Wedel, Germany, September 28, 2004--Fabricating mass-produced aspheric lenses for digital cameras and mobile phones is far different from crafting laboratory-use optical elements, because surface-shape measurements of high-volume lenses have to happen fast. In response to this need, Trioptics has announced the availability of a laser-scanning based lens-characterization tool (the AspheroMaster) that measures 3-D surface shapes and wavefront profiles swiftly and accurately.
The best mass-produced small aspheric lenses are usually molded of glass in a precision process very unlike ordinary glass molding. Created by ion-milling or some other precise technique, the molds themselves must have a near-perfect profile, and must be designed to allow the glass to shrink to the proper shape. The AspheroMaster can measure these molds (which have a mirror surface) as well as lenses to submicron accuracy.
In addition to mobile-phone and digital-camera lenses, the range of applications covers contact and intraocular lenses and pickup lenses for CD and DVD appliances. Whether measuring molding tools, aspheric mirrors, or other aspheric surfaces, AspheroMaster provides accurate and reliable data in a short measuring time.
The AspheroMaster measures in reflection and transmission, and can measure highly aspheric surfaces (up to 7° deviation from the sphere) over a large measuring range (swivel range of the sensor head of +/-90°). The tool has a high spatial (lateral) resolution of down to a few microns spot size. The noncontact tool needs no reference and provides easy and fast alignment of the sample.