Latest news
At Photo Solutions, we keep tabs on the photonics industry so we can offer the highest quality products with best practices to our clients. In our blog, we explore everything from new techniques to industry news.
How The Glass Wafer Market Is Changing Electronics As We Know Them
The glass wafer is having a moment. Electronic manufacturers increasingly opt for glass over other substrate materials due to its versatility.Glass wafers can be found in electronic products like high-resolution displays, micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), and...
Photonics In Space: An Exploration Of Small Components On Big Missions
In December 2022, NASA launched the Lunar Flashlight Satellite to find surface water ice in the moon's craters. The satellite uses photonic mechanisms to aid its search, specifically four lasers using near-infrared beams. The Lunar Flashlight is just one of many...
The Best Imaged Glass Components For Precision Medical Instruments
Optics and photonics use in the medical field is critically important. Depending on the procedure, countless configurations, etchings, and materials can improve performance. This week, we’re talking about the best imaged glass components and how they are taking...
Digging Deeper Into Photo Solutions’ Laser Filament Process
For over thirty years, Photo Solutions has stayed on the cutting edge (in this case, literally) of innovation. This month we’re getting more technical about our laser-cutting capabilities with our laser filament process—and the applications our clients can apply with...
The Top Photonics Trends We’re Watching In 2023
Towards the end of the 18th century, the IEEE’s precursor (IEEE Lasers and Electro-Optics Society) wrote a journal titled “Photonics Technology Letters.” Since this first mention of photonics in publication, the industry has been at the forefront of countless...
Deep Dive Into Nanophotonics and How It’s Shaping The Industry
If you’ve been following the IEEE’s conference schedule this year and last, you know that nanophotonics is a hot topic. As nanotechnologies explode in growth, we see the implications across industries—including the future of photonics. Read on for our deep dive. ...
Exploring LIDAR Applications In Everyday Technology Using Precision Photonics
If you remember from last month, we talked about how optoelectronics have driven Lidar technologies. This bird’s eye view looked specifically at the role optoelectronics played in Lidar’s advancement over the years. This time, we’re getting more specific and talking...
Trust Our USA-Made Encoder Components For Your New Year Engineering Solutions
When trusting an encoder component manufacturer for your engineering solutions, you need to tick a few boxes for reliability, quality, performance, and service. At Photo Solutions, we’d like to add USA-made encoder components to that list. And, since 1989, we’ve been...
The Small Components Changing The Future of Warehouse Automation
Warehouses play a critical role in supply chains across industries. Over the decades, they’ve become more efficient, driven by consumer demand and changing technologies. Today, warehouse automation is the most defining feature of modern warehouses, making systems more...
How Optoelectronics Have Driven Lidar Technologies
Technology directly impacts how we interact with and understand the world. For example, with advancements in Lidar technologies over the last six decades, we can now use measuring data to help uncover lost cities, map our forests, and measure the atmosphere. And...
Optical Components For Metrology: Precision Applications
There are countless industries for which optical components are necessary. When it comes to metrology, though, precision optoelectronics are critically important for more accurate and automated systems. In this blog, we discuss the most important optical components...
How Custom Calibration Targets Are Reaching New Heights for NASA
Aerospace engineering requires detailed thinking, advanced technology, highly precise components, and a multi-faceted approach to complex problems. Although small parts of whole systems, calibration targets play an integral role in helping NASA in its space...
Photo Solutions’ Laser-Cut Glass Services: Machine Tech, Process, and Precision
Laser-cut glass is one of those tools in the engineering arsenal that can be used for countless applications. Whether that’s precisely etched crosshairs on a rifle scope or fabricated glass components for medical devices, the laser-imaged patterns need to be...
How A Glass Reticle Provides Measurements For Optical Devices
As a critical component in optical devices, a glass reticle needs to be precisely manufactured for optimal performance. This week, we're discussing how these components provide measurements, industry applications, and benefits of glass reticles. The Role of A Glass...
What Sets Photo Solutions’ Optoelectronics Engineering Apart
Optoelectronics engineering requires industry experience, cutting-edge technology, and technical know-how. At Photo Solutions, we pride ourselves on providing all three, plus our unmatched customer service. Read on to discover how this makes a difference for our...
How Precision Encoder Components Empower Autonomous Mobile Robots to Shape Our World
Maybe you first noticed them while grocery shopping, checking for hazards or scanning items that need to be restocked. Or maybe you even have one in your home running on a fixed schedule and picking up your crumbs. We’re talking, of course, about autonomous mobile...
