Q. Is it possible to change the lens coatings?

We would like to use your off-the-shelf lens but want to change the coatings to increase the transmission in the near-infrared wavelength range.

A. Yes, it’s possible!

Kowa has factories that are equipped with coating processing equipment. We can support customer requests for any specific wavelength range such as NIR and SWIR. Water-repellent, oil-repellent, and other unique coatings can also be applied.

Q. We’d like a lens that is ruggedized and has no locking screws. Do you have any good solutions?

We are worried that the lens locking screws used in the adjustment of the focus and the iris might drop out of the lens due to vibration or impacts. If the locking screws drop out onto the manufacturing line, we’d have to stop the line. Don’t you have any good proposals?

A. Yes we have!

In addition to having the best optical designers in the industry, Kowa also employs many skilled mechanical engineers. By combining both optical and mechanical design expertise, Kowa has created a unique ruggedized lens that eliminates the need for locking screws and many moving parts. Kowa’s ruggedized lenses are especially ideal for applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Furthermore, with Kowa’s locking ring type design, the focus can be adjusted from any direction, allowing for more fine tune settings to be made even in locations and/or housings where the lens is difficult to reach.

Q. Can we take an existing off-the-shelf lens and make it smaller?

We managed to find a lens that meets our specifications, but it is unfortunately too big to fit into the equipment that we are currently developing. Could you make the lens smaller?

A. Yes we can!

By utilizing aspherical lenses, it is possible to develop and manufacture an optical system that is smaller and lighter, while still maintaining peak performance. The vibration and shock resistance of a lens will also improve as the size decreases.

Q. Can we manufacture a camera and lens as one fully integrated unit?

We are looking for a vision solution that can be used in a system with very tight size constraints. When we find an ideal camera, there are often no matching lenses that work well or vice versa. It would be great if Kowa could supply both the camera and lens with the strict requirements we have in mind.

A. Yes we can!

We can design a camera and lens unit that minimizes the size and maximizes the performance. By developing the camera and lens as one cohesive hardware, it will be possible to reduce the size and cost without sacrificing quality.