Newport Provides Prompt Prototyping

IRVINE, Calif. -- Custom optics are now available in as little as a week with Newport Corporation’s new rapid prototyping program. This fast-track program is designed to manufacture and ship custom spherical lenses, aspheric lenses, windows, and mirrors much faster than typical suppliers, where normal lead times for custom optics range from 6 to 16 weeks. In making the announcement, Robert J. Phillippy, Vice President and General Manager of Newport’s Industrial and Scientific Technology Division, said, “This program provides a vital advantage to Newport’s optics customers in that they can now quickly obtain the optics they need to support their next generation prototypes, dramatically shortening the time it takes to bring their products to market. This program, additionally, reinforces Newport's position as a world class supplier of standard and custom optics.”The manufacture of custom optics is often considered a process bottleneck in product development. If changes are necessary to the new product’s optical design, it can have disastrous consequences for the customer’s development project. Newport’s rapid prototyping program gives customers a “safety net”, allowing them to make needed changes to their overall optical system design and still meet their target product launch dates.Newport’s $16 Million investment in manufacturing equipment and process technology dedicated to the rapid production of high precision optics enables the company to respond faster to the needs of its customers. Capabilities including computerized shaping, aspheric polishing, diamond turning and ion assisted coating have positioned Newport as a leader in the production of high-performance optics for OEM and end user applications in semiconductor equipment, medical instrument, aerospace/defense and laser research markets.Newport Corp.