The Importance of Custom Optical Encoder Discs for OEMs
If you’re an OEM supplying essential integrations that propel bigger manufacturing systems, you know precision matters. At Photo Solutions, our custom optical encoder discs serve OEM applications from medical to metrology. Custom Optical Encoder Discs and OEMs ...
Magnetic vs. Optical Encoders: Comparing Encoder Disc Technologies
There’s no doubt that encoder disc technologies and advancements have resounding impacts on worldwide engineering solutions. These optical components play critical roles in the operation of tools across industries—from medical to aerospace. We’re comparing two of the...
Photochemical vs. Laser Etching: Which Method Creates the Best Encoder Disks?
Precise etching is to encoder disks what measurement is to engineering. Without it, these tiny disks’ inaccuracy could topple entire mechanical systems. The best encoder disks utilize some sort of advanced etching technique for optimal results. But what’s better:...
Essential Encoder Disc Functions For Bespoke Applications
Not much can be left up to chance if you’re in the business of automation, medical, robotics, aerospace, or metrology. And “one size fits all” is probably not in your vocabulary, either. When it comes to encoder disc functions for bespoke applications, you likely have...
Understanding the Top Benefits of Precision Laser-Cut Encoder Wheels
Encoder wheels are one of the necessary components used in mechanical and optical applications ranging from robotics to industrial control systems. On such a small scale, precision is paramount to the entire operation's success. That’s where laser-cut encoder wheels...
Medical Device Manufacturers Look to Innovative Encoder Components to Improve Patient Outcomes
Today’s medical device manufacturers are focused on providing continuous technological advances for doctors and their patients. These advances are often propelled by innovative encoder components that help devices track changes in position and motion. With smoother...
Why Proper Motion Control Systems are Essential For Your “First Time Right” Metrics
The name of the game in manufacturing is efficiency and accuracy. Without an efficient and accurate system, productivity drops, and manufacturing operators lose valuable resources, like time and money. But with the right metrics to guide the way, you can keep the maze...
Material Review: When Should You Opt for a Glass Encoder Disc
Over the past few months, we've discussed nearly every type of encoder disc material available at Photo Solutions. We covered Mylars' cost-effectiveness and aluminums' durability, but the one material that's the gold standard for accuracy is glass. When it comes to...
Essential Optical Encoder Components and How They Work Together
There's so much innovation in today's machinery. From handheld medical imaging equipment to automated mechanical robots that move boxes and supplies around a warehouse, today's tools are complex and dynamic. So how do these sophisticated autonomous machines stay on...
How Photo Solutions Can Help With Your Precision Robotics
With its introduction in the 1950s by Joseph Engleberger, the field of robotics changed the course of human history forever. Over the next 70 years, dangerous and time-consuming tasks were offloaded to sophisticated machines, giving humans more time to focus on...
Why Source Your Custom Encoder Discs and Scales from Photo Solutions? Quality and Speed.
If you’re in the market for custom encoder discs and scales, you know there are many considerations to weigh when choosing a supplier. Mistakes at scale are costly, so you need a company that can produce reliable products with precision and accuracy every time. But...
An Overview of Standard Encoder Disc Materials
One of the most important decisions you can make when designing an encoder is to choose the proper encoder disc material for your project. Material choice has a significant impact on encoder performance. Choose the wrong disc material, and you can end up with...
All About Photo Solutions’ Services: Custom Microlithography, Diamond Dicing, and More
At Photo Solutions, we're known for working with clients across a wide range of industries to design and manufacture custom encoder discs and scales. But our precision equipment and skilled craftsmanship conveniently lend themselves to various similar production...
How Reflective Scales Help Scientists Push the Boundaries of Discovery
Innovation is the driving force in the scientific community. But behind every life-changing scientific discovery is the piece of equipment that helped uncover the secret. Take the driverless car: this revolutionary advancement would not have been possible if it wasn’t...
Material Review: When Should You Opt for A Mylar Encoder Disc or Scale?
Encoder discs and scales are essential components used in practically every piece of robotics or motion machinery. Complex and expensive encoder discs are usually needed for machines that execute intricate tasks. But for simple use-cases at scale, balancing complexity...
Here’s What You Need to Know to Design the Perfect Encoder Disc
So you've decided to opt for a custom encoder disc for your design. This is a wise choice, as greater control over your encoder components' specifications means your design allows for the most accuracy and precision—giving you a more effective encoder for your project...
Photo Solutions Specializes in Custom Encoder Components
For over 30 years, our team has been crafting custom optoelectronic components for industry-leading companies in metrology, aerospace, medical robotics, and more. We pride ourselves on being the top choice for custom encoder components such as discs, scales, and hub...
