Optical Lens Manufacture
Kingsview Optical has been manufacturing custom optical lenses since 1996. During that time has developed a reputation for quality and reliability in the field of optical component manufacture here in the UK. We can manufacture optical lenses for a large range of requirements from 0.8mm diameter micro lenses up to 200mm diameter lenses.
We are able to produce custom optical lens designs for you tailor made to your requirements. Alternatively if you have the lens design already we will be happy to manufacture your lenses from prototype to full scale production.
Optical Lens Standard Tolerances
| Size: 0.8mm to 200mm |
| Diameter Tolerance: -0.05mm |
| Curves: Spherical |
| Decentration (wedge): ± 2′ |
| Irregularity: λ/4 |
| Spherical Error: 0.5% of radius or better |
| Surface Quality (Scratch/Dig): 60/40 |
| Flatness: λ/4@633nm |
| Coating: Broadband AR, V coat, Mgf2 etc |
| Finishing: Edge black painted, steps, bevels etc |
| Materials: Schott, Ohara, CDGM, Fused Silica |
Polishing Capability
CNC Optical Polishing
In 2017 Kingsview invested £250K into a brand new optical CNC lens line from Optotech. This was a major step forward and enhanced our capabilities as an optical lens manufacturer. It also showed our commitment to manufacturing first rate precision optics here in the UK.
Advantages of CNC
Consistency of results – once programmed the results are extremely repeatable
Custom tooling efficiently manufactured – If the design needs specific radii tooling can be manufactured cost effectively
Centre thickness control – Easier to meet tight control on centre thickness
Steep lens radii – Quicker to polish than conventional methods
Conventional Pitch Polishing
Kingsview can also offer conventional or pitch polishing as it is sometimes known. Conventional polishing is the older method of optical polishing before the CNC’s were introduced.
Over the years Kingsview has accrued a large optical tooling and test plate list. This allows designs to be designed around the tooling list which can save on tooling costs and delivery times. This can be very beneficial for prototype batches when the numbers are small. You can find a list of our test plates here.
Advantages of conventional pitch polishing
Efficiency of shallow radii – Depending on tool diameter and radius determines how many you can fit in a block. This can mean many are able to be polished at once making it more efficient than CNC.
No tooling charge – If the lens is able to be designed around our large test plate list no tooling charge necessary.
Improved surface figure – For tight surface figure tolerances pitch polishing can offer excellent results.
Lens edging and centering options
For standard lens centering and edging we use a combination of an auto collimator and air bearing to precisely align our lenses. Through the use of a CNC it is also possible to edge complex shapes of lenses not just round.
Stepped Lenses – Stepped lenses can really improve the mounting of your lenses into metalwork
Bevel/Chamfers – It is possible to program precision bevels around lenses
Apertures – Controlling aperture size is important for controlling air gaps in optical systems
Flats – Sometimes lenses are better suited to be rectangular saving space and weight of the lens
Black painting lens edges – Some systems benefit from having lens edges painted black to improve stay light control
Optical Assembly and Cementing
The lenses can be assembled in housings in our clean room assembly areas. We can also cement doublets and triplets if your requirement needs it. Through the use of an autocollimator and air bearing the highest precision can be achieved. The standard optical adhesives we use are from Norland or NTT but others can be requested.
Optical Coating Options
We can offer a range of optical coating options based on your application. With onsite optical coating we have more control meaning cheaper costs and quicker deliveries.
Broadband Antireflective (BBAR) – Multilayer coating typical range of 425-650nm. Can be made wider and optimised to suit.
Single layer Magnesium Fluoride (MgF2) – Standard coating works over a large range of angles of incidence
Optimised V coat – When you are only interested in a small wavelength range
Optical Metrology
When manufacturing precision optical components it is important to have the right metrology equipment.
- 4″ Zygo interferometer with MX software
For measuring lens radius and surface form we have a 4″ Zygo interferometer with the latest MX software. With a large range of transmission spheres we are able to measure the whole aperture of most of the optics we manufacture. If you require it is also possible to supply surface reports on your optics that we manufacture.
- Lambda Spectrophotometer
To measure the performance of our optical coatings we use a lambda spectrophotometer. The wavelength range is from 200-3000nm. If you need coating witness samples with the jobs this can be provided at cost.
- Autocollimator with ODG software
Measuring centration of optics we have developed our own alignment system with air bearing. Using an auto collimator with ODG software we can measure centration extremely accurately.
Why choose us?
At Kingsview Optical we really are a one stop solution for optical lens manufacture in the UK. We supply a large range of optical components across industries including industrial, defence and augmented reality. Kingsview is also fully audited to ISO 9001.
Our speciality is manufacturing custom optics in the quickest turnarounds. We are also happy to offer advice on your projects and give you some ideas of potential solutions. We can also look at your lens tolerances and give you an idea of what is possible to achieve.
So please get in touch if you have any questions or enquiries as we would be happy to offer quotes. If you would like to vist our facility we would be more than happy to show you around. This will give you a better idea of what we can do for you.