Advanced Filter Technology from Lasers to Displays

Interview conducted by Will SoutterDec 3 2012

In this interview, Adam Brierley, Director of Brinell Vision, talks to AZoOptics about their thin-film filter and filter glass products, and their capabilities in the field of laser safety.

Can you give us a brief overview of Brinell Vision technologies and the field you operate within?

The company was initially conceived in 2010 as a project management/product development business with a focus on thin film optical technology. It quickly became apparent that although we had reliable suppliers for our standard products we needed to have our own capability to allow fast-track development of more complex products. We opened our own facility in December 2011 and this has rapidly grown into our central nerve centre with several ‘world first’ filters being developed and launched this year.

One of your key specialities is the manufacturing of laser protection solutions - what unique capabilities do you have in this field that make you stand out from other manufacturers?

We are really geared up to serve the high end of the precision market due to our extensive investment in the latest optical design and modelling software which is linked to state of the art spectrophotometer measurement capability. We are able to assess extreme optical densities and laser damage threshold and obtain official European certification for eyewear. We have worked on several projects where the customer has been unable to find a solution from the larger companies for their particular requirement and we can provide something unique.

What sort of customers do you typically work with in laser protection?

We work with a number of high profile European organisations and continuously with Protect Laserschutz in Germany on many special projects for customised eyewear however many of our products also go into products such as medical microscopes, laser processing machinery, astronomy, rangefinder telescopes and periscopes.  

What are the most popular applications for your laser protection systems amongst these customers?

We have a very special filter which is used for blocking green laser in vision critical applications such as medical surgery, research, production machines and even flying. The technology is called Brinell-CN and is a notch filter optimised for maximum cone angle and carefully colour balanced so that although 532nm is removed from the spectrum it almost looks no different than if you didn’t have the filter in place. We have even supplied this for blocking up to OD6 within a precision optical instrument which is a big challenge for this type of design.

What are the plans for Brinell Vision in the near future?

We are rapidly expanding our export business which has increased by over 50% this year. We are forecasting a similar increase next year due to demand for our high end products which is a challenge to manage in itself. We are focussed on niche products and services which make much of our business unique in the world.

Another of your core areas of expertise is in laser optical filters. What advantages do your filters offer to the customer?

Normally our customers can’t easily purchase what they need from anywhere else as we really work closely with our clients to optimise their product’s performance. We always aim to offer a higher specification than the standard off the shelf products.

Brinell Vision designs and supplies a range of display coatings. What advantages do your products provide?

The key to what we offer here is a full design and project management service. We understand the details of how the whole display is built together and what lighting conditions need to be considered. We normally get fully involved in how we can make each element of a display perform correctly from the diffuser to the heater element to the front AR display planel.

What applications are your display coatings commonly used for?

Normally in applications where there is a high demand for low reflections, elevated durability & enhanced performance; as an example applications like aircraft and ground vehicles mainly.

How does your combination of advanced thin film technology and filter glass benefit the laser safety products you produce?

We often find our experience in optical and filter designs allow us to approach a laser protection problem from a different direction as we know how designs can be manipulated to maximise performance. A combination of filter glass and precision thin film coating can provide maximum protection in terms of blocking but also enhanced laser damage in case of prolonged exposure.

Where can we find more information about Brinell Vision?

You can visit our website at www.brinellvision.com, and our new web shop at www.brinellvision.eu

About Brinell Vision

Brinell Vision creates advanced thin film optical solutions. Their products protect & enhance the performance of the World’s most demanding optical applications in laser, display & instrumentation.

Products include optical filters for laser protection, including Brinell CNG-532n green laser protection technology; Ruby-YAG combiners; fluorescence microscopy filters/blocks; night vision and daylight readable coatings. Brinell also provides laser safety equipment such as eyewear, windows and curtains.

The business areas that Brinell Vision operates in include medicine, industrial lasers, military, security, instrumentation, microscopy, and R&D.