LightPath Technologies Announces Enhanced Chalcogenide Infrared Lens Capabilities

LightPath Technologies Inc (NASDAQ:LPTH), a leading vertically integrated global manufacturer global manufacturer and distrubutor of proprietary optical and infrared components announced its comprehensive production capabilities and global availability for a new line of infrared lenses and made of a chalcogenide compound.

As quoted in the press release:

This compound is developed and produced internally by LightPath to produce Black Diamond^TM glass and marketed as BD6™. LightPath’s new chalcogenide line of infrared lenses is an ideal alternative to products made from Germanium.

LightPath’s BD6™ (As40Se60 chalcogenide glass) is now being produced in high volumes in its Orlando, Florida facility for use in a large number of infrared applications. In addition to molding, BD6™ material can be fabricated into optical elements via precision diamond turning. A number of optical coating options, including DLC, are available and suitable for varied customer requirements.

“Our work with chalcogenide glass for infrared lenses is state of the art,” said Jim Gaynor, President and Chief Executive Officer of LightPath. “LightPath is one of the few manufacturers in the world to possess the broad breadth of capabilities, which includes our internally melted glass, our vertically integrated processing, and the different ways in which the glass is transformed at production level quantities into highly technical IR lenses. LightPath has the unique capability with the expertise to perform both diamond turning and precision molding for chalcogenide glass. This enables us to make high-performance lenses of virtually any size.”

Mr. Gaynor continued, “Beyond the performance qualities this product offers to our customers, we have improved control of the supply chain — since we are the supply chain — and may now better regulate the primary cost of materials used in our largest segment of consolidated revenues. We are now actively working with our existing customers to convert them to our own material and have begun a global marketing campaign to introduce our new line of lenses. In turn, as we have previously demonstrated significant demand creation through reduced prices while yielding margin enhancements for our visible optics product lines, we believe a similar course will be defined for our infrared product line.”

Click here for the full text release.