After browsing vendors, you find a few options that fit your immediate needs. But what about in six months when your company acquires a competitor in APAC?

As an out-of-the-box solution, COTS products aren’t customized — they are configured. Fully integrating with your IT infrastructure can require extensive rigging by an experienced developer.

Optical Flats available in a wide variety of accuracies (λ/4, λ/10, and λ/20). Advanced Optics is a leading manufacturer of optical flats and has been crafting high-quality, affordable optical flats for more than 50 years.

Whether you require one of our many catalog flats or need a custom optical flat, let Advanced Optics be your trusted partner - You can depend on our 100% outgoing inspection, on-time delivery, and unmatched customer service, all at competitive prices.

The accuracy of each optical flat is traceable to the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Fused Silica Technical Data Sheet from Corning Incorporated (pdf)

With Mendix, enterprises can ditch “one-size-fits-all” generic solutions for one-of-a-kind, fully-tailored software. The platform can also supplement your core systems, giving you the flexibility to evolve at the speed of business. You can also turn your commercial software ideas into lucrative outcomes with the Mendix ISV program.

OpticalFlatfilter

If you’re weighing the benefits of COTS applications over bespoke software, there might be a better alternative. This third option changes the equation: low-code development.

COTS software has a lot of appeal for businesses of all sizes and industries because it’s readily available. If you need a straightforward solution, you could have a new COTS application implemented in a matter of days. You can also deploy more complex systems quickly.

But is low-code right for your organization? Learn more about your choices, such as when it’s best to build and when it’s best to buy enterprise-grade software.

Instead of traditional coding languages like Java and C#, you build using visuals like iconography, diagrams, graphics, and logic. Everyone can collaborate and communicate using this common language.

Optical flats become worn and abraded from use and accuracy is lost. This degradation in performance is due to a decrease in the distinctness of the interference pattern, and to a change in figure caused by scratches on either side of the optical flat. Resurfacing or re-polishing the surface of an optical flat back to its original accuracy can be less costly than replacement. Advanced Optics maintains an optical flat refinishing service with a fast turnaround time.

A low-code platform removes barriers like cost and time, allowing your organization to create custom solutions. While COTS software lacks customization capabilities and adaptability, low-code automation platforms make anything possible.

Enterprise low-code platforms take a visual approach to custom development. Intuitive drag-and-drop interfaces, reusable components, communication tools, and more guide you through every step of the application lifecycle. You can build fully customized solutions faster and more affordably than traditional development. No hard coding skills are necessary.

NC State has more than 100 campus entities that offer courses, and each relies on a different registration method. The disparities made reporting processes inefficient, and the university’s decentralized IT architecture created standardization challenges.

Custom development isn’t necessarily the right choice in some scenarios. The same can be said for low-code. Here are issues to consider when choosing off-the-shelf vs. custom software or whether to build or buy.

Advanced Optics offers personalized service; saving you time and money by helping you select the best option for your application.

Flatoptics with designer metasurfaces

An optical flat must be more accurate (flatter) than the surface of the work or piece being tested. For example, if the surface being tested is flat to 1/4 wave or 1/2 of a light band, the optical flat used to determine if the work or test piece is flat should be 1/10 wave or 1/5 of a light band. The optical flat should be larger than the part being tested so that an accurate reading of the entire work surface is obtained.

According to Gartner, off-the-shelf is “equipment that has already been manufactured and is available for delivery from stock.”

Dual Surface Optical Flats/Optical Windows are an excellent choice when an optical system requires separation between two environments while passing a specific wavelength(s) of light or for demanding interferometry requirements.

To determine the surface flatness of a test piece (work surface) using the interference pattern formed by an optical flat, gently place the optical flat on top of the work piece. The working surface of the test piece and the optical flat should be clean and dust-free. Care should be taken not to slide the optical flat across the surface of the part being tested as it may cause damage (scratches) to the optical flat. Scratches or damage to the surface of the optical flat can cause it to become less flat and therefore affect the results of the test. Next use a soft object, such as the new eraser of a pencil, to apply pressure to various points across the surface of the optical flat. Applying gentle pressure will reduce the air gap between the optical flat and the working surface of the part being tested. A fringe pattern (light and dark bands) will appear as the air gap is reduced. Continue to apply light pressure to spread the fringes so that only a few are visible. Then imagine two straight and parallel lines, one between the ends of any one fringe and the other at the top of that same fringe. The number and curvature of fringes located between the two lines can be used to determine flatness.

Low-code is a better choice in the long run. It helps companies save time and money and helps them retain full control over their product.

No matter the situation, commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products vs. custom software development is an inevitable dilemma.

Enterprises used to see custom software development as a huge investment in money and time. While this may still hold for traditional development, low-code software development is an entirely different story.

Your engineers can only configure solutions within the boundaries of the tools, even those with broader-than-average capabilities. COTS limitations lead businesses to adapt their processes to fit the tool when really it should be the other way around.

Consider process uniqueness, integration needs, and in-house IT skills. COTS excels in standardized processes, while low-code shines in custom scenarios. Evaluate scalability, vendor lock-in risks, and the trade-off between immediate functionality and future adaptability. Time-to-market and total cost of ownership are crucial deciding factors.

The COTS system that was once the perfect, quick fix now needs to support a larger, global workforce. Is it able to scale? Is it compliant with the regulatory environment of other regions? Can it integrate with a new set of existing systems?

