Optical Domes

03 Nov 2022

Optical domes are typically used to protect a system’s internal elements with minimal distortion to the light path whilst offering a wider field of view when compared to a conventional window.

Knight Optical have a product catalogue of 25mm to 100mm BK7 and UV fused silica optical domes which are available for next-day dispatch. Our BK7 domes are ideal for instruments working in harsh or extreme environments such as dome ports in submersible ROVs and underwater cameras, where they need to withstand substantial pressure.

Our stock domes have the following specifications:

Diameter tolerance (mm): +/-0.1
Thickness (mm): +/-0.1 (+/-0.2mm for 100mm diameter)
Height (mm): +/-0.2
Surface finish: 60/40
Chamfers: 0.2 x 45° typical

Knight Optical is renowned for its custom capabilities, and we frequently provide bespoke optical domes manufactured to our customer’s requirements. Whether different dimensions, an alternate material or a coating is required, Knight Optical will take on your enquiry and work with you to provide on-spec optical domes   Below are our typical capabilities, however, these are always expanding so please do not hesitate to contact us with your requirements:

Materials: BK7, UVFS, sapphire, acrylic, silicon, germanium, borosilicate, colour glass, and more

Diameter (mm): 5mm to 300mm+

Surface figure (fr.): < 10(5)

Concentricity (mm): < 0.05

Scratch/dig: < 20:10

Optical coatings can also be applied, either to our stock domes or to a custom order. Whether this is an antireflective (AR) coating to enhance the performance in a particular waveband, or protective coatings such as hydro- or oleophobic to increase its durability within its environment – this is often seen when the dome is being used as a cover for CCD/CMOS cameras and it exposed to external environments.

For infrared applications, such as pyrometers or LiDAR, Knight Optical can supply domes manufactured from infrared crystalline materials including germanium and silicon.

Our optical domes are checked for quality in our state-of-the-art metrology laboratory using equipment from ZYGO, Agilent Technologies and Starret allowing us to work to the highest QA standards and meet the tolerance specifications on these precision components.

Contact our technical sales team to discover how Knight Optical’s high quality optical domes and superior service can improve your instrumentation and supply chain experience.

UK, Europe, Asia & RoW: E-Mail info@knightoptical.co.uk  Tel +44 (0)1622 859444

USA & Canada: E-Mail usasales@knightoptical.com Tel +001 401-583-7846