Heat Control Filters

Master Thermal Energy. Maximize Optical Performance.

Hot Mirrors Andover Corporation

Andover Heat Control Filters

Manage thermal energy with precision optical design

Heat control filters are specialized optical components designed to effectively manage infrared radiation while maintaining optimal visible light transmission. These filters work by selectively reflecting or transmitting different portions of the electromagnetic spectrum, allowing precise control over thermal energy in optical systems. Each type of heat control filter is characterized by its specific spectral response:

  • Hot Mirrors: Transmit visible light while reflecting infrared radiation
  • Cold Mirrors: Reflect visible light while transmitting infrared radiation
  • UV Cold Mirrors: Efficiently reflect UV while transmitting visible and infrared
  • IR Suppressing Filters: Extended blocking across the infrared spectrum

Andover Corporation's heat control filters utilize advanced thin-film dielectric coatings deposited on thermally-stable substrates like borosilicate glass. This construction ensures reliable performance even in high-power illumination applications. The combination of hot and cold mirrors can eliminate up to 99% of unwanted radiation, making these filters essential components in applications ranging from projection systems to medical lighting.

Heat Control Filter Technologies

Heat control filters are engineered using advanced thin-film coating technologies, each optimized for specific thermal management requirements. Understanding these options helps ensure the right solution for your application:

Hard Dielectric Construction

First-surface coatings composed of alternating high and low refractive index materials, creating interference effects that selectively reflect or transmit specific wavelengths. These durable coatings can achieve up to 90% transmission in the visible spectrum while providing excellent infrared reflection.

Hybrid Construction

  • Combines dielectric stacks with specialized substrate materials for enhanced performance. The IR Suppressing series utilizes both interference effects and absorption to achieve extended blocking ranges beyond what's possible with standard dielectric coatings alone.
By partnering with Andover Corporation, you gain access to an extensive selection of standard filters plus custom design capabilities.

Heat Control Optics: Precision Thermal Management

Maximizing Performance Through Advanced Thermal Control

For over four decades, Andover Corporation has provided the astronomical community with precision optical filters that enable breakthrough observations. From standard photometric systems to custom solutions for space-based instruments, our filters combine exceptional image quality with environmental stability to deliver reliable performance in the most demanding conditions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a heat control optical filter?
Where are heat control filters used?
Are heat control filters the same as hot mirrors?
Can these filters be customized for specific wavelengths?
What materials are used in heat control filters?

From Prototype to Production

Custom Fabrication and High-Volume Manufacturing

Our vertically integrated facility handles both specialized custom projects and large-scale production runs with consistent quality and short lead times.

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- it's our foundation.

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Andover Insights & Innovations

Discovering new possibilities in optical filtering

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In the demanding realm of space-based solar observation, precision optical components must withstand extreme conditions while delivering uncompromising performance. NASA’s recently launched PUNCH (Polarimeter to UNify the Corona and Heliosphere) mission exemplifies this challenge, requiring specialized optical filters and coatings capable of operating in the harsh environment of space while providing critical data about our…

BEAM Series: Trends in optics for Laser-Based Technology

BEAM: Breakthroughs – When Precision Meets the Battlefield

How Andover’s Dual-Band Optical Filters Power the Apache AH-64’s Advanced Targeting Systems. Part of our BEAM (Breakthroughs, Engineering, And Minds) Behind the Light series.

BEAM Series: Trends in optics for Laser-Based Technology

BEAM Spotlight Series: Dave Litwinovich — Three Decades of Engineering Excellence

As part of our BEAM Spotlight Series (BEAM: Engineering), we’re proud to highlight the people behind the precision—those who quietly push boundaries and build the systems that keep Andover Corporation moving forward. Few embody that spirit more than Dave Litwinovich, our Vice President of Technology, who has spent nearly three decades transforming not just our engineering department, but the entire foundation of our production capabilities.

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