Heated Lenses Prevent Fogging of Cameras And Sensors

3D Printing in Sensor Technology & Optics Heated Lenses Prevent Fogging of Cameras And Sensors

2026-03-09 From Susanne Braun | Translated by AI 1 min Reading Time

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Fogged-up protective glass can quickly render cameras and sensors unusable outdoors. A new approach uses printed electronics or transparent, conductive coatings directly on the glass to prevent it from falling below the dew point.

The developers at Irlbacher prevent the glass surface from falling below the dew point with 3D printing in the form of filigree conductor tracks on flat glass.(Image: Irlbacher) — The developers at Irlbacher prevent the glass surface from falling below the dew point with 3D printing in the form of filigree conductor tracks on flat glass.
(Image: Irlbacher)

Outdoor cameras and sensors are often confronted with a fundamental problem. Condensation on the glass surface can cause light to be scattered and lenses to be partially or completely obscured. This significantly reduces the image quality or renders systems temporarily inoperable. This should be avoided wherever possible, especially in critical or safety-relevant areas. How can water on the surface of the glass be prevented?

One possible approach is to heat the glass surface electrically so that the temperature does not fall below the dew point. Glass processing specialist Irlbacher has developed heatable glass solutions for such applications that can be adapted to different visual and technical requirements.

Using 3D Printing to Combat Condensation

For applications with lower optical requirements, filigree conductor paths are printed directly onto the glass using ceramic inks. For particularly high transparency, the company relies on electrically conductive, laser-structured ITO layers (indium tin oxide), which are also used in touchscreens. These can achieve light transmission rates of up to around 90 percent and remain virtually invisible to cameras.

The heating layers are applied to the inside of the glass and thus protected from environmental influences. Using suitable control strategies, the temperature of the glass surface can be raised just above the dew point without unnecessarily heating neighboring components such as cameras or sensors.

According to the manufacturer, the solutions are designed for a temperature range of −40 °F to 176 °F and respond quickly. Typical applications range from camera and sensor systems in outdoor installations to monitoring systems and applications in rail transport, where protective windows must not fog up when trains enter tunnels, for example. The glass structures can also be combined with other functions, such as integrated lighting or additional electronics directly on the glass surface. This allows several functions to be combined in a single component. (sb)

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