GoPhotonics interviewed Ed Davis, the President at Empire West. For nearly 40 years, Ed Davis and Empire West have been proud to manufacture the finest packaging available for the precision optics industry. Made exclusively from clear, glycolmodified polyethylene terephthalate (PET-G), Empire West's Safe-Guard optics packaging containers are designed for durability and impact resistance, providing the best protection available for high-value optics. Ed lives in northern California with his wife Jan. In his spare time he is a bestselling novelist, avid traveler, and a masters level discus thrower.

Q. Could you provide a brief history of Empire West, and share how the company has evolved over the years?

Ed Davis: We started with one thermoforming machine in 1968, providing handling trays to the photofinishing industry. In the decades that followed we supplied custom thermoformed enclosures to the growing high-tech industry in California. We also developed specialized packaging for high-value optical components. Early customers were Optical Coating Laboratories and Lawrence Livermore.

Q. Can you describe the range of products Empire West offers, particularly in thermoformed plastics?

Ed Davis: Empire West designs and manufactures Safe-Guard PET-G optics packaging containers for the full range of today's optical lenses, filters, and mirrors. Our unique, slip-fit, low outgassing optics containers are the industry standard for value and performance.

Additionally, we thermoform PET-G optics handling trays, available in several convenient sizes, which allow customers to extend their commitment to quality to every phase of their manufacturing, finishing and fulfilment cycle.

Q. What distinguishes your PET-G optics packaging from other solutions available in the market?

Ed Davis: Rather than the “one size fits all” approach embraced by many packaging systems, we believe that the packaging must be optimal for the one optic it will hold. A high value optic deserves high value treatment.

Q. How does your packaging prevent contamination or damage during transport and storage of sensitive optics?

Ed Davis: Our packaging is designed to prevent contamination and damage by using materials that do not outgas, ensuring no harmful residues affect sensitive optical components. Additionally, our containers are engineered so that they never come into direct contact with optical surfaces, making them the preferred choice for protecting high-value optics during transport and storage.

Q. How has Empire West tailored its thermoforming processes to meet the precise demands of the photonics and optics sectors?

Ed Davis: Using our unique designs, and flexible tooling approach, we have, over the past decades, produced containers to hold tens of thousands of unique optic sizes. Our one-of-a-kind Optics Finder allows engineers and buyers to enter their specific optical dimensions, and find the exact container they need.

Q. Empire West participated in SPIE’s Optics + Photonics 2024 conference. What new insights or feedback did you receive from this event? What products were showcased at the event? 

Ed Davis: One key insight that stood out was the growing emphasis on packaging components for optical systems, especially as the demand for more compact, efficient, and high-performance devices continues to increase. These discussions reinforced the importance of packaging as a critical enabler of next-generation photonic technologies, and it's an area where I see exciting opportunities for further development.

Q. What Industry segments do you cater to? Which segment is the largest for you?

Ed Davis: We specialize in packaging for high-value industrial and scientific optics. As the optical industry has evolved, and the requirements for optical quality and dependability have ratcheted up, the appreciation for the importance of quality packaging has increased.

Q. How does the custom thermoforming process work at Empire West, from concept to finished product?

Ed Davis: We have existing packaging solutions for tens of thousands of optical sizes. But when a customer requires new tooling, we start with a drawing of their component, design the appropriate packaging interface, and mate that interface with an existing “master tool,” to keep their NRE cost low and lead time short.

Q. What are your thoughts on future trends in optics and photonics packaging, particularly as technology advances?

Ed Davis: Flexibility and quality will become increasingly important in the coming years. For anything but inexpensive commodity optics, the cost/benefit math used to justify bulk packaging will become less and less attractive.  

Q. Who are your customers? Where are they located? What is the percentage breakdown by geographic region?

Ed Davis: We serve a wide range of customers, from small businesses to large corporations, across various industries worldwide. Our clients come to us for specialized packaging solutions that meet their optical component needs. While we work with customers globally, the distribution of our customer base varies depending on industry requirements and market demands.

Q. What is the 3-year product roadmap for Empire West?

Ed Davis: When we started almost sixty years ago, no one could have predicted how widespread optical engineering would become. As the industry continues to evolve, we anticipate further advancements in packaging solutions to meet the growing demands of precision optics. Our focus remains on innovation, ensuring that our products keep pace with the latest developments in photonics and optical technologies.