Article
A Guide to the Optics Manufacturing Process
What happens between an optical drawing and a finished part? Understand the manufacturing stages that shape surface quality and optical performance.
Read article
From the manufacturing floor
Insights & Ideas
Practical knowledge, lessons learned, company stories, industry perspectives, and ideas from the people who work with precision glass, optics, ceramics, sapphire, and advanced materials every day.
Archive
Article archive
Explore technical topics, manufacturing insights, IRD news, and the occasional idea that simply caught our attention.
135 articles
Article
Photonic Sensors Move Into Field Testing: What Optical Component Teams Should Consider
AIM Photonics’ September field demonstration shows why material, packaging, inspection, and repeatability matter as optical sensors move beyond the lab.
Read article
Article
IRD Achieves ISO 13485:2016 Certification, Strengthening Commitment to Medical Device Manufacturing
IRD has achieved ISO 13485:2016 certification, the internationally recognized quality management standard for the medical device industry, issued by EAGLE Registrations Inc. and effective July 21, 2026.
Read article
Article
How To Choose the Right Light Pipe for Your Application
Choosing the right light pipe starts with a practical question: what does the component need to do inside the larger optical system? The answer may involve beam uniformity, illumination shape, assembly space, wavelength range,…
Read article
Article
What You Should Know About the Refractive Index of Glass
When a glass component changes the path of light, it can affect how the larger optical system performs. Refractive index is one of the material properties engineers use to predict that behavior. Understanding the refractive ind…
Read article
Article
Fused Silica vs. nBK7: Which Optical Glass To Choose
Material choice shapes how an optical component performs inside a larger assembly. Fused silica and nBK7 are both common optical glass materials, but they solve different problems. For teams weighing fused silica vs. nBK7 for t…
Read article
Article
How To Choose an Optical Components Manufacturer
Choosing a custom optical component partner is not just a sourcing decision. It affects manufacturability, inspections, repeatability, and how confidently your team can move from a print or concept to a finished part. For engin…
Read article
Article
“Good Enough” Isn’t Good Enough in Precision Glass Manufacturing
Why Thin Substrates, Tough Tolerances, and Tight Timelines Demand More Than Just the Lowest Quote Small mistakes can lead to significant consequences in precision glass manufacturing. When substrates get thinner, tolerances get…
Read article
Article
The IRD Glass Core: Building on Values Part 2: Innovation in Everything
Innovation at IRD Glass: A Culture of Continuous Improvement At IRD Glass, innovation isn’t just about bringing new capabilities to market —it’s a mindset that drives us to improve every process, every product, and even ourselv…
Read article
Article
Crafted with Care: The Value of Cell-Based Production at IRD Glass
In the precision-driven world of glass manufacturing, IRD Glass stands apart by blending cutting-edge technology with a people-first philosophy. While advanced machinery and processes are crucial, our competitive edge lies in o…
Read article
Article
Our Business, beyond Business – the Just Cause Driving IRD Glass
At IRD Glass, we’ve always believed there’s more to our work beyond the precision glass and ceramic components we manufacture. While product quality and customer satisfaction are central to our work, our leadership has always c…
Read article
Article
The Importance of Quality Control in Precision Glass Manufacturing
When creating components for applications in the aerospace, medical, outer space, and defense industries, there’s no room for error. At IRD Glass, we know that our customers rely on our precision to enable their visions. That i…
Read article