Welcome to the Autumn 2016 edition of 'Lens Innovation' - a periodic eNewsletter from Resolve Optics Ltd. Each issue of Lens Innovation is designed to keep you informed about the latest technological developments, applications advances and breaking news in the optical design and manufacture industry.

If a particular feature interests you, do not hesitate to contact us or follow the link for further information. We welcome your feedback.

Mark Pontin (Managing Director)

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ViewPoint

In this feature Resolve Optics offers its view on areas of topicality within the optics industry, we welcome your feedback.

The Benefits Of Working with a UK Optical Design and Manufacturing Company

A major determinant of demand for a company's exports is the price of those exports relative to the prices of international competitors. The recent 10-20% fall in the value of the Pound Sterling versus the US Dollar and the Euro, following the UK's recent vote to exit the European Union, presents organisations worldwide with a cut price opportunity to benefit from the OEM lens design and manufacture expertise of Resolve Optics Ltd.

Based in Chesham, UK we have for over 20 years helped high technology businesses to source the exact precision optical lens assembly for their next product design. Drawing upon the expertise of our in-house optical designers and application engineers, we are able to deliver an optimal lens solution by addressing all of your design considerations – from specifications, to budget, through to a delivery timetable. Designing optics optimised to give your product that all important competitive edge often requires also meeting demanding mechanical and electrical requirements. With comprehensive experience of the Nuclear, Aerospace, Automotive and Defence industries – we are well versed in producing high performance opto-mechanical assemblies and associated electronics that meet the demands of these exacting market sectors.

Never has it been such a good time to source a high performance specialist lens or optical system from the UK. For further information please visit www.resolveoptics.com/oem-design-manufacture/

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Project News

Successful Visual Inspection of the Space Station Robot Arm

   VIPIR space station inspection tool

   Resolve Optics non browning zoom lenses

Micrometeoroid and orbital debris, known throughout the space community as MMOD, is a constant threat for orbiting satellites. These tiny natural or manmade items, shooting through the space environment at speeds that can exceed 20,000 mph, can damage spacecraft, puncture instruments and disrupt operations.

Unexplained discoloration on robot arm.    Click on images for larger version.

"The results from VIPIR were phenomenal," said Ron Ticker of NASA. "From a distance of approximately eight inches, VIPIR was able to resolve details as small as three-thousandths of an inch (.003") – about ten times thinner than the thickness of a credit card. From VIPIR’s footage, we were able to discern that the black mark was in fact a raised mass at the inspection site."

To read the complete story please visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/VIPR.

For further information on radiation resistant, non browning lens supplied by Resolve Optics please visit www.resolveoptics.com/non-browning-lenses/

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Information Guidelines

Quick Tips To Aid Specifying A Lens

Did you know that you can work out the effective clear diameter of a lens based on its focal length and its aperture according to the formula below.

Focal Length / Aperture = Clear Diameter

For example if you have a 20 mm focal length lens and you need an aperture of f/2 the diameter of the front element must be at least 10 mm. If the aperture was f/1 then the element would need to be 20mm.

But remember in your calculations to add approximately 5mm for a metal lens mount!

This calculation can be useful when you are specifying a lens that must fit in a known space envelope. For example if you have a 50 X 50 mm space into which the lens must fit, there is little point specifying that you require a focal length of 100mm and an aperture of f/1.4 as the lens just will not fit.

Another rule of thumb that applies more to zoom lenses is that in general the length of a zoom lens will be about the same as its longest focal length. If you have a 10 to 100 (10X) zoom lens the length of the lens will be approximately 100 mm.

The length of a zoom can be squeezed down by design but you increase the complexity of the design and impact performance depending on how much you want the length reduced.

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Technology Forum

Considerations In Selecting A Lens Adapter

A lens adapter can offer an economic solution to achieve the desired field of view (FOV) or image format from a prime lens in a camera or sensor system.

If you'd like to expand your field of view, then a wide-angle lens adapter is likely your accessory of choice. How much wider you can get depends on the magnification factor. If you've got a camera or sensor system that has a 28mm lens, then adding a 0.5x adapter will convert that to the field of view of a 14mm lens.

Off the shelf adapters are widely available at varying prices. These adapters will have been designed to be as generic as possible to try and ensure they work on as many lenses as possible. While such off-the-shelf lens adapters offer an economic way of adapting prime lens field-of-view they will not provide the best solution for all cameras and sensors and can often lead to loss of image quality. To find the optimum solution to adapt the field-of-view of your camera or sensor lens, whilst maintaining top image quality, will require investment in a custom lens adapter.

For example the Resolve Optics Model 387 0.7x lens adapter has been designed specifically for the Fujinon TF4XA 4mm Prime lens which has a native horizontal FOV of 71°. With the adapter fitted the FOV is increased to >95° effectively converting a 4mm lens to a 2.8mm focal length. As a consequence the Model 387 lens adapter not only coverts the field-of-view of the Fujinon lens but also does so while producing high resolution images with minimal distortion.

For further information on 'no-compromise' lens adapters please visit www.resolveoptics.com/lens-adapters/.

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New Product Focus

Flexible Format Radiation Resistant Lens

Resolve Optics has introduced new mechanical options for its popular Model 290 Motorised Non-Browning 6x Zoom Lens to optimally suit different applications that may be subject to radiation.

