What Precision Optical Inc does

Precision Optical Inc. is a privately held, family-owned US manufacturer of custom precision prisms, optical components, and thin-film coatings, founded in 1959 and operating from a single 42,000 sq. ft. facility in Costa Mesa, California. The firm is vertically integrated across the full production lifecycle: engineering and optical design, materials qualification (including IR materials such as CaF2, ZnS, ZnSe, Si, and Ge), CNC machining, continuous-pitch polishing (nearly 35 polishers including 72-, 84-, and 96-inch units), thin-film coating deposition (E-beam, ion beam sputtering via CEC Navigator 1100, thermal evaporation, plasma assist, ion assist), opto-mechanical assembly in a clean room, and comprehensive metrology with 600mm aperture interferometry and 3-flat testing. Notable technical benchmarks include ±0.2 arc second angular tolerance, 10nm PVr and 2nm RMS surface form error on prisms, and lambda/50 surface forms on large optical flats up to 850mm.

The company sells B2B on a quote basis to enterprise and government customers in defense and security, astronomy and aerospace, high-energy lasers, metrology, biomedical, and semiconductor equipment. Revenue is generated through custom one-off orders and multi-year production contracts for prisms, retroreflectors, alignment cubes, optical flats, windows, mirrors, beamsplitters, and complete optical assemblies, supplemented by a smaller catalog channel. Pricing varies with optical complexity, tolerance, material, coating, and volume. GTM is led by a dedicated sales organization (VP Sales & CRO, Sales Manager) using enterprise field sales, supported by SPIE trade-show presence (Photonics West, Defense & Security, OptiFab, Optics + Photonics) and direct account management to defense contractors and commercial optical-system manufacturers.

The firm holds ISO 9001:2015, ITAR registration, and RoHS/REACH compliance, is pursuing ISO 17025 for metrology calibration, and employs 101-250 people across manufacturing, engineering, and quality functions. It is family-controlled (Lambert family leadership since founding) with no external private equity, venture capital, or parent-company ownership disclosed.

Name

Precision Optical Inc

Legal name

Precision Optical Inc.

Website

https://precisionoptical.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom Precision Optical Components

SIC

Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827)

akta.pro primary industry

Machine Vision & Optical Sensing (Cameras, 3D vision, LiDAR, illumination) (IMAGAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Optics & Laser/Light Engine Components (Lenses, Galvos, Laser Modules, UV Engines) (IMAAAIAC)

Keywords

• Custom optics manufacturing
• Precision prisms
• Thin film coatings
• Optical assemblies
• Precision metrology

Headquarters

HQ city

Costa Mesa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Custom Optical Component Manufacturing: Design and manufacture of custom precision optical components including prisms, alignment cubes, corner cube retroreflectors, optical flats, windows, and mirrors to customer specifications. Revenue generated from one-time component orders and long-term production contracts.
2. Thin Film Coating Services: Application of thin film coatings (AR, mirror, beamsplitter, filter coatings) to optical components, both internally produced and customer-supplied optics. Services include prototype through high-volume production orders.
3. Optical Assembly Integration: Integration and assembly of optical components into opto-mechanical assemblies with precision alignment for defense, aerospace, and laser applications.
4. Metrology Services: Custom metrology and testing services including interferometric testing, spectral testing, angular testing, and calibration services for flat surface forms and small angles.
5. Catalog Optics: Standard catalog optical components including corner cubes, alignment cubes, porro prisms, and right angle prisms available for immediate purchase.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Precision Optical designs and manufactures custom precision optical components and assemblies, with a core specialty in prisms (corner cubes, porro, penta, right-angle, alignment cubes) and optical flats up to 850mm. The company provides vertically integrated services including thin-film coatings (AR, mirror, beamsplitter, filter), ultra-precision polishing, optical assembly, and metrology for defense, aerospace, laser, biomedical, semiconductor, and metrology customers.

