IRD Glass

Ceramic fabrication and manufacturing is not the same as manufacturing glass. It requires the use of different equipment, different slurries, and different polishing pads-but the commitment to precision, flatness, and scratch dig remains the same. Many hard ceramic parts we create have less than .0005” dimensional tolerance. We use high performance hard ceramic materials and employ precision ceramic machining equipment to produce components and sub-assemblies that accomplish customer-specific technical challenges. Most IRD Ceramics products are used in demanding environments. We ensure high performance with superior material selection, unsurpassed customization, and a unique ceramic fabrication process.

IRD Ceramics manufactures precision optical components essential to infrared cameras and sensors used by Homeland Security, Border Patrol, Defense, and Security companies. We perform all fabrication in house, allowing us to produce low-cost IR mirrors, lenses and windows for commercial applications as well as customized lenses to meet the exact demands of Defense and Security companies. IRD Ceramics works with sapphire, silicon, chalcogenides, germanium, BaF2, CaF2, zinc selenide and more.

IRD Ceramics works with a multitude of super hard materials, including alumina, zirconia, sapphire, silicon carbide and others. Building to your print, IRD will machine, lap and even polish your super hard components.

IRD Ceramics’ interest in infrared applications was born out of regularly attending the SPIE Defense, Security & Sensing show. Companies familiar with the reputation of IRD Glass wanted us to begin working on components for infrared devices, and in recent years we began investing heavily in components for IR products. Today we produce the highest quality precision optics used by IR products, including high power laser quality 2” silicon mirrors at better than ½ wave flatness.

Our ceramic fabrication process produces hard ceramic material with low density compared to steel and excellent resistance to heat and corrosive chemicals. Our engineers use precision ceramic machining to turn these high tech materials into finished products. We use tight process control procedures and quality assurance techniques to reducing cycle time, variations, and eliminate defects and waste from the ceramic fabrication process

IRD Ceramics offers low and high volume production, design assistance, CADCAM support, simple and complex lens assemblies, IR coating, and quick prototype turnaround times. By integrating our operations with yours, we ensure better performance, fewer parts, and lighter-weight lenses. Our unwavering commitment to customer specifications helps us to maintain long-lasting relationships with industry leaders like Lockheed Martin and CyberOptics.