Parabolic mirrors are conical-shaped devices that catch energy (like light, sound or radio waves) and concentrate it to a single point. Sometimes parabolic mirrors (also called parabolic reflectors or parabolic dishes) may also distribute energy. Although one of the first uses of parabolic mirrors was in telescopes, today parabolic mirrors are used not only in astronomy, but in many other technical fields. They are quite commonly seen in satellite dishes, microphones and a variety of lights.
When you need to buy parabolic mirror products for your business, finding the right source is crucial--but not always easy. Many distributors and manufacturers only sell mirrors for certain applications, while others simply don't provide the quality you'll need in industrial parabolic mirrors. The three main categories of parabolic mirrors you'll discover are:
1. Off-axis parabolic mirrors,
2. On-axis parabolic mirrors,
3. And custom parabolic mirrors.
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Select off-axis parabolic mirror suppliers
Off-axis parabolic mirrors turn plane waves into spherical waves, and vice versa. They are widely used for spectrometers and astronomical optical instruments, and they're possibly the easiest of all parabolic telescope mirrors to find.
I recommend: OptoSigma Corporation sells off-axis parabolic mirrors that are spherical and chromatic aberration-free, as well as highly durable.
Newport Corporation offers parabolic mirrors with a wide range of working distances and coatings of either aluminum or gold.
Shimadzu manufactures parabolic mirrors for spectrometers, interferometers, astronomical optical instruments, spectrum analyzers and other applications.
Buy on-axis parabolic reflectors
On-axis parabolic mirrors are fast and often used in ultra-high power laser physics and astronomy. Although they're relatively affordable, they can be more difficult to find than other types of parabolic mirrors.
I recommend: Kaleido Technology makes on-axis parabolic mirrors, including spheric, aspheric and any rotationally symmetric shape.
Edmund Optics sells a good selection of parabolic mirrors designed to give 1/8 wave surface accuracy or better.
Parks Optical offers parabolic primary mirror products in addition to other types of parabolic telescope mirror devices.
Choose custom industrial parabolic mirrors
Sometimes it's difficult or impossible to find the right parabolic mirror for your business application. When that happens, there are a number of manufacturers able to create custom parabolic mirrors for your needs.
I recommend: Holographix is a parabolic mirrors manufacturer that creates custom parabolic mirrors for your business needs.
Optical Mechanics will also produce custom parabolic mirrors.
Nu-Tek Precision Optical Corporation offers a good selection of parabolic mirrors and also does custom work for businesses.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- Although parabolic mirrors are sometimes used in solar energy in the United States, if your customers are in Central Europe, they likely never use them for this purpose. Because parabolic mirrors used to collect the sun's heat can become incredibly hot, solar energy products in Central Europe use other types of materials.
The official source of Parabolic Mirrors is the Parabolic Mirrors page at Business.com
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