Precision Asphere capability coupled with experience

Precision aspheres have been a distinguishing product in the Jupiter facility since the founding of Coastal Optical in 1991. In 2002, the company transitioned from conventional polishing by master opticians to deterministic CNC polishing using QED’s MRF® technology.

In 2002 JENOPTIK successfully delivered the first MRF® polished aspheric flight hardware to Ball Aerospace for the Calipso program. Since then, we have regularly delivered precision aspheres in fused silica, calcium fluoride, zerodur, ULE, silicon and optical glasses in sizes from 15 mm to 240 mm in diameter. Applications include optics for space, military, scientific and entertainment.

Aspheric metrology enables manufacturing

The challenges associated with asphere metrology became the key schedule and cost driver after moving to deterministic polishing in 2002. Time required and costs associated with designing and fabricating null tests frequently were a deciding factor when evaluating use of an asphere. In 2007, Jenoptik (FL) became an early adopter of QED’s SSI-A® stitching interferometric technology to reduce the leadtime and unpredictability associated with asphere metrology. A recently added Zygo Verifire™ Asphere interferometer has further expanded the range of aspheric optics measurable without custom metrology considerations.

Asphere Lab capabilities

Jenoptik Optical Systems full complement of dedicated asphere manufacturing and metrology equipment includes:

Generating:	OptiPro eSX 300
	Schneider ALG 200 Aspheric generator
Polishing:	QED MRF® Q22-X polishing machine
Contact Metrology:	Taylor Hobson Talysurf stylus profilometer
Optical Metrology:	Zygo Verifire™ Asphere
	QED SSI-A® Stitching interferometer