Injection molded optics are frequently applied in many high volume applications. Bar code scanners, CD / DVD systems, CMOS cameras are a few examples. In all of these applications cost effective and fast design cycles are essential. At Philips High Tech Plastics we developed a design system that touches on all different aspects of the system design. Starting with traditional lens design (sequential ray tracing) and tolernacing we transport the initial design into mechanical solid modeling. During mechanical modeling, tolerances, injection molding design rules and integration of mechanical features, reference marks, etc. are incorporated as well. Here the full advantage of injection molding can be utilized. After the opto - mechanical modeling the system is ported back to non - sequential ray tracing for ghost - and stray light analysis. Finally extended tolerancing is performed in order to come to a robust high volume product. If necessary all or several steps in this design process are repeated in order to arrive at the final design. As an additional requirement the metrology possibilities for the design are checked in at an early stage. This integral system approach to optical design, including optical modeling (sequential and non-sequential) combined with mechanical solid modeling is presented using some recent examples.

Date Published: 3 November 2003
PDF: 8 pages
Proc. SPIE 5173, Current Developments in Lens Design and Optical Engineering IV, 517305 (3 November 2003); doi: 10.1117/12.508593

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 5173:
Current Developments in Lens Design and Optical Engineering IV
Pantazis Z. Mouroulis; Warren J. Smith; R. Barry Johnson, Editor(s)