Precision optical arrays, such as hexagonally packed "fly's-eye" lenses, square-packed lenses, linear lenses, and Fresnel arrays, with up to a 99% fill factor, are manufactured without seams on a continuous web of film. Diamond tool engraving provides sub-micron accuracy. Uses include smart phone and electronic displays, solar concentrators, optical diffusers, security products, and 3D imaging.
Leap Technologies
Hillsboro, WI
[email protected]
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PRESS RELEASE
Leap Technologies announces an economical high volume capability to emboss seamless and continuous lens arrays.
Wisconsin company Leap Technologies announces a unique new capability of economically producing continuous and seamless high precision optical lens arrays in wide web form.
High precision optical arrays, such hexagonally packed "fly's-eye" lenses, square packed lenses, or linear lens, and fresnel arrays, with up to a 99% fill factor, can now be manufactured without seams on a continuous web of film. The process brings down the cost of optical lens arrays for a variety of applications, including smart phone displays, electronic displays, solar concentrators, optical diffusers, security products, and three dimensional imaging.
Lens arrays are diamond tool engraved with sub micron accuracy into embossing rolls, which are used to emboss the patterns into a variety of plastic base materials, including polyesters, olefins, and others, depending on the end use application. The material web widths can be up to 1.5 meters wide, with a film gauge from 100 to 500 microns. Lens arrays can be produced overall, in continuous stripes, or discrete zones.
"The real advancement for us was the ability to diamond tool engrave very high precision optical lens arrays seamlessly around large embossing rolls," says Technical Director - David Roberts. "This coupled with an improved high volume web reproduction process allows the arrays to be used for applications where they were previously only available through injection or compression molding. The result is reduced cost, increased production speeds, and larger array sizes."
The company can work from existing optical design data, or design the optics using Radiant Zemax software. Small test engravings and embossed samples are produced to confirm designs prior to producing production rolls.
Leap Technologies (http://www.leaptechnologies.net) has been a pioneer in in a variety of lens array technologies since 1993. and provides custom embossed optical films, as well as engraved embossing rolls, product development, and production support to film and sheet manufacturers.
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