This year marks 50 years since Ophir was founded in 1976 as a team working on precision infrared optics and laser measurement instruments.
Half a century later, Ophir Photonics, an MKS brand, is recognized worldwide for laser power and energy measurement, beam profiling, and high-performance optical solutions, serving customers in industry, research, medical, and defense.
To celebrate, we’re taking a look back at the key milestones that shaped Ophir Photonics into what it is today.
1976–1980s: The beginning
Ophir Optronics was founded in 1976, focusing on precision infrared optics and laser measurement instrumentation for industrial and defense applications.
From the start, the company combined optical design, manufacturing, and metrology under one roof. Laser power and energy meters quickly became a central part of the portfolio, laying the groundwork for today’s Ophir Photonics.
1980s – Building expertise
Throughout the 1980s, Ophir expanded its capabilities in:
- Laser power & energy measurement – extending the measurable range from very low powers to industrial levels.
- Infrared optics – supplying lenses for thermal imaging and night-vision systems in demanding environments.
These twin pillars, laser measurement and IR optics, are still at the heart of the company.
1990s: Growing With the Laser Industry
As lasers spread into materials processing, medical, telecom, and research, Ophir’s instruments evolved with them:
- New sensors for a wider range of wavelengths and powers
- Meters and PC interfaces for more flexible data logging and analysis
- Early beam diagnostic tools that would later be consolidated under the Ophir Photonics brand
2006–2010: Beam Profiling Powerhouses Join Forces
The 2000s were a turning point for beam diagnostics.
2006 – Spiricon joins Ophir
In 2006, Ophir acquired Spiricon, a US-based specialist in laser beam diagnostics, including camera-based beam profilers and power meters.
Spiricon’s expertise, combined with Ophir’s laser measurement portfolio, formed the basis of Ophir-Spiricon, giving customers a much broader set of tools to understand not only how much power their lasers deliver, but also how the beam behaves.
2010 – Photon Inc. completes the beam profiling picture
In 2010, Ophir acquired Photon Inc., a pioneer of scanning-slit beam profiling (known for products like NanoScan).
Ophir now added to its portfolio:
- Camera-based 2D/3D beam profiling
- Scanning-slit profiling for very high-power or challenging beams
- Unified software platforms that evolved into tools like BeamGage
This period firmly established Ophir Photonics as a leader in complete laser beam measurement solutions.
2011–2016: Becoming Part of Newport and MKS
2011 – Joining Newport Corporation
In 2011, Ophir Optronics was acquired by Newport Corporation, a global photonics company.
With this step, Ophir’s laser measurement and beam analysis portfolio became part of a broader ecosystem that included:
- Newport – optomechanics, motion, vibration isolation, and optics
- Spectra-Physics – laser sources
For customers, this meant closer integration between lasers, optics, mechanics, and measurement.
2016 – Enter MKS Instruments
In 2016, MKS Instruments acquired Newport Corporation, bringing the Ophir, Newport, and Spectra-Physics brands together in the MKS Photonics Solutions Division.
Since then, Ophir Photonics has been positioned as MKS’s laser measurement and beam analysis brand, working alongside Newport and Spectra-Physics in MKS’s “Surround the Workpiece” strategy for laser-based manufacturing and precision applications.
2010s: Innovation in High-Power and Industrial Measurement
During the 2010s, Ophir Photonics introduced a series of notable innovations, many of which went on to receive industry awards:
- BeamTrack sensors – combining power, position, and beam size in a single sensor, recognized with an R&D 100 Award in 2012.
- BeamWatch – a non-contact, real-time beam diagnostic tool for high-power lasers, honored by Laser Focus World in 2015.
- BeamWatch AM – optimized for additive manufacturing environments.
- Ongoing enhancements to BeamGage® and StarLab software, providing deeper analysis and better integration into automated systems.
These developments mirrored the shift of high-power lasers from the lab to the production floor, where reliable, repeatable measurement became essential to uptime and process quality.
2020s: Ophir Photonics in the MKS Ecosystem
In the last few years, Ophir Photonics has continued to expand its capabilities for high-power, industrial, and additive manufacturing applications:
- Ariel – a compact, handheld industrial power meter with integrated display.
- Helios & Helios Pro – inline, industrial power meters designed for harsh production environments and high powers.
- High-power sensors up to tens of kilowatts, including 16 kW, 70 kW, and 150kW models, matching the power levels of modern industrial lasers.
- BeamPeek – combining high-power beam analysis and power measurement in a compact system for metal additive manufacturing.
All of this sits within MKS’s broader offering of lasers, optics, motion, control, and process monitoring, giving customers a more complete toolset around their workpiece.
At a Glance: 50-Year Timeline of Ophir Photonics
- 1976 – Ophir Optronics founded in Jerusalem, focusing on precision IR optics and laser measurement.
- 1980s – Expansion of laser power and energy measurement lines, alongside IR optics for defense and security.
- 1990s – Ophir trades on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange; growth in global sales and early beam diagnostics tools.
- 2006 – Acquisition of Spiricon (USA), bringing advanced camera-based beam profiling into the portfolio and forming Ophir-Spiricon.
- 2010 – Acquisition of Photon Inc., adding scanning-slit beam profiling technology and completing a comprehensive beam diagnostics offering.
- 2011 – Newport Corporation acquires Ophir, integrating laser measurement into a larger photonics platform.
- 2016 – MKS Instruments acquires Newport, bringing Ophir, Newport, and Spectra-Physics together in the MKS Photonics Solutions Division.
- 2010s – Launch of BeamTrack, BeamWatch, and major updates to BeamGage and StarLab; multiple industry awards.
- 2020s – Focus on high-power industrial lasers and additive manufacturing with products like Ariel, Helios Pro, BeamPeek, and ultra high-power sensors, all under the Ophir Photonics – an MKS brand umbrella.
Looking Ahead
Fifty years after its founding, Ophir Photonics still builds on the same core idea:
If you can’t measure your laser reliably, you can’t truly control your process.
As lasers reach higher powers, tighter tolerances, and more demanding applications, the need for robust, trusted measurement and beam analysis will only grow.
Ophir Photonics is continuing to invest in:
- Higher-power and faster measurement technologies
- Deeper integration with industrial automation
- Tools that make complex beam diagnostics easier and more accessible
Here’s to the next chapter of measuring, characterizing, and improving the laser beams that power modern industry and research.
Explore 50 Years of Ophir: MKS Ophir – A Legacy of Innovation Since 1976