Optical flats come in many different accuracies, but most commonly 1/4 wave, 1/10 wave and 1/20 wave. In addition to describing the accuracy of an optical flat in terms of waves (as above), accuracy may be specified in terms of light bands, microinches, fringes or inches. The table below summarizes how the accuracy of an optical flat may be specified.

Advanced Optics offers in stock fused silica double sided optical flats that may also be used as optical windows. Fused silica offers superior transmission characteristics, a high degree of purity, exceptional environmental durability, and a low coefficient of thermal expansion.

In addition to a large selection of in-stock optical flats, Advanced Optics offers custom optical flats, as well as free engineering services. Our capabilities allow us:

COTS products won’t fit your company’s exact functionality needs or goals. The software is almost guaranteed to be lacking in at least one area. Some software includes unnecessary features you must pay for, even if you don’t need them.

“That’s when we started to become aware of low-code platforms as an alternative to rapidly develop and deliver code,” said Gwen Hazlehurst, Assistant Vice-Chancellor of Enterprise Application Services at NCSU.

Even modified off-the-shelf (MOTS) software — COTS with some control over customization— is limited. Vendors typically don’t support customizations because they require custom coding. Custom coding is an expensive process you were likely trying to avoid by purchasing an off-the-shelf product.

Optical flats are commonly round in shape. However, depending on their application, custom shapes and features may be required. Our optic capabilities also include crafting custom shapes including; square, rectangular, beveled, and truncated optical flats. We also have the ability to drill custom holes and can provide coatings to increase the interference (fringe) pattern. In addition, we offer custom wooden storage cases for the protection of the optical flat when not in use.

Hidden COTS costs often lurk in customization, integration complexities, and ongoing licensing fees. Unexpected expenses may arise from hardware upgrades, data migration, and potential downtime. Long-term costs can include vendor lock-in, scalability limitations, and the need for third-party add-ons. Always factor in training, compliance, and business process adaptation expenses.

Build anything from simple process automation apps to modernized core systems. Low-code platforms operate in the cloud. Cloud computing gives you the flexibility and scalability necessary to build applications for your organization’s current and future needs.

Optical flats can be made of several low expansion materials such as fused silica, fused quartz, Zerodur© or Clearceram©. Fused silica and fused quartz provide low thermal expansion and are ideal for high wear applications. Zerodur© and Clearceram© are glass-ceramic materials with extremely low thermal expansion and are an ideal choice for applications where temperature fluctuation is a concern. BOROFLOAT©33 may also be considered as a less expensive alternative for test plates.

More specifically, commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) is ready-made software designed for many customers. Some common examples of COTS software products include:

Optical flats are polished to a known flatness and used in conjunction with a monochromatic light source. The optical flat is placed on top of the work to be tested under a monochromatic light of a specific wavelength, typically He-Ne which has a wavelength of 632.8nm and is equivalent to 0.000024 inches per wave. An interference (fringe) pattern of light and dark bands is formed due to the air gap between the work surface and the optical flat. The change in thickness of the air gap or wedge shows the direction and shape of the interference bands. The curvature and distance between bands determine how flat the work surface is compared to the known surface of the optical flat.

An optical flat is a piece of glass that has been precision polished to a specific flatness on one or both sides and is used as a reference (test plate) against which the flatness of an unknown surface can be compared. In practice, an optical flat can be used to test and certify metal or glass surfaces that have been lapped or polished such as metal rings or seals, optical mirrors and optical windows, prisms, filters and more. A single sided optical flat (single surface optical flat) is polished on only one side and the opposing side is generally left clear, but not precision polished. A double sided optical flat (dual surface optical flat) is precision polished on both sides and may be used as an optical window.

Keep in mind, understanding your application can help you to select the right optical flat without over specifying your requirements thereby saving you time and money. Choosing the appropriate material, defining the correct accuracy and determining whether the flat should be polished on one or both sides should be considered. If you are still uncertain as to how to specify the correct optical flat, Advanced Optics has over 50 years of experience and can help you define your requirements and wisely choose the correct optical flat for your application.

Maybe the contract for your ERP system may be up for renewal. Or maybe you’re looking to automate specific business workflows for the first time.

NC State released an RFP for a customized COTS solution with the hope that a third party could help. The responses from COTS vendors were unsustainable: $3-10 million over five years.

The term optical flat is also commonly referred to as “test plates” or “reference flats” and may be used as a reference (test plate) against which the flatness of an unknown surface can be compared. An optical flat is a piece of glass that has been precision polished to a specific flatness on one or both sides. The term “Optical Flat” is often used interchangeably with other optical components such as optical windows and as a substrate for optical mirrors.

Whether you require custom optical fabrication or one of our many off-the-shelf flats, call today for a competitive quote!

Opticalflat

Compared to the alternatives, COTS products typically have more predictable costs. Because there are few options for customization, annual licensing is typically the only long-term cost after initial implementation. The vendor also handles support, software updates, and patches.

Enterprises can build software tailored to their needs using low-code. In addition, low-code is intuitive and doesn’t require a large staff of highly skilled technical experts.

Advanced Optics optical flats are measured using either a master test flat traceable to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) or peak to valley using a Zygo Interferometer.

They couldn’t afford traditional development, and a custom COTS solution wasn’t an option either. Anxious for an affordable, fast alternative, NC State started to search for a different kind of solution.

Businesses often adopt a hybrid approach, introducing low-code for new projects or to extend COTS functionality. They identify processes requiring more flexibility and gradually replace COTS modules. This phased transition allows for skill development and minimal operational disruption, enabling a smooth shift towards more adaptable solutions.