LightPath Develops Molded Infrared Lenses for the Defense Market

Manufacturer of optical components and assemblies, LightPath Technologies, has completed the U.S. Navy’s Phase II SBIR contract award. The objective of the contract was to develop molding abilities for infrared aspheric lenses by utilizing chalcogenide glass.

The SBIR contract was conducted under the guidance of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). The completion of the contract allowed LightPath to create a platform to design molded infrared aspheric lenses with large diameter. At present, the company distributes thermal imaging assemblies and molded infrared lenses for the gas sensing, thermography and larger thermal imaging markets. These markets have an estimated overall value of more than $2.5 billion.

The Chief Executive Officer of LightPath, Jim Gaynor stated that the company was pleased to partner with the US Air Force and the US Navy to develop advanced technologies for molded infrared lenses. The completion of the contract has allowed the company to deliver cost-effective molded infrared optics for the defense market. The contract also enabled the company to bring high-volume infrared lenses for original equipment manufacturing applications in the commercial market, Gaynor said.