Sapphire and technical ceramic components manufactured by IRD Glass

Optical and technical materials

IRD machines, grinds, laps, polishes, and coordinates coatings across optical glass, technical glass, sapphire, advanced ceramics, infrared materials, and selected composites.

Material choice changes tool wear, edge behavior, attainable finish, inspection strategy, and yield. Send the drawing and operating conditions early so the manufacturing route can be evaluated as one system.

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6: Material families
7: Primary process categories
2: Minnesota facilities

Selection

Materials expertise

IRD works with a wide range of advanced glass and ceramic materials engineered for demanding medical, optical, and industrial applications.

Different materials respond differently to environmental and operating conditions. Some materials are highly resistant to moisture and chemical exposure, while others are selected for optical clarity, thermal stability, strength, or scratch resistance. Selecting the right material is critical to long-term performance and reliability.

Our capabilities include working with:

Advanced optical glasses
Sapphire oriented to the A, C, R, and M planes
Technical ceramics (Alumina, Zirconia, Silicon Carbide, Silicon Nitride)
Infrared-transmitting materials, including silicon, chalcogenide glass, sapphire, ZnS, and ZnSe
Custom material solutions selected for specific environmental and performance requirements

IRD provides design-for-manufacturability input and helps customers compare material options against operating conditions, durability, optical performance, availability, and manufacturability. Final material selection remains with the customer.

From prototype through production, IRD manufactures precision components designed to perform reliably in challenging medical, laser, sensing, and industrial environments.

When application demands become more complex, material expertise matters as much as manufacturing precision.

Optical glass productsBrowse component families by use.Measured capabilitiesReview process and tolerance context.

Materials and coatings

Technical glass materials and coatings

IRD manufactures precision technical glass, ceramic, and coated optical components for OEMs in the laser, sensing, aerospace, medical, and advanced manufacturing industries. We help customers select the optimal material and coating combination based on thermal expansion requirements, environmental exposure, optical performance, durability, and system compatibility. Our advanced material selection and coating capabilities allow components to be engineered for thermal stability, environmental durability, optical clarity, and repeatable long-term performance in demanding applications. IRD supports customers from early-stage development through full production, delivering material and coating solutions engineered for critical environments.

Materials and coatings

Advanced optical glass materials
Sapphire and fused silica fabrication
Technical ceramics and specialty materials
Thin-film optical coatings
Custom thin-film metallization on precision tubes and components
Anti-reflective (AR) and high reflectivity (HR) coatings
Hydrophilic and hydrophobic coatings
Chemical and heat strengthening
Precision rods used for tooling, spacers, and masking applications
Prototype through production manufacturing

Technical glass components

Precision tubes
Pedestals and mounting components
Optical and non-optical technical glass parts
Precision tooling and fixturing components
Custom engineered components built to specification

Representative capabilities

Surface roughness below 2 Å Ra at best on qualified materials and geometries
Flatness better than 1/20 wave at best on qualified sizes and geometries
Tight-tolerance dimensional and parallelism control
Precision grinding, polishing, and coating processes

Material index

Material families

Representative materials and the work they are chosen for. Availability, grade, certification, and lot requirements are confirmed for each program.

A precision polishing cell running at IRD Glass

Optical glass

Materials selected for controlled transmission, refractive behavior, surface quality, and optical figure.

Fused silica / quartzLow thermal expansion and broad optical useLaser optics, windows, mirrors, light pipes, and instrumentation

BorosilicateThermal and chemical stability with practical fabricationMedical glass, tubes, cuvettes, windows, and technical shapes

Filter glassSpectral transmission or absorption by compositionBandpass, cutoff, color, detection, and illumination filters

ZERODUR®Very low thermal expansionMetrology references, mirrors, spacers, and dimensionally stable tooling

Technical glass

Glass used as a precision mechanical or insulating component, whether or not a surface carries optical power.

Soda-lime / float glassEconomical sheet material with controlled surfacesWindows, substrates, covers, seals, and high-volume components

Machinable glass-ceramicInsulating material suited to complex mechanical geometryMounts, spacers, fixtures, and electrical isolation

Specialty technical glassSelected for thermal, electrical, or dimensional behaviorTubes, gyro blocks, pedestals, seals, and sensor components

Sapphire and transparent hard materials

Wear-resistant crystalline materials for demanding optical, thermal, and mechanical environments.