Product overview

Precision Optical Inc is a world-leading manufacturer of custom prisms and precision optical components with over 65 years of experience. The company's product portfolio centers on custom prisms (their core specialty since 1959), corner cube retroreflectors, alignment cubes, porro prisms, penta prisms, beamsplitters, optical flats (including large optics up to 850mm), and catalog optics. They offer vertically integrated services including thin-film coatings (mirror, AR, beamsplitter, and filter coatings using E-beam, IBS, thermal evaporation, plasma assist, and ion assist technologies), optical polishing (with nearly 35 continuous polishers), metrology services (interferometric, angular, mechanical, spectral, and environmental testing with up to 600mm aperture capability), CNC machining, assembly and integration, engineering design, and materials qualification. They serve defense, aerospace, laser, biomedical, semiconductor, and metrology industries with products ranging from 3mm prisms to 850mm optical flats.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Prisms Precision Optical's core specialty, manufacturing custom prismatic optics with angular tolerances down to ±0.2 arc second and surface form error down to 10nm PVr. Includes Dove prisms, roof prisms, and other intricate custom geometries for defense, aerospace, laser, and metrology applications.
• Corner Cube Retroreflectors High-precision retroreflectors available in both custom and catalog configurations for defense, aerospace, laser, and metrology applications requiring demanding precision and lead times.
• Porro Prisms / Right Angle Prisms Catalog porro prisms and right angle prisms available with N-BK7 substrate, sizes from 6.4mm to 50.8mm, angle tolerances from 1 to 300 arc seconds, and various coating options.
• Alignment Cubes Standard and custom sized optical alignment prisms with precision angles in several glass types as well as stainless steel, for laser and optical system alignment.
• Penta Prisms Custom penta prisms for various optical applications requiring precise beam deviation, serving surveying, imaging, and laser system customers.
• Beamsplitters Custom and catalog beamsplitters including non-polarizing, polarizing, and broadband polarizing configurations for laser, imaging, and instrumentation applications.
• Optical Flats Precision optical flats including large optical flats up to 850mm, unmounted reference flats, optical windows and mirrors, and mounted reference flats for metrology and interferometry reference applications.
• Large Optical Flats Large optics manufacturing capability for optical flats, windows, and mirrors up to 850mm diameter with surface forms below lambda/50 for metrology, astronomy, and aerospace applications.
• Catalog Optics Stock catalog products including corner cubes, alignment cubes, porro prisms, and right angle prisms available for quick delivery.
• Thin-Film Coatings Precision thin film coatings for UV, visible, and near IR spectral regions. Includes mirror coatings (protected/enhanced aluminum and silver, dielectric broadband, cold/hot), AR coatings (single-layer, V-coat, double V-coat, broadband), beamsplitter coatings, and filter coatings, applied to in-house and customer-supplied optics.
• Ion Beam Sputtering (IBS) Coatings Advanced coating technology using ion beam sputtering for ultra-precise, dense coatings including rugate coatings, available via CEC Navigator 1100 IBS system.
• Optical Assembly & Integration Expert optical alignment and environmental resistance for critical alignment specifications, including opto-mechanical assemblies for defense, aerospace, and laser customers.
• Optical Polishing Services Ultra-precision polishing services using continuous pitch polishing laps (nearly 35 continuous polishers including 72", 84", and 96" machines) achieving sub-arc second tolerances.
• Metrology Services Comprehensive metrology including interferometric testing, angular testing, mechanical testing, spectral testing, environmental testing, and surface form inspection up to 600mm aperture with 3-flat testing capability.
• CNC Machining Services Precision CNC machining for optical components including light-weighting and custom features on prisms and other optics.
• Engineering Services State-of-the-art optical design and engineering solutions for critical optical design requirements, supporting customer projects from concept through manufacturing.
• Materials Qualification Services Glass material certification for striae, stress birefringence, and inhomogeneity inspection, including IR materials such as CaF2, ZnS, ZnSe, Si, and Ge.
• High Energy Laser (HEL) Optics Optics for high energy laser applications with surface defect requirements often 20-10 or better, produced using Class 1000 cleaning hoods and dedicated clean room facilities.
• LWIR Transmission Flats Recently developed long-wave infrared (LWIR) mounted transmission flats for specialized applications.
• Large Format E-beam Coating Service Tecport Symphony 12 large format e-beam evaporator with ion-assisted deposition capable of accommodating optics up to 480mm in diameter for thin-film coating production.

