INDUSTRIAL
Our expertise in the design and manufacture of precision optics and optical imaging subsystems originates from our engineering team’s extensive experience in the design and manufacture of complex, small, and large microscope objectives and lens assemblies, as well as large precision optics for wafer inspection equipment. With many decades of collective experience in the design, assembly, and test of complex optomechanical lens assemblies, JML is a trusted partner to OEM instrument companies across many industrial markets.
Industry 4.0 and Factory Automation Drives Advances in Optical Imaging
Photonics technologies are ubiquitous in the development and manufacture of everyday products, from the spectroscopic analysis of feedstock and raw materials in the petrochemical and pharmaceutical industries to the inspection and monitoring of a myriad of products (e.g., bottles, assembled goods, PCBs etc) as they move at high-speed along manufacturing lines. Near-infrared spectral imaging systems help ensure the quality of food products as they are processed in large-scale factories, where there is a need to provide highly accurate results in real-time and at speed to prevent pathogens and bacteria from entering the human food chain. Laser-based systems are routinely used to inspect surfaces for dimensional accuracy and ensure proper alignment of wheels in the automotive market. They have even been developed to pattern denim clothing in the retail and fashion industries. Camera systems for monitoring vehicle speed and traffic patterns also require high-performance lens assemblies. More advanced laser inspection tools are routinely used in the creation (e.g., laser metal additive manufacturing) as well as inspection (e.g., flat panel display) of many different types of products used in the world today.
The emergence and rapid growth of digitization and automation in industrial manufacturing – Industry 4.0 – will continue to drive demand for advanced opto-robotic platforms and instruments that can provide accurate and precise information on product quality at high-throughput rates. In machine vision applications, high-speed cameras are used to capture fast production processes. Another example is the use of advanced camera systems for inventory tracking. Even more information can be gleaned from such image capture applications when narrow wavelength bands are isolated for detection of specific chemical features with UV, fluorescence, Raman and NIR modalities growing in use.
Experience & Expertise
At JML, we engage with our customers to design and deliver custom spherical, aspheric, and cylindrical optics and optical assemblies that enable highly accurate and reliable imaging and data collection for a variety of different machine vision modalities, including spectroscopic imaging systems that operate over 400nm to 2.4μm. We supply compact lens assemblies used in harsh environments in automotive inspection systems to several major players who create manufacturing control and inspection apparatuses. A key requirement for applications in the industrial optics industry is that optical assemblies can perform reliably and repeatedly, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks of the year. JML is a trusted partner to several industry-leading OEM companies. This is based on our ability to design and deliver tailored optical product solutions that meet or exceed specifications, on time and on budget.
We are a Proven Supplier of Optics for:
- Automated machine vision systems
- Laser-based inspection instruments
- Industrial laser manufacturing tools (e.g., additive manufacturing)
- Industrial laser inspection tools (e.g., flat panel display)
- Multispectral sensing and imaging instruments
Examples of JML Optical’s Impact in Industrial Industry:
- Customized, high-performance, cost-effective lens assemblies for machine vision applications
- 10,000s compact imaging lenses delivered annually to different OEM customers
- Large format cylindrical lenses for laser inspection tools
- Optics modules incorporating lenses and optical filters for spectral detection
Compact lens assembly for laser-based inspection tool