Material Review: When Should You Opt for an Aluminum Encoder Disc?
When deciding on the encoder components for your mission-critical project, there are a lot of considerations to balance. Of course, your encoder needs to be reliable and produce consistent results. But it may also need to withstand harsh environmental factors. So,...
What’s the Secret to High-Quality Encoders? It’s All About the Encoder Components
When it comes to your mission-critical designs, you need encoders that work. Without well-calibrated and optimized encoders, projects fail to deliver, and the competition leaves you behind. So how do you ensure you're getting the best encoders? You need to invest in...
The Difference Between Absolute and Incremental Rotary Disc Types
Whether they’re keeping precision robotics running smoothly or helping ensure automation equipment stays on target, rotary encoders play a pivotal role in the measurement of angular position and motion. Without this information, motion control technologies and...
Component Highlight: What You Need to Know About the Optical Encoder Disc
Optical encoders are a crucial piece of equipment for engineers creating robotics or motion-control technology. This small but mighty piece of equipment ensures proper motion, alignment, and speed are achieved while using the equipment. Precision measurements are not...
Opt for a Reflective Encoder Scale for Your Next Precision Project
Ever since the industrial revolution, automation has played an essential role in our everyday lives. But new challenges like the miniaturization of motion-control technology (portable printers, handheld medical devices, and more) have pushed engineers to invest in...
Here’s Why You Should Choose Our Optical Components for Your Next Project
You have a lot of options when it comes to choosing a provider for your optical component needs. Whether you opt for a large-scale producer or a local retailer, the products tend to be a “one size fits all’ solution. But, your modern designs require custom solutions....
All About Photo Solutions’ Mylar Encoder Discs
Our interconnected global economy relies heavily on automation and precision motion technology like mylar encoder discs to continue thriving. From the production warehouses to the shipping facilities, motion control technology keeps the flow of goods steady. It also...
A Breakdown of the Photonic Materials We Use and Why
Technological advancements in photonics over the years have helped drive innovation across a variety of fields, including motion control, automation, robotics, and more. One major contributing factor to more efficient and precise photonics technology comes from the...
Types of Rotary Encoder Technologies and 3 Applications That Inspire Us
A rotary encoder monitors angular differences in motion or position, aiding machines as they move and helping ensure movements match required specifications. A technologic journey that started with the first optical encoders built in the 1850s has quickly grown to...
An Optical Linear Encoder Keeps Machining Tools on Target: Here’s How
Automated machinery relies heavily on feedback information to ensure operations run smoothly. Encoder discs play a key role in that endeavor—ensuring accuracy and efficiency in today’s warehouses, robotics, assembly lines, and more. Let’s take a look at one of the...
What is a Reticle and How is it Applied in Aerospace and Metrology?
Reticle technology has been a staple in optical designs since the 17th century. Nowadays, whether your goal is to improve microscopic measurements or the accuracy of a weapon scope, reticles play a crucial role in aiding and customizing modern optical sighting...
Photo Solutions’ Custom Encoder Disc for Mission Critical Designs
For over 30 years, our team of experts has been crafting custom encoder disc solutions for clients worldwide. Our devices have enabled our clients to create ground-breaking technology that improves robotic performance, increases the accuracy and efficiency of...
Reflective Disk Types and Their Applications
At Photo Solutions, we offer a variety of custom reflective disk types for your latest project. These high-quality disks come in various material and size options, perfect for any of your engineering needs. While a typical transmissive encoder disk adequately supports...
The Robotic Arm and Encoder Disk: A Precision Pairing
With every passing year, robotics permeates more and more industries, from manufacturing to aerospace, and even the medical industry. Robotics streamline production lines in warehouses, decrease employee risk during dangerous processes, and even increase power and...
The Role an Optical Encoder Plays in Motor Speed and Position
When it comes to motion control, motor control is vitally important. An optical encoder makes precise motion control possible by impacting motor speed and position for increased efficiency. In this article, we’ll explore the role these photonic components play in...
How a Tiny Reflective Scale Could Solve Big Engineering Problems
It’s a component so small that you might miss it in the grand scheme of things: the reflective scale. However, this small photonic component can have a big impact on engineering problems. Photo Solutions has crafted reflective scale options for the last 30 years and...
Photonic Sensors in Aerospace: Engineering for the Future of Flight
We’re living in an unprecedented age for space exploration, and Photo Solutions is proud to help power that discovery. Since the beginning of 2021, there have been over 50 successful orbit launches. These forays beyond Earth’s atmosphere require components...