Quantifiable outcome

• Angular tolerances down to ±0.2 arc second
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lockheed MartincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 May 2019Precision Optical serves as a supplier to Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, providing precision optical components for defense applications. Received recognition as a top small business supplier for exemplary performance in 2018, demonstrating critical role in Lockheed Martin's defense supply chain.
• Institute of Optics at University of RochesterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaboration through the Institute of Optics Industrial Affiliates program. Hosted visit by Director Scott P. Carney and Director of Business Advancement Suzanne DeMers to discuss potential research collaborations and support for educational efforts. Institute of Optics was founded in 1929 and is recognized as premier optics education and research center.
• Pasadena City CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Pasadena City College LaserTech program through the Ensign-Lambert Optics Education Program. Company instructors teach LASR245 Quality Assurance for Precision Optics course, provide shop tours, and mentor students. Over 120 students have gained hands-on perspective through this program.
• Irvine Valley CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFive-year partnership with Irvine Valley College Laser Technology Program offering classes in optical cutting & shaping, fine grinding & polishing, and quality assurance. Fall 2018 enrollment of 24 students in LASR225 course. Supports company's regenerative ecosystem initiative for optics technician workforce development.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Jenoptik: Jenoptik is a European photonics and optics manufacturer producing precision optical components, laser systems, and semiconductor equipment. Comparable in custom optical components and defense/laser exposure, though at significantly larger scale and geographic breadth.
• Zygo (AMETEK): Zygo, part of AMETEK, manufactures precision optical components, metrology instruments and interferometers used in semiconductor, defense and metrology applications. Comparable in metrology optics and ultra-precision surface finishing, but operates as a much larger incumbent with broader metrology instrumentation.
• Coherent (formerly II-VI): Coherent manufactures laser optics, thin-film coatings, and components for industrial, defense and semiconductor laser systems. Direct overlap in laser-grade coatings and large-format laser optics, but Coherent operates at materially larger scale and broader vertical scope.
• Newport / MKS Instruments: Newport (MKS Instruments) supplies photonics components, optical sub-assemblies, and motion control for laser, semiconductor and research customers. Comparable in laser optics, beamsplitters and optomechanical assemblies, but with a much broader catalog and system-level offerings.

Direct peers

• Edmund Optics: Edmund Optics is a global manufacturer and distributor of optical components including prisms, lenses, mirrors, and filters, with both catalog and custom manufacturing. Directly comparable to Precision Optical across catalog optics, custom prisms, thin-film coatings, and a shared defense/aerospace/laser customer base.
• Thorlabs: Thorlabs manufactures a broad portfolio of photonics components — prisms, mirrors, beamsplitters, lenses, optomechanics — and offers custom optics services. Overlaps directly with Precision Optical in precision prism manufacturing, thin-film coatings, and assembly for laser, defense and biomedical applications.
• Optics Balzers: Optics Balzers is a thin-film coatings and optical components specialist serving laser, automotive, lighting and sensor markets. Highly comparable to Precision Optical in thin-film coating capabilities, IBS technology and laser optics, primarily operating in Europe.
• Sydor Optics: Sydor Optics is a US-based custom precision optics manufacturer specializing in flat optics, prisms, and laser-grade components for defense, semiconductor and research customers. Comparable niche scale, custom manufacturing focus, and customer mix to Precision Optical.
• LaCroix Precision Optics: LaCroix Precision Optics is a US manufacturer of custom precision optical components, including prisms, flats, windows, and assemblies, serving defense, aerospace and laser markets. Closely comparable in size, product mix and customer verticals to Precision Optical.

Regional players

• Shanghai Optics (SOPO): Shanghai Optics is a China-based custom optics manufacturer producing prisms, lenses, mirrors and coated components for laser, biomedical and industrial customers. Comparable product set to Precision Optical in custom prisms and optical flats, but serving primarily Asia-based and price-sensitive customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/precision-optical-inc.

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Precision Optical Inc