Flir Systems Inc's Suppliers Performance

System Design and Integration
We have developed extensive competencies in the design and integration of numerous capabilities and payloads into integrated systems or sub-systems. Competencies such as stabilization, packaging and systems integration allow us to effectively combine a wide variety of technologies and payloads to design and manufacture complex systems to suit our customers’ needs.


Radiometry
Our ability to produce thermal imaging systems that can accurately measure temperature is critical in many of our thermography markets. We have demonstrated know-how in designing and producing systems that can measure temperature to within very precise tolerances while maintaining accuracy and stability over time and over a wide range of ambient temperatures. We believe our skills in this area, known as radiometry, offer an important competitive advantage over many of our competitors.


Mechanical Engineering
Our design and production of thermal imaging systems involves highly sophisticated mechanical engineering techniques, particularly in the design and assembly of the supporting structures for system components such as detector arrays, coolers, and optics. We also have expertise in designing stabilized assemblies used in our gimbal mounted products utilizing high fidelity electro-mechanical control, gyroscopes and electronic stabilization, and specialized optical control mechanisms.


Infrared Detector Design
Manufacturing
We design and manufacture both cooled and uncooled infrared detector arrays, in high volumes and at low costs. We believe our uncooled vanadium oxide microbolometers and cooled detectors using indium antimonide and indium gallium arsenide are among the highest performing infrared detectors of their type available in the world. Internal design and manufacturing of detectors provides significant cost and engineering advantages compared with the use of third-party detectors.


Integrated Circuits and
Electronic Design
We have significant electronic design capabilities across several specialized areas, including readout integrated circuit design, signal processing, image processing, and electronics integration. Our design expertise lies in the areas of reliability, low power consumption and extreme environmental survivability.


Sensing Materials
Our sensors use new materials with novel characteristics, such as innovative semiconductors, crystals, polymers, reagents, and other recently developed materials. Some materials are extraordinarily sensitive, responding to trace exposures of chemical compounds such as explosives, nerve agents, or biological proteins. Other materials respond to low-intensity radioactive emissions of electromagnetic energy, such as specific bands of infrared light. Many of these materials did not exist a few years ago or could not be sufficiently purified or economically assembled into functional structures.


Software Development
Software is an increasingly important aspect of our overall engineering and design activity. We offer networking capability, video analytics and other software and middleware inside many of our camera systems, and such applications are growing in importance. Our systems are also able to interface with many standard external software protocols.


Optical Design, Fabrication and Coating
We design and manufacture sophisticated infrared optics using materials such as silicon and germanium that are required to produce a thermal imaging system. This capability allows us to rapidly develop optics optimized for use with our cameras and avoid costs and delays associated with reliance on third-party optics suppliers. In 2013, we added the capability to produce wafer-level micro-optics at high volumes. We also have the ability to apply custom vapor deposited coatings to improve the transmission of the unique lens materials that are used in infrared systems.


Micro-Coolers
We manufacture some of the industry’s smallest, lightest and lowest power micro-coolers for use in cooling infrared detectors. Our coolers are especially effective in hand-held applications, where light weight and long battery life are essential.


Lasers and Laser Components
Many of our more sophisticated systems are increasingly being offered with various types of laser payloads, including pointers, illuminators, rangefinders and designators. We design and manufacture purpose-built laser rangefinders and designators for inclusion in some of our gimbaled systems. We also manufacture certain laser-related components for customers. Our 2011 acquisition of Aerius Photonics enhanced our ability to provide advanced laser components and sub-systems.

Tactical Platforms
With our acquisition of ICx Technologies, Inc. ("ICx) in 2010, we added the capability to develop and manufacture comprehensive and integrated solutions for surveillance, assessment, and response. These platform solutions draw from our Surveillance and Detection products, as well as products sourced outside of the Company. These unmanned and manned networkable mobile and vehicle mounted tower systems, branded under CerberusTM and SkyWatchTM names, can be deployed in nearly any environment and have provided security at borders, at theme parks, for police and military forces, at national monuments, and at high profile events, both in the United States and internationally.

