Automated and standardized manufacturing solution for high-precision lenses with cylindrical elements

Optics for beam shaping in laser and imaging systems, such as those used in LiDAR and cine applications, rely heavily on cylindrical elements. While high-precision objectives with rotationally symmetric lenses can already be manufactured with reliable quality using directed adhesive bonding or alignment turning, no user-friendly solution previously existed for cylindrical elements. Instead, a multi-stage process had to be carried out by skilled specialists. This changes with the introduction of the CylinderCheck^® upgrade for TRIOPTICS' ATS alignment turning station. Enhanced hardware, including a corresponding software module, enables a semi-automated, user-guided measurement and machining workflow.

During the two-stage measurement process of cylindrical lenses on TRIOPTICS alignment turning stations, the tilt of the cylinder axis and its shift relative to the measurement or spindle axis are determined. By using OptiCentric^® measurement technology, the azimuth position of the sample's orientation is captured with high precision, thereby reducing overall process time. Subsequently, the element is aligned to the spindle axis, followed by edge processing of the mounted lens in the typical process of the alignment turning station. Wiebke Ehrhorn, Product Manager at TRIOPTICS: “With the CylinderCheck^® extension, we have developed a reliable solution that works operator-independently and is fully integrated into the alignment turning process.” The CylinderCheck^® extension is available for the ATS 200, ATS 200 UP, and ATS 300 UP systems.