top design engineering considerations for optical …
TRANSCRIPT
TOP DESIGN ENGINEERING CONSIDERATIONS
FOR OPTICAL ASSEMBLIES
E: [email protected] | P: 585-248-8900 | www.jmloptical.com 2
INTRODUCTIONOptical assemblies consist of complex combinations of optical components and mechanical and electronic hardware and find myriad use in a variety of different instruments and tools in applications in life science, medical, industrial, semiconductor and defense industries. The key to ensuring they function as intended is proper design, assembly, testing, and implementation. It is critical for OEM capital equipment manufacturers to select the right partner; one that has the optomechanical design expertise to tackle and solve complex optical design challenges and can transition a product idea seamlessly from early concept planning all the way to volume manufacturing, starting with optics and ending with integrated optical assemblies, ensuring the highest quality standards are met and exceeded and the project is on time and on budget, every step of the way.
In this eBook, we provide an overview of the design engineering considerations to keep in mind when planning the manufacture of an optical assembly.
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TYPES OF OPTICAL ASSEMBLIES
Optical assemblies can be classified into two main categories:
Optical mechanical (i.e., optomechanical) design engineering operations focus on the mounting and positioning hardware employed in optical assemblies, such as mounts, breadboards, laboratory tables, and translation stages. The critical factors in their design and manufacture are accuracy and stability.
Optical electrical design engineering involves integrating electronic hardware, such as printed circuit boards (PCBs) and sensors, into optical assemblies and may also include the design of control software. Similar to mechanical components, these parts must be selected and installed carefully to ensure optimal performance.
Optomechanical assemblies
Electro-optic assemblies (EOAs)
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Both types of optical assemblies rely on transmissive and reflective optics, such as lenses, beamsplitters, mirrors, and prisms. Optical lenses are available in a wide range of shapes and sizes. What distinguishes the overall optical properties (i.e. function) and performance characteristics is how the lens surface is designed and manufactured. The types available include:
Spherical lenses have a curved surface—either concave or convex—with a constant radius of curvature on one side and a flat (i.e., planar) or curved surface on the other side.
Aspherical lenses have a surface with a radius of curvature that gradually changes from center to edge. A single, well-designed aspherical lens can serve as a replacement for multiple lenses in a lens assembly (e.g., imaging objective).
Key benefits can include lower assembly cost, weight, and optomechanical complexity while maintaining high optical performance.
Cylindrical lenses have a radius of curvature along one axis, which results in light focusing into a line rather than a point or the expansion of the output of a laser source into a symmetrical beam.
They are used in industrial laser machine tools, optical metrology systems, life science (microscope) instruments, and projection and motion picture cameras.
Spherical/Plano
Aspherical
Cylindrical
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DESIGN ENGINEERING CONSIDERATIONS FOR OPTICAL ASSEMBLIES
As indicated above, there are many elements that go into optical assemblies—i.e., optical components, electronic hardware, and mounting and positioning hardware. Like other design engineering challenges, ensuring these components work together as intended and fit the project constraints means balancing numerous factors. Below we outline some of the most critical considerations.
When it comes to designing and manufacturing optical assemblies, there is no substitute for working with an experienced solutions provider. The practical knowledge and skills an optomechanical engineer has attained through taking part in numerous projects—including in the aerospace, defense, imaging, and semiconductor industries—enables him or her to create manufacturable optical assemblies that fully meet all applicable industry-specific requirements and restrictions.
Partner Expertise
DESIGN
HARDWARE
ENGINEERING
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The types of engineering support critical to the success of a complex optical assembly project include:
Designing and developing specifications for complete optical system (from illumination to detection)
Taking a preliminary design concept and improving the optical design, producing the mechanical design, and performing a tolerance analysis
Balancing performance versus costs by designing off the shelf optics (where appropriate)
Outlining design for volume manufacturing (DfVM) approach
Improving the manufacturability of a proposed or existing system
Designing individual optical components and mounting schemes
Building and testing components and complete assemblies
Regardless of where you are in the design process, working with a highly experienced optomechanical engineering team reduces risk and limits costly manufacturing mistakes while shortening development cycles and accelerating time to market. For example, engineers new to optical manufacturing may not be aware that manufacturers commonly oversize the lens diameter earlyin fabrication.
This quality allows them greater allowances down the line when machining the component to the desired shape and size. However, an edge that is too thin or too sharp is susceptible to damage. An expert in optical engineering would know of this risk and take it into account from the very beginning, potentially saving significant time and money.
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High-performance optical assemblies require precision manufactured optical lenses. For this reason, it is important to work with a partner that emphasizes quality at all stages of production, from design to assembly to final testing. Investing in well-documented, well-implemented quality control techniques and technologies ensures both superior product quality (the finished pieces meet specification) and process quality (production operations run with greater efficiency).
For many companies, high quality in the finished optical assembly is their number one priority. However, production cost (measured per unit and overall) is also important, especially considering that optical components are often manufactured in quantities of hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands of units per production cycle.
Factors to consider when calculating the final cost of an optical assembly include:
While some of these factors are fixed by the design specifications, others can be altered to better suit the project budget, often with little to no effect on performance.
Material (e.g., glass, plastic, and refractive dispersion materials)
Reflective vs. refractive design
Mounting and packaging considerations
Number of elements in the design Mechanical properties
Optical performance
Mass constraints
Wavelength and extent of color correction required
Fabrication methods and specialty secondary services
Quality Control
Performance-Cost Considerations
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Table 1: JML Optical has a significant experience and expertise designing custom optics and optical lens assemblies for a variety of different instrument types used in many end applications across several industries where photonics technologies are truly enabling.
Contact the Optical Assembly Experts at JML Today
Designing a complex optical assembly (e.g., microscope objective) can be challenging but partnering with an experienced optical manufacturer—such as JML Optical—can help ensure your final assembly works as designed.
Equipped with industry-leading optomechanical design experience solving complex optical solution challenges, JML’s engineering team can provide custom optics and lens assemblies for instruments and systems used in life science research, medical imaging, semiconductor wafer inspection, and demanding military applications.
By working with JML on your optical assemblies, you benefit from our knowledgeable and skilled design engineering team, broad range of manufacturing capabilities, state-of-the-art assembly and metrology test equipment (including a Class 100 cleanroom), and thin-film coating and environmental test capabilities.
Our design engineers rely on extensive experience and cutting-edge equipment to tackle challenging assemblies, including:
Doublets and triplets
Fast lenses
Complex prism systems
Focus and zoom lens assemblies
Imaging lens assemblies and microscope objectives
Wide field of view (FOV) lenses
Athermal lens systems
Whatever the project, we emphasize quality at every stage, from prototype to production; each optical component is carefully designed, manufactured, and tested to ensure it fully meets all specifications.
Our QuickTurn Optics solutions allow us to successfully develop and deliver complex engineered systems in as little as 4–8 weeks. To learn more about our optical capabilities or partner with us on your next project, start a conversation with us today.
CONTACT US
820 Linden Avenue, Rochester, NY 14625
Phone: 585-248-8900
Email: [email protected]
https://www.jmloptical.com/
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