The Optics Launchpad
Unlock the skills that power America’s most advanced industries.
Your free, expert-led gateway to a career in precision optics manufacturing.
From aerospace and semiconductors to life-saving medical tech – it all starts with light.
American Center for Optics Manufacturing (AmeriCOM) provides free, expert-led training designed to take you from the basics to the cutting edge.
Powered by the U.S. Department of Defense.
Our Goal is Simple.
College Partner Network
Hands-on workshops, short courses, and degree programs across the United States- built to help you master optics manufacturing in the real world.
Getting Started.
Introductory Courses for the Aspiring Technician.
OPTICS SHOP MATH
Everything you need to know. Nothing you don’t.
Forget the abstract equations from high school. This course is designed specifically for the shop floor. We’ve distilled the essential math required to be a successful optics technician- from understanding tolerances and decimals to mastering the geometry behind lens curvature. Gain the confidence to measure, calculate, and create with total precision.
Optical Lenses and How Light Behaves
This module serves as your foundational introduction to the principles of Optics.
In this course you’ll see how historical ideas from Alhazen, Newton, Huygens, Young, Planck, and Einstein connect directly to modern optical design and everyday applications such as eyeglasses, cameras, retroreflectors, road markings, and safety gear. This course is designed to be accessible to motivated beginners in precision optics manufacturing.
Light and Lasers
In this course you’ll build a clear, practical understanding of light, from what it is, to how it behaves and how we use it. You’ll explore wave–particle duality; core wave ideas like wavelength, frequency, phase, and interference; bending and bouncing of light via refraction and reflection; and polarization and diffraction. You’ll apply these concepts to real optics- lenses and imaging.
Level Up Your Craft.
Advanced Courses for the Modern Technician.
Materials and Light: Understanding Optical Propagation
CNC Polishing in Precision Optics Manufacturing
Advanced Interferometry
Material Handling and Optical Glass Basics
Introduction To Metrology
Fundamentals of Grinding