Quality Management

The Optics market is a fast growing one with constantly increasing requirements for the production and application of optical components. Therefore, existing fabrication and testing processes are being optimized on a regular basis and various research projects are being carried out, aiming on the development of new processes. The OF&T FG serves as a podium for all experts in this growing field to discuss the state-of the-art as well as to present and judge ongoing research in this field. In addition, in this FG reliable and standardised OF&T techniques are being discussed and defined to enable a quality management in industrial optics production environments serving both, costumers and producers.

The development and implementation of reliable OF&T techniques for the qualification of optical components plays an important role in many industrial production environments. Especially, standardised routines recognised by the manufacturers as well as in the application field are an indispensable platform for the commercialisation of optics on all levels of the global market. Even though a variety of standard characterisation procedures had been qualified and established during the last decade, many problems encountered during the routine production, testing and application of optical components are still not solved for a broad variety of quality factors.The OF&T focus group is dedicated to these demanding tasks and will contribute to the following activities necessary for an advanced quality control of optics production:

• Research in OF&T techniques and quality management routines
• Qualification of OF&T procedures and protocols on the basis of joint measurement initiatives
• Promulgation of measurement principles and standardised characterisation techniques
• Development and qualification of international standards (ISO- and CEN-level)
• Strategic orientation of quality management policies within global optics market

Topics

The FG features topics covering the fabrication and testing of micro, medium, and large optics ranging from unique one-of-a-kind items to mass production. Topics extend from sphere and asphere fabrication and testing to applied material science, finishing science.

• Finishing Science
  • Grinding, precision grinding, diamond turning, ultrasonic machining
  • Finishing techniques, e.g. (pitch) polishing, MRF, Ion beam polishing, Jet polishing, etc.
  • New finishing processes, synthetic pitch
  • Glass molding
  • New polishing abrasives and novel abrasive formulations
  • Fixed abrasive polishing
• General Aspects of OF&T
  • Cost efficiency, micro and large scale optics, automation
  • Process lessons and experiences from the shop floor
• Optical Materials Science
  • Material response to fabrication processes
  • Optical crystals and new materials
• Optical assembly
  • Cementing
  • Adhesives
• Optical Testing
  • In process measurement techniques for shape, surface structure and subsurface damage
  • Surface profilometry ? optical and scanning probe, white-light interferometry
  • Determination of fundamental quality factors: techniques according to ISO 10110, defect density, contamination, surface properties, Inspection for subsurface damage, shape, roughness, scratch/dig
  • Measurement of transfer properties: spectrophotometry (ISO 15368), laser ratiometry (ISO 13697), phase (ISO 24013), optical absorption (ISO 11551) and total scattering (ISO 13696), power spectral density, scattering and BRDF
  • Stability of optical components environmental properties (ISO 9022, ISO 9211), mechanical and chemical influences, laser damage thresholds (ISO 11254), thermal stability
  • Testing in adverse environments: vibration, atmosphere, cyrogenic, vacuum etc.
  • Standardisation in optics characterisation