company news about Design and Application of Optical Domes

Design and Application of Optical Domes

An optical dome is an optical component with a spherical or hemispherical shape, widely used in various optical systems. Optical domes are typically employed to protect internal elements of an optical system from external environmental influences while allowing the free transmission of light. They have significant applications in fields such as aerospace, military, marine exploration, and security surveillance.

Design Principles of Optical Domes:

The design of an optical dome must consider both its optical and mechanical properties. The dome shape is usually hemispherical or hyper-hemispherical, featuring two concentric spherical surfaces to effectively minimize optical distortion. The design must ensure that the parallel tolerance of the dome is less than 2μm to guarantee high-precision optical performance.

Material Selection:

Material selection for optical domes is crucial. Commonly used materials include optical glasses (such as N-BK7, N-BK10), sapphire, and polymers. These materials offer excellent light transmission and thermal resistance, making them suitable for various optical systems and environmental conditions. For instance, N-BK7 glass is frequently used in visible light applications due to its wide-angle characteristics and is suitable for protecting deep-sea cameras.

Manufacturing Processes:

The manufacturing processes for optical domes involve optical design, mold fabrication, injection molding, and surface treatment. Advanced micro/nano-fabrication technologies and inspection equipment ensure high precision and quality of the domes. For example, Longway Glass utilizes injection molding technology to manufacture optical domes for surveillance cameras, successfully overcoming challenges in mold fabrication and processing for complex optical products.

Application Areas:

Optical domes have wide-ranging applications in several fields:

• Aerospace and Military: Used to protect optical systems in aircraft and missiles, meeting aerodynamic requirements.

• Marine Exploration: Employed in deep-sea cameras and submersibles, providing wide-angle fields of view and high light transmittance.

• Security Surveillance: Used in surveillance cameras, delivering high-quality images and weather resistance.

Conclusion:

As an important optical component, the optical dome has broad application prospects. Through continuous technological innovation and material improvements, optical domes will play a vital role in more fields.