if the prism tilts. A roof prism deviates the beam and corrects the image handedness in one part. A Dove prism rotates the image. Risley pairs steer a beam. If you're not sure, send us the optical layout and we'll suggest a type.
Can you coat different faces with different coatings?
Yes. Typically the transmitting faces get AR and the reflecting faces get a metal or dielectric mirror, all coated in our own chambers. Tell us the coating and wavelength range for each face.
Do you cement prisms?
Yes. We cement Risley prism pairs and polarizing beamsplitter cubes in our cleanroom, with a dielectric polarizing coating at the interface. Our standard adhesives are Norland and NTT, and others are available on request.
What do you need from me to quote?
A drawing, ideally to ISO 10110, showing dimensions and angles and which faces are polished. Also tell us the glass type, the coating on each face, the quantities for prototype and production, and whether you need inspection data with the parts.

Other Optics We Make

Optical lensesSinglets, achromats, 0.8–100mm Optical windowsFlat and parallel, coated Optical mirrorsMetal and dielectric Optical filtersSputtered bandpass and more

Getting a Quote for Custom Optical Prisms

Send us your prism drawing. An engineer from the team that would make your prisms, not a sales team, will review it. They'll tell you plainly what's achievable and what will drive cost.

What to send

  • Drawing (PDF or ISO 10110) with dimensions and angles
  • Glass type
  • Angle, flatness and surface-quality tolerances
  • Coating for each face, and wavelength range
  • Quantities: prototypes and expected production volumes

What happens next

  1. An engineer reviews itWithin one working day, flagging anything that will drive cost or lead time.
  2. We quote the prismFor the prototype, and for production at your volumes.
  3. We make, measure and deliverAll in Rye, with inspection data if you need it.
Start Your RFQ

Have a Custom Prism Requirement?

Send your drawing, or describe what the prism needs to do. We'll tell you honestly how we'd make it, what it will cost and how long it will take.

Send Us Your Prism Drawing Call 01797 226202
Made in Rye, East Sussex. NDA-friendly. Defence and security work welcome. ISO 9001:2015.