SapphireHard, wear resistant, and optically useful from visible into IRWindows, wear parts, sensor protection, medical, aerospace, and defense

SpinelTransparent polycrystalline ceramic for harsh environmentsProtective windows and visible-to-IR systems

Technical ceramics

Hard, stable, electrically and thermally useful materials shaped for functional components.

AluminaWear resistance and electrical insulationSubstrates, spacers, sensor parts, nozzles, and tooling

ZirconiaStrength and fracture toughness among technical ceramicsWear components, medical parts, tooling, and precision structures

Silicon carbideHardness, stiffness, wear, and thermal performanceHarsh-environment parts, tooling, and advanced structures

Infrared materials

Materials chosen for transmission in infrared wavelength bands and the environment around the optic.

GermaniumCommon long-wave infrared optical materialThermal imaging lenses, windows, and sensor optics

SiliconInfrared transmission with semiconductor material propertiesIR windows, lenses, and instrumentation

Chalcogenide glassMoldable and machinable IR-transmitting glass familiesInfrared lenses, windows, and sensor assemblies

Composites and customer-specified materials

Selected hard or brittle materials evaluated against IRD's machining, grinding, lapping, and inspection methods.

Engineered compositesProperties depend on constituent and constructionFixtures, wear parts, structures, and specialized OEM components

Customer-specified gradesCertification, orientation, and lot controls as requiredPrograms where material identity is part of the controlled drawing

Capability inmeasured terms.

Every tolerance IRD holds, with the maximum part envelope for each process. These are manufacturing capabilities, not automatic specifications for every geometry and material, final feasibility depends on the complete drawing, material condition, feature relationships, inspection method, quantity, and schedule. Materials run across all of these processes include glass, ceramic, sapphire, spinel, quartz, and ZERODUR®.

Process & attribute	Typical	Best case	Context and max envelope
Machining, dimension	±.005 in	±.0001 in	CNC milling, Swiss turning, drilling; max part 30 × 16 × 16 in
Machining, flatness / parallelism	±.005 in	±.002 in	Machined faces before grinding or lapping
Machining, radius	±.005 in	±.002 in	Profiles, corners, and formed features
Machining, roughness	Ra 30 µin	Ra 10 µin	As-machined surfaces
Grinding, dimension	±.002 in	±.002 in	ID, OD, surface, and profile grinding; max 24 in dia × 6 in ht
Grinding, flatness / parallelism	±.001 in	±.0002 in	Hard materials and structural geometry
Grinding, radius	±.005 in	±.001 in	Formed and profile-ground features
Grinding, roughness	Ra 40 µin	Ra 10 µin	Ground surfaces before lapping or polishing
Lapping, flatness / parallelism	±.000050 in	±.000010 in	Seals, spacers, tooling, references; max 13.3 in dia
Lapping, roughness	Ra < 10 µin	Ra < 5 µin	Single- and double-sided lapping
Polishing, roughness	Ra < 1 µin	Ra < 2 Å	Optical faces, windows, mirrors; max 36 in dia
Polishing, flatness	1 wave	< 1/20 wave	Wavefront-critical surfaces
Polishing, parallelism	30 arc sec	< 2 arc sec	Windows, filters, and plane-parallel optics
Polishing, angle	< 5 arc min	3 arc sec	Prisms, wedges, and alignment geometry
Sawing, dimension	±.005 in	±.001 in	Blanking and sizing; max 14 × 8 × 1 in
Waterjet, dimension	±.010 in	±.005 in	Profiles; work envelope up to 40 × 24 × 2 in
Dicing, dimension	±.005 in	±.0005 in	Small-format parts and arrays; max 8 in dia × .300 in thick

Engineering review

Bring the material and the drawing together.

When application performance depends on precision materials, advanced coatings, and dimensional stability working together, IRD delivers engineered solutions built to specification. Include the material grade, operating environment, critical dimensions, surface requirements, inspection method, quantity, and schedule. Final capability is quoted to the drawing. Achievable tolerance depends on material, feature size, geometry, coating, and production volume.

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