The standard Model 290 is a radiation resistant lens that is widely used in nuclear fuel handling operation, reactor active zones and radioactive waste storage plants. New mechanical options introduced for the Model 290 include a concentric motor housing (where space is limited), a potentiometer (where feedback on movement is desirable) and noise suppression (where electronic interference can degrade performance). The Model 290 is designed for use with single chip 1/2" and 2/3" CCTV cameras as well as Newvicon and Chalnicon tubes. The Model 290 uses special glass that can withstand long term exposure to high levels of radiation (up to a total dose of 100,000,000 rads) and temperature (55 °C) without discoloration. Zoom, focus and iris movements on the Model 290 are motorised using radiation-tolerant DC-motors to facilitate remote operation in hazardous environments. Operating at f/1.8 the Model 290 provides high image resolution and minimum geometric distortion throughout the spectral region 400-750nm.

To learn more about the Model 290 Motorised Non-Browning 6x Zoom Lens please visit www.resolveoptics.com/non-browning-lenses/ or contact Resolve Optics on +44-1494-777100 / sales@resolveoptics.com.

Fixed Focus Lenses for Thermal Imaging

Available in a choice of 40, 80 or 120mm focal lengths the Model 320 fixed focus IR lens combines high throughput, compactness and robustness at an affordable price.

Infrared (IR) lenses can often be very expensive and it can be difficult to find a lens that meets your specific needs. The Model 320 range of fixed focus Germanium lenses come with antireflective coatings that provide high performance (f2) throughout the IR waveband (8-14 microns) making them perfect for thermal imaging applications.

To learn more about the Model 320 fixed focus IR lens range please visit www.resolveoptics.com/uv-ir-swir-lenses/ or contact Resolve Optics on +44-1494-777100 / sales@resolveoptics.com.

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Case Studies

In this feature we share with you how Resolve Optics specialist lenses and lens systems have helped organisations solve problems and enhance their competitive edge.

Bespoke Lens Enables Precision Radiotherapy

As increasing numbers of people require radiotherapy as a key part of their cancer treatment, there is a need for treatment delivery systems that can deliver precise and accurate care quickly.

A leading radiotherapy equipment supplier sought a high resolution lens able to withstand, and precisely focus, the high levels of radiation produced by their synchrotron device onto tumours.

Using cerium-doped glasses, Resolve Optics produced a compact f/2.8, 24mm diameter fixed focus lens able to withstand long-term exposure to radiation up to a dose of 100 million rad without discoloration. This new lens is enabling the supplier to improve the precision radiotherapy treatment of tumours that its equipment provides. For further information on how to develop a new specialist lens to improve the competitiveness of your product please visit www.resolveoptics.com/oem-design-manufacture/ or contact Resolve Optics on telephone +44-1494-777100 / sales@resolveoptics.com.

Smart Ballistics System Detects Muzzle Flashes

An automatic return fire system or gunfire locator is a system that detects, conveys and automatically returns a ballistic response to the location of gunfire or other weapon fire using optical sensors.

In order to provide a 360° view enabling their system to detect the UV emission from muzzle flashes, identify its location and return fire to that location automatically a military contractor turned to Resolve Optics to create an optimised lens. The design of the contractors automated return fire system required 8 identical mounted AR coated, 10.5mm diameter UV lenses be used in conjunction with a solar blind filter stack operating over a bandwidth of 240 to 280 nm.

Ruggedly constructed this specialist f2.8 lens has been able to provide high resolution UV images from 10 metres to infinity with minimal distortion.

For further information on how to develop a new specialist lens to improve the competitiveness of your product please visit www.resolveoptics.com/oem-design-manufacture/ or contact Resolve Optics on telephone +44-1494-777100 / sales@resolveoptics.com.

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Global Optics News

We have trawled the internet to bring to you some topical breaking news items relating to the photonics / imaging industry that we hope you will find of interest. Happy reading !

Germany reports record sales of machine vision systems

With the German machine vision industry having achieved record sales of €2 billion in 2015 – a rise of 9 percent compared to the previous year – the VDMA, Germany’s industrial association, has forecast a further rise of 8 percent to €2.2 billion in 2016.

For full article click here.

Novel Lens Delivers Controlled Doses of Medicine

A contact lens-based system that uses a strategically placed drug polymer film to deliver medication gradually to the eye has been shown to be as effective as daily eye drops in a preclinical model for managing glaucoma.

For full article click here.

Photonics Market Expected to Reach $724 Billion

Increasing demand from applications such as displays, information and communication technology, photovoltaic, medical technology and life sciences, measurement and automated vision, lighting and production technology are driving the photonics market. to reach an estimated $724 Billion by 2021.

For full article click here.

Optics: Light, Color, and Their Uses

The educator guide, produced by NASA contains color and light activities using lenses, prisms and mirrors to create telescopes, periscopes, microscopes and kaleidoscopes. Other activities include finding focal length and understanding reflection, refraction and diffraction. Activities are marked by grade level.

For full article click here.

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Visit us at VISION 2016

November 8-10th 2016

Resolve Optics has announced that it will be exhibiting at VISION 2016 in Stuttgart, Germany. Visitors to Stand I22 (Hall 1) will be able to discuss with technical specialists how a custom lens design can enable them to benefit from the full performance of their camera, sensor or instrument. Managing Director of Resolve Optics, Mark Pontin commented “In the current competitive machine vision arena – market-leading cameras, sensors and instruments often rely heavily on outstanding optical performance. We have built our reputation on development and supply of specialist lens and optical systems that enable products to achieve their full performance potential thereby enabling our customers to gain that all important competitive advantage". We look forward to seeing you in Stuttgart.

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