SWIR Lenses for Shortwave Infrared Imaging and Inspection

Shortwave infrared (SWIR) imaging shows detail that visible-light and thermal cameras miss. Materials that look identical to the eye can separate cleanly in SWIR. Moisture, defects and subsurface features show up with usable contrast, and the band carries useful imaging through haze and fog. Wavelength’s SWIR lenses are built for these applications: industrial machine vision, inspection, scientific imaging and security systems, where you need fine detail and the detector alone is not enough. The catalogue covers 21 part numbers, and custom designs are available when a standard lens does not fit your system.

Where SWIR Imaging Earns Its Place

SWIR is used where other detectors or cameras are not sensitive enough to recognize fine detail. In practice, that means three things:

• Electronics and semiconductor inspection. Electronic board inspection and solar cell inspection rely on SWIR to reveal features and defects that are hard to resolve in the visible band.
• Sorting and quality control. Material and food sorting lines use SWIR’s high-contrast differentiation to separate products, contaminants and foreign material that look alike under visible light.
• Seeing through conditions. Surveillance and security systems use SWIR to keep imaging in fog, rain, snow and haze, where visible cameras lose contrast.

The same optics also serve laser work. If you’re aligning or profiling a laser beam, a SWIR lens paired with a suitable camera lets you see the beam directly. Other uses include analysis of legal and historic documents, where SWIR can bring out writing and alterations not visible to the eye, and biotech imaging, including viewing small animals.

Selecting a Lens From the Catalogue

The specification table on this page lists each part by the parameters you need for system integration:

• Wavelength: the design band for the lens, to match your camera’s spectral response.
• Focal length: sets field of view and magnification for your working distance and sensor.
• Focus type: how focus is set on the lens.
• F-number: governs light throughput and depth of field, which matters for SWIR sensors in low-signal setups.
• Back working distance (BWD): the mechanical clearance between the lens and the image plane.
• Mount: the mechanical interface to your camera body.
• Detector: the sensor format the lens is designed to cover.

Start with your detector and mount, then narrow by focal length and F-number for your field of view and light budget. If two candidates look close, BWD and focus type often decide the fit inside a compact enclosure or on a production line.

Custom SWIR Optics

Standard parts don’t cover every system. If your application needs a different focal length, aperture, mount or detector format, Wavelength can design a lens to your specifications. Submit your requirements through the RFQ form. The more you can tell us about your camera, working distance, field of view and environment, the faster the engineering team can assess the design.

Why Buy Through Wavelength Optics USA

Wavelength Optics is the US arm of Wavelength Opto-Electronic, the Singapore-based manufacturer of these lenses. Buying through the US entity gives you:

• Local support in your time zone, from a team that works directly with the manufacturing side.
• Fast quoting on catalogue parts and custom requests.
• Technical consultation on selection. You can talk through detector compatibility, field of view and working distance with an engineer before you commit to a part, whether you’re specifying optics for a sorting line, an inspection station or a surveillance system.

To start, choose a part from the table below or send your specifications through the RFQ form.