Cleaning Optical Components
It is not that easy to clean Precision Optic Components! Since they are very delicate, you need to put extra effort to handle and clean them. If you handle optical product with care, they are going to give you service for a lifetime. Usually, optics gets contaminated by things like skin oil and dust.
If you don't clean your optics properly, chances are the contaminants will remain on the surface of your visual component and they will absorb incident radiation and can create hotspots on the optical surface. These hotspots can permanently damage your optic.
You can use different methods to clean this. However, you must choose the right cleaning option. There is a limitation to the extent you can use a cleaning method. Due to variation in material and size not every cleaning procedure is right for cleaning your product. You must take utmost caution and verify the right handling process with your optical manufacturer to keep the component in best working condition.
Unpacking Your Optic
From the time you unpack your optic, if you start using the right cleaning method, you unknowingly increase durability of the product! You must always unpack some Chalcogenide Glass Optical Components in a pollution-free environment.
You should never touch an optic with bare hands. It is because our hands contain dust, dirt, etc. and if you don't wash your hands before touching, you transfer the dirt to the same causing lifelong damage to it. You should use gloves or optical tweezers to handle that to prevent contamination of any kind. Also, try to always hold your optical product along the non-optical surface to avoid damaging the optical surface.
Reviewing the Optic
After optical manufacturing and after you receive the final product, the next big thing is to inspect the optic before using the same. Contaminants are sometimes hardly visible to the naked eyes (they are that tiny in size). So, you should use a magnifying glass to check the visual component. You can also use a bright light on the optical surface to easily detect any contaminants on the surface. You should keep the lenses perpendicular to your view to see any contaminants.
Cleaning Procedures
As mentioned before in this article, there are different cleaning methods for optics. However, you must choose a particular method after analyzing whether the technique is right for your optical component. For example, if you are not sure how to clean Precise Infrared Germanium, the best thing to do is immediately call the optic manufacturing company.
As dust and dirt get easily blown off, so do the same before using a specific method to clean your optic. However, don't use your mouth; instead use either a blower bulb or an inert dusting gas container. If you are not satisfied with the blowing off procedure, gently wash your optic with mild soap and distilled water to remove all dust from the surface. One thing, you must not keep the optic immersed in water for long; rinse quickly and dry the same. Know more details at kmynge.