SIC 3827 Optical Instruments and Lenses
SIC 3827
This category covers establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing instruments and apparatus that measure an optical property and optically project, measure, or magnify an image, such as binoculars, microscopes, prisms, and lenses. Included are establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing optical sighting and fire control equipment. Establishments engaged in manufacturing contact lenses and eyeglass frames and lenses are classified under SIC 3851: Ophthalmic Goods.
333314
Optical Instrument and Lens Manufacturing
Companies in this industry manufacture a plethora of devices, including weapon-firing control mechanisms, optical laser-sighting systems, binoculars, borescopes, camera lenses, contour projection apparatus, gun sights, opera glasses, interferometers, microscopes, telescopes, periscopes, and spyglasses. Most devices in this industry use lenses. Some products, however, do not utilize lenses, such as rifle-aiming circles and some types of surveying equipment; they simply help users to align or measure objects. Electronic optical devices that do not use glass or plastic lenses, like the electron microscope, are classified elsewhere.
Long-term growth in the industry will depend on the ability of U.S. companies to continue to introduce new optical technologies and improve on existing ones, such as advanced laser-optics, new liquid-crystal devices, and scanning equipment. The latter, used for business, home, security, and banking purposes, has been one of the most promising areas for the optical industry. In the mid-2000s, increased military spending helped fuel spending on defense and weapons applications, and advances in digital cameras—especially cell phone cameras—was driving the camera lenses sector. Total value of shipments in 2003 was $3.3 billion, up from $3.1 billion in 2002. Concerns for the future included a projected decrease in the military budget and market saturation of digital cameras.
The industry can be divided into two major product classes: approximately two-thirds of revenues came from companies manufacturing optical lenses and equipment (such as binoculars, camera and microscope lenses, and astronomical instruments), while the remaining segment of the industry produced optical sighting, tracking, and fire-control equipment. In the mid-2000s the optical sighting, tracking, and fire-control sector, much of which is used in missile systems, combat aircraft, and other defense applications, accounted for approximately 30 percent of all industry revenues.
Within the wide diversity of products offered in the optical lenses and equipment category, in the mid-2000s mounted and unmounted lenses (including photographic) accounted for approximately 24 percent of total shipment values; optical test and inspection equipment (including modulators, optical comparators, and interferometers), 9 percent; prisms and mirrors, 7 percent; lenses filters, 4 percent; binoculars, telescopes, and other astronomical equipment, 4 percent; and optical microscopes, 1 percent. Parts and accessories for all optical components and all other miscellaneous optical equipment each accounted for approximately 10 percent of total shipment values.
Most products in the industry use compound (more than one) lens systems. A series of several convex and/or concave lenses often is used to magnify light reflected from an image. Although a single convex lens theoretically will focus incoming light, such a system typically suffers from defects that cause blurring and distortion. Therefore, many lens systems, such as those in...
To continue reading
Request your trial