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The company behind "Owning the Night”

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Owning the night

We are the uncontested technology leader in night vision materials. In 1984 we led one of the most historical pivots in military history, developing the first filtering component for incandescent lamps. This enabled full night vision compatibility with existing military aircraft, giving our pilots unprecedented capabilities to dominate the night sky.

Not only did Cevians design and produce the first contrast-enhancing NVIS filters for CRT and LCDs but we assisted the US Navy in the definition of the MIL-L-85762 which has driven the entire industry benchmark.

In the ensuing decades, we continued to lead development such as BlackBackground™ technology that is now the ultimate requirement for night vision compatibility. Cevians can proudly and unequivocally claim to have its materials and technology on any flying night vision capable aircraft in the free world.

Products

Capabilities

  • Chemical Synthesis

    • Organic and inorganic synthesis
    • Complex organic molecules
    • Total synthesis via linear or convergent approaches
    • Rapid scale-up and supply of scaffolds, building blocks, and intermediates up to kilo scale (non-GMP)
    • Synthesis, isolation, and characterization of reference compounds using state-of-the-art techniques such as NMR, MS, Raman, and FTIR.
    • Techniques such as LC-MS/MS and LC-MS using accurate mass measurement for material characterization
    • One-pot multicomponent tandem polymerization reactions (MCTP)
    • Variable temperature range from -90 to 300 °C
    • Multi-step synthesis, multiple 5 gallons reactors
    • Impurity profiling
    • Molecular and chemical structure analysis
    • Crystallization: nucleation, growth, oiling out, agglomeration, breakage, polymorphism chemistry
  • Polymer Processing

    • Material formulation, controlling, internal diffusion, light transmission, surface finish, UV resistance, chemical compatibility
    • Multiple high pressure, temperature controlled extruders, 10,000 psi, 300 degrees C
    • Hot runner systems
    • Knife gate valve deduster
    • Dryers, annealing ovens
    • Roll to roll lamination, 36”, hot/cold process
    • Film extrusion, 36 “ width
    • Injection molding, thermoplastic 15-25 T, insert molding, over-molding
    • Sheet forming, 24”x 24”, 0.600” thick
    • Polymer casting, urethane, PMMA
    • Material finishing, die-cutting, laser marking and cutting, silk screening, CNC machining, coating (oleophobic, hard coating 7H+, antireflection coating, ITO coating, lamination, optical bonding, rubber stamping)
  • Glass Formulation

    • Custom glass formulation
    • Melting, small volume
    • Cutting
    • Double or single side polishing ranging from 24” to 56”, substrates from 3mm to 600mm
    • Scribing 24”x24”
    • Dicing 18”x24”
    • Lapping
    • Edge finishing, pencil, ground, chamfer
    • Silkscreening
    • Laser marking
    • Machining
    • Molding, low volume
  • Optical Spectroscopy

    • Spectrophotometers, 175nm to 3.3um, 8 absorbent levels, variable slit width to 0.01nm minimal noise and stray light with double littrow monochromator, Schwarzschild coupling optics for high accuracy at low transmission levels, automatic goniometer for multiple angle measurements
    • High sensitivity, high-speed, spectrometers, thermoelectrically cooled detectors, low stray light, 200-1,200nm with a high quantum efficiency
    • Thermoelectric cooled spectrometer, near-infrared range up to 1,700nm, high resolution 1.7nm, high signal to noise ratio >1,500:1, low stray light <1.2%
    • Automated goniometer spectrometers
    • High speed, automated large area spectrometer, 200-1,200nm, <2 min, 36 points measurements
    • Imaging colorimeter, cooled CCD sensor, 1,000,000:1 dynamic range, pixel array 4250 x 2838, luminance detection as low as 0.000 02 cd/m2, luminance repeatability within +/0.03%
    • Photometric camera
    • Automated large surface spectrophotometer
    • Night vision goggles
    • Haze meter, gloss meter
    • Integrating spheres
    • High ambient light contrast measurement, MIL-L-85762A
  • Testing Capabilities

    • Solar radiation MIL-STD-810, Method 505.5 Procedure I, cyclic exposure, and Procedure II non-cyclic for actinic effects evaluation.
    • Thermal shock, MIL-STD-810G. METHOD 503.5-7, Mil-Std 202G
    • Thermal cycle, MIL-STD-883, 1010.8, Method 501.6,502.6
    • Humidity method 507.6
    • Altitude method 500.5-6 to 80,000 ft
    • Salt fog method 509.6
    • Electromagnetic compatibility MIL-STD-461G
    • Abrasion ASTM D4060 - 19
    • Scratch test ASTM D7027 – 20, ASTM G171 - 03(2017), ASTM C1624
    • Impact resistance ASTM D256, ASTM D1822, ISO 7665-1, ASTM D5420-16
    • Ball drop ASTM F3007 - 19
    • Surface tension tensiometer, Young-Laplace equation, ASTM D971
    • Immersion Method 512.6
    • Peel strength actuation force ASTM D1876, ASTM D903-16
    • Fluid contamination method 504.2
    • Rain Method 506.6
    • Fungus Method 508.7
    • Sand and Dust Method 510.6
    • Explosive Atmosphere Method 511.6
    • Acceleration Method 513.7
    • Vibration Method 514.7
    • Acoustic Noise Method 515.7
    • Shock Method 516.7
    • Gunfire Shock Method 519.7
    • Ballistic Shock Method 522.2
    • Vibro-Acoustic/Temperature Method 523.4
    • Mechanical Vibrations of Shipboard Equipment (Type I – Environmental and Type II – Internally Excited) Method 528.1
  • Thin-Film Coating

    • Optical thin-film coatings 0.3 – 20 microns, plasma sputtering, and IAD Ebeam
    • Products can be as large as 452 square inches.
    • Experience with borosilicate, filter glasses, fused silica, sapphire, 1mm to 500mm
    • Up to 99% passband transmission and OD 7 blocking over detector range
    • FWHM 1-2% of CWL
    • High uniformity over large surfaces
    • Low sensitivity to angles of incidence (AOI)
    • Environmental stability, no shift with humidity and temperature variation
    • Durability MIL-C-48497A and Environmental MIL-STD-810F & MIL-STD-883
    • Filter performance stable across temperature range -55°C to 150°C and thermal shock
  • Standard Coatings (0.3 – 20 microns)

    • Antireflection
    • Beamsplitters
    • Conductive / Indium Tin Oxide (ITO)
    • Dichroics
    • Dielectrics
    • Filters
    • High reflection
    • Metal/Protective
    • Specialty and Custom Designed
  • Machining/Finishing

    • CNC milling, router, lathe for metals and polymers
    • Sandblasting
    • Priming, painting, silk screening, rubber stamping, laser engraving
    • Laser marking, cutting, CO2, YAG
    • Stamping and die cutting
  • Engineering Tools

    • Solidworks
    • Mentor Graphics PADS-professional
    • MTBF MIL-Handbook--217F prediction software
    • Zemax OpticStudio, OpticsBuilder
    • MiniTab
    • GO-Optical simulation, transmission, chromaticity radiance
    • Software Spectra, TFCalc
    • Design to MIL-STD-1472, DO-160, MIL-STD810, MIL-STD-3009, MIL-L-85762, MIL-STD-704, MIL-STD-461, IP68, MIL-STD-202
    • Ascalaph designer molecule designs
    • Spartan-chemical structure

NVIS Products

  • Do you guarantee NVIS product compliance?

    Cevians’ NVIS products and materials are certified to MIL-STD-3009 testing requirements. All optical testing is performed internally with high-performance equipment traceable to the U.S. National Institute of Standard and Technology.

  • What is the difference between MIL-STD-85762A and MIL-STD-3009?

    For most requirements, the specifications are identical. MIL-STD-85762A continues to be used in large part due to the requirements and test method of high ambiance contrast which is not a part of MIL-STD-3009. MIL-STD-3009, however, includes new NVIS chromaticity definitions and requirements that are used in certain situations.

  • Does NVIS compliance mean products will meet BlackBackground™ compliance?

    No. The current radiance limitations in MIL-STD-3009 and MIL-L-85762A were defined at a time when display technologies were mostly emissive type (CRT and TFEL), with no energy in the black screen area, and when the number of displays was limited. In today’s cockpit environment with extended display surfaces using transmissive AMLCDs with NIR contribution in black screen area, the overall NIR contribution is increased in the cockpit and limits night vision goggle performance. BlackBackgroundTM is a more stringent NVIS radiance requirement. All BlackBackgroundTM compliant displays are NVIS compliant, however, compliance to MIL-STD-3009 might not be BlackBackgroundTM compliant.

  • What is the chromaticity specification for NVIS displays?

    The military standard specifies a maximum level of radiance in order to limit the impact on night vision goggles. Specific requirements will usually identify a particular chromaticity. With goggles having sensitivity at higher wavelength including in the red portion of the visible spectrum, the sharpness of the attenuation in the red wavelengths will allow higher red content and thus provide for a more vivid red.

  • Can I guarantee that my final product will be compliant with night vision requirements when using certified night vision materials and products?

    No. Unfortunately, while the material or components will perform to the level of compliance, the designer needs to consider several factors during product engineering. It is very common that NVIS components are integrated into a design where other materials in the assembly will fluoresce. The fluorescence phenomena follows a typical Stoke reaction where the lower wavelength energy emitted from a compliant NVIS light source is absorbed by other materials, generally plastics or paints. The chemical content of these materials will absorb that higher frequency energy and re-emit light at lower frequencies and higher wavelengths which can affect the radiance contribution.