System Design and Integration
We have developed extensive competencies in the design and integration of numerous capabilities and payloads into integrated systems or sub-systems. Competencies such as stabilization, packaging and systems integration allow us to effectively combine a wide variety of technologies and payloads to design and manufacture complex systems to suit our customers’ needs.


Radiometry
Our ability to produce thermal imaging systems that can accurately measure temperature is critical in many of our thermography markets. We have demonstrated know-how in designing and producing systems that can measure temperature to within very precise tolerances while maintaining accuracy and stability over time and over a wide range of ambient temperatures. We believe our skills in this area, known as radiometry, offer an important competitive advantage over many of our competitors.


Mechanical Engineering
Our design and production of thermal imaging systems involves highly sophisticated mechanical engineering techniques, particularly in the design and assembly of the supporting structures for system components such as detector arrays, coolers, and optics. We also have expertise in designing stabilized assemblies used in our gimbal mounted products utilizing high fidelity electro-mechanical control, gyroscopes and electronic stabilization, and specialized optical control mechanisms.


Infrared Detector Design
Manufacturing
We design and manufacture both cooled and uncooled infrared detector arrays, in high volumes and at low costs. We believe our uncooled vanadium oxide microbolometers and cooled detectors using indium antimonide and indium gallium arsenide are among the highest performing infrared detectors of their type available in the world. Internal design and manufacturing of detectors provides significant cost and engineering advantages compared with the use of third-party detectors.


Integrated Circuits and
Electronic Design
We have significant electronic design capabilities across several specialized areas, including readout integrated circuit design, signal processing, image processing, and electronics integration. Our design expertise lies in the areas of reliability, low power consumption and extreme environmental survivability.


Sensing Materials
Our sensors use new materials with novel characteristics, such as innovative semiconductors, crystals, polymers, reagents, and other recently developed materials. Some materials are extraordinarily sensitive, responding to trace exposures of chemical compounds such as explosives, nerve agents, or biological proteins. Other materials respond to low-intensity radioactive emissions of electromagnetic energy, such as specific bands of infrared light. Many of these materials did not exist a few years ago or could not be sufficiently purified or economically assembled into functional structures.


Software Development
Software is an increasingly important aspect of our overall engineering and design activity. We offer networking capability, video analytics and other software and middleware inside many of our camera systems, and such applications are growing in importance. Our systems are also able to interface with many standard external software protocols.


Optical Design, Fabrication and Coating
We design and manufacture sophisticated infrared optics using materials such as silicon and germanium that are required to produce a thermal imaging system. This capability allows us to rapidly develop optics optimized for use with our cameras and avoid costs and delays associated with reliance on third-party optics suppliers. In 2013, we added the capability to produce wafer-level micro-optics at high volumes. We also have the ability to apply custom vapor deposited coatings to improve the transmission of the unique lens materials that are used in infrared systems.


Micro-Coolers
We manufacture some of the industry’s smallest, lightest and lowest power micro-coolers for use in cooling infrared detectors. Our coolers are especially effective in hand-held applications, where light weight and long battery life are essential.


Lasers and Laser Components
Many of our more sophisticated systems are increasingly being offered with various types of laser payloads, including pointers, illuminators, rangefinders and designators. We design and manufacture purpose-built laser rangefinders and designators for inclusion in some of our gimbaled systems. We also manufacture certain laser-related components for customers. Our 2011 acquisition of Aerius Photonics enhanced our ability to provide advanced laser components and sub-systems.

Tactical Platforms
With our acquisition of ICx Technologies, Inc. ("ICx) in 2010, we added the capability to develop and manufacture comprehensive and integrated solutions for surveillance, assessment, and response. These platform solutions draw from our Surveillance and Detection products, as well as products sourced outside of the Company. These unmanned and manned networkable mobile and vehicle mounted tower systems, branded under CerberusTM and SkyWatchTM names, can be deployed in nearly any environment and have provided security at borders, at theme parks, for police and military forces, at national monuments, and at high profile events, both in the United States and internationally.