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Mechanical Design


Engineering Expertise from Schneider-Kreuznach

At Schneider-Kreuznach, our mechanic design discipline provides the critical structural framework that ensures the performance, stability, and longevity of high-precision optical systems. Our engineering team specializes in developing robust mechanical solutions for demanding industrial environments, particularly for applications in machine vision, robotics, and metrology where alignment and durability are non-negotiable.

We go beyond theoretical design. Our approach is fundamentally linked to our extensive in-house manufacturing capabilities. This integration ensures that every component is not just designed for optimal performance, but also for efficient and repeatable production. We collaborate with our clients' technical teams to solve complex challenges in thermal management, vibration resistance, and system integration, delivering fully realized and reliable optomechanical assemblies.

Cross-section drawing of a Variogon lens, showing internal structure and lens arrangement.

The Function of Mechanic Design in High-Performance Optics


Mechanic design for optical systems involves engineering the physical housing and components that maintain the precise position and alignment of lenses, filters, and sensors. Its primary function is to create a stable environment, protecting the optical path from external stressors such as shock, vibration, and thermal fluctuation. Designers use advanced CAD platforms and simulation tools to model and validate this mechanical framework.
 

A CAD program on a monitor displays a 3D cross-section model of a complex mechanical assembly

Key Aspects of Our Mechanic Design Process:

  • Design for Precision Manufacturing: Our designs are intrinsically tied to our production capabilities. With in-house expertise in multi-axis CNC milling, precision turning, and advanced fabrication, our engineers create complex geometries and features that are both functional and manufacturable to tight tolerances.
  • Structural and Thermal Management: We utilize FEA to simulate and optimize designs for stiffness, mass, and thermal stability. This ensures optical alignment and focus are maintained across the specified operational temperature range of an application.
  • System Integration and Assembly Tolerancing: We conduct detailed tolerance stack-up analysis to ensure that all mechanical parts fit and assemble correctly, guaranteeing the final position and centration of the optical elements within the assembly.

A critical component of this process is Finite Element Analysis (FEA), a simulation method used to predict how a mechanical structure will behave under operational loads. By analyzing for stress, deformation, and thermal expansion, we can verify the integrity of a design before manufacturing begins.

This predictive analysis is essential for ensuring the long-term reliability required in industrial automation and inspection systems.

From Design to Reality: Our Integrated DfM Approach


Our mechanic design philosophy is successful because our engineers have an intimate understanding of our in-house production processes. This synergy allows us to design what we can build and build what we design, with no disconnect between theory and reality.

  • Precision Machining: The ability to leverage our 5-axis CNC milling centers (e.g., Hermle, Chiron) and high-precision CNC lathes (e.g., Index, Benzinger) means our designers can incorporate sophisticated features, complex curvatures, and non-trivial interfaces directly into the mechanical components, knowing they can be machined with high repeatability.
  • Integrated Surface Technologies: A component's surface is a functional feature. Our designers specify and control surface treatments performed in-house, including black anodizing for stray light reduction, chemical treatments for material stability, and specialized coatings for durability and corrosion resistance. This control is critical for the optical performance and environmental resilience of the final system.
  • Advanced Material Processing: For applications requiring unique geometries like custom-shaped apertures or non-standard filter mounts, our designers can utilize the capabilities of our in-house micro-waterjet cutting systems. This allows for the design of intricate, heat-unaffected components that would be difficult or impossible to produce with conventional machining.
Schneider-Kreuznach lens exploded view of optical components

Different mechanical components in a Schneider-Kreuznach C-Mount lens.



Mechanical Solutions: From Modification to Full Customization


Our engineering expertise allows us to provide a flexible and scalable range of mechanical solutions, tailored to your project's specific technical, environmental, and commercial requirements. We understand that not every application can be served by a standard product, nor does every project require a ground-up development effort. Therefore, our services are structured to engage with you at the appropriate level, from minor modifications that optimize an existing product for your application, to the complete, collaborative design and manufacturing of a unique optomechanical system. This adaptable approach ensures you receive a solution that is both technically sound and economically viable.

Key benefits of Prototyping:

  • Faster development cycles – Streamlined lens design before actual production.
  • Cost-effective production – Less material waste and time spent on revisions.
  • Higher accuracy – More predictable outcomes for optical performance.
 

Schneider-Kreuznach Icon Standard Portfolio

Standard Portfolio

 

 

  • Large choice of industrial lenses
  • Optical filters
  • Polarizers
     
 

Schneider-Kreuznach Icon modification of products

Modification of products

 

 

  • Minor mechanical changes
  • Fixed aperture
  • Assembly of components
     
 

Schneider-Kreuznach Icon customized proucts

Custom solutions

 

 

  • Lenses
  • Optical filters
  • Opto-mechanical systems
     

The Role of Metrology in Design Validation


Design validation is confirmed through empirical measurement. Our in-house metrology lab, equipped with tactile 3D CMMs (e.g., Zeiss UMM, Contura) and form testers (e.g., Mahr MMQ), provides direct feedback to our design team. We use this data to verify that manufactured components meet all dimensional and geometric tolerances specified in the design, closing the loop between digital models and physical parts.

Benefits of Integrated Metrology:

  • Empirical Validation: Confirms that the manufactured part precisely matches the design intent.
  • Process Control: Provides the data necessary to maintain stable and repeatable manufacturing processes.
  • Assured Quality: Guarantees that every component used in an assembly meets the required precision for system performance.

Custom Optical Solutions for Industrial Applications


Different industries have unique needs for optical systems. Schneider-Kreuznach creates custom solutions to match those requirements. We specialize in lens design and optical system design that cover many industrial uses.

Detailed tolerance analysis makes sure every component meets precise performance standards. We also use model-based simulations to fine-tune each design. This process helps us build solutions that fit specific challenges in diverse industries. Our commitment to innovation and customization strengthens our position as a leader in modern optical design.

Examples of custom solutions:

  • Precision imaging – Lenses for industrial inspection and quality control.
  • High-performance lenses – Designed for medical and scientific tasks.
  • Specialized optics and design – Tailored to exact project specifications.

 

Why Choose Schneider-Kreuznach?

Tradition meets Innovation: over 110 years of Optical Manufacturing Experience

Ever since the foundation in 1913 our staff have been perfecting our knowledge and technologies to bring you the best products in optics. Our manufacturing facilities in Bad Kreuznach, Germany, guarantee outstanding quality – Made in Germany. We continuously invest in our state-of-the-art machinery and in the education and training of our staff. Select your perfect lens from our large portfolio. 

If you need a customized solution, we are your partner from the kick-off to the Project completion. Our extensive experience and in-depth knowledge of a wide range of applications enables us to provide you with solutions that are perfectly tailored to your needs. As a family owned company, we are passionate and committed to our customers and their success. You can expect long-term relationships based on trust and shared goals with us.

Custom Lenses for maximum flexibility

All Schneider-Kreuznach industrial lenses are designed for total flexibility and adaptability. Not only are they available in a range of standard designs, but they can also be completely customized to meet your needs. The possibilities are virtually unlimited. Whether you want to adjust working distances, require specific housing dimensions, or are looking for custom coatings for specific wavelengths, we can make it happen. We understand that every project is unique and we will do our best to provide you with the perfect solution. 

Our focus on quality and innovation is evident in every industrial lens we modify. By working closely with our customers, we ensure that we can make your requirements a reality. Discover the possibilities of our custom industrial lenses and rely on our years of experience and expertise in the optical industry. Here are just a few examples of the modifications that can be made to our industrial lenses:  

  • Ruggedized & stabilized lenses for extreme conditions
  • Fixed aperture lenses for consistent and reliable images 
  • Optimized imaging performance for specific working distances
  • Custom coatings for specific wavelengths 
  • Size and weight adjustments for optimal integration into your system 
  • Accessories such as beam splitters and integrated optical filters

Contact us, to find the right solution for you.

A worthwhile investment: increasing efficiency through new lens development

Any Schneider-Kreuznach standard lens can be modified to meet your needs. However, there are some applications that require new, customized lenses. Our product development department can develop custom lenses for your needs. This can even result in cost savings by tailoring the lens to your needs, thus avoiding unnecessary complexity.

Our custom lenses offer user-friendly integration into existing systems. The adaptability of our product designs allows engineers to seamlessly integrate lenses. We are a trusted partner because of our commitment to research and development and our decades of experience in the optical industry. With our custom lenses, we help our customers overcome challenges, open up new possibilities and take their technical applications to the next level.

Highest quality and reliability: Our lenses put to the test

Quality and reliability are top priorities at Schneider-Kreuznach. Our lenses undergo rigorous quality control to ensure maximum reliability. Before a lens leaves our factory, it is carefully inspected and tested. This ensures that it meets our high quality standards. We use only high quality glass from reputable manufacturers to achieve very low manufacturing tolerances. As a result, our filters are of consistently high quality. Their use allows you to accurately reproduce results, as the lenses will perform nearly identically even after years of use.

Our industrial lenses are rigorously tested to DIN and ISO standards to ensure they meet stringent environmental requirements. These include extreme temperature testing from -25°C to +70°C, humidity testing from 80% to 95% relative humidity, and shock testing at 50 g / 11 ms and sinusoidal vibration testing to ensure robustness, shock and vibration resistance. Of course, we can also design and manufacture lenses to meet even more demanding requirements. Contact us for more information.

Stability for extreme conditions: ruggedized and stabilized lenses

Our industrial lenses are tough and durable by design. But we offer even more: Ruggedized and stabilized lenses. These lenses are exceptional. They offer superior performance and durability. Even in the harshest conditions, you can count on our lenses to deliver reliable, accurate results.

Stabilized Lenses
Stabilized lenses are specifically designed for precise measurement applications such as 3D measurement and complex triangulation systems to avoid image shift.  With their secure mechanical design, these lenses ensure a stable image position and minimize image shift during movement. They provide highly accurate and reliable results without having to constantly re-calibrate. Stabilized lenses are ideal for robotic applications, especially robot vision.

Ruggedized Lenses
Our ruggedized lenses are ideal for harsh environments. Ruggedized C-mount lenses resist shock and vibration. With shock resistance up to 100g and robust mechanics and optics, they offer exceptional durability in extreme conditions such as rocket launches into space.

Precision down to the last detail: Our high vertical integration

We are proud of our technical expertise, which we consistently apply to the production of our lenses and optical filters through our high level of vertical integration at our Bad Kreuznach site. Each of the Schneider-Kreuznach products is manufactured with the utmost care and precision to provide you with the best possible performance and reliability.

Optics
We demand the highest standards of materials and manufacturing processes to ensure excellent image quality, starting with the production of the optics. Our standards go beyond the production of individual components. We master the entire production process from raw glass to finished lenses and are able to process all common types of glass. Our special coating technologies give the optics or lenses the desired optical properties.

Mechanics
We do mechanical manufacturing in-house. We use the latest technologies and machinery to develop robust and durable filters. With our high-end 5-axis CNC milling machines, we have world-class machining capabilities that give us exceptional precision and flexibility. These powerful milling machines allow us to realize complex geometries and sophisticated contours in the mechanical components of our lens houses while maintaining high reproducibility. