Optical design
ULO and LBP Optics use OpticStudio (also known as Zemax) and SolidWorks for our optical and mechanical design work. Both are industry standards making the sharing of files as trouble-free as possible. Some optical designs will be confidential, but it is possible to provide a Zemax ‘Black Box’ file where appropriate.
Once the optics are finalised, SolidWorks is used to design any mechanical housing required or just to design those items of beam delivery that do not require optics. 3D parts, assemblies and manufacturing drawings can all be created.
Despite being armed with up-to-date software, there are times when we fall back on software like Excel to answer "pre-design" questions like "How large does my laser beam need to be to allow the beam waist to be pushed out to 5 metres?" and therefore "What magnification beamexpander do I need?". The quirky behaviour of laser beams and the fundamental specifications of an optical system can be quickly determined.
We have designed and developed many of our own products over the years, and have also worked as part of both national and international collaborative projects, including the Laser Snake for nuclear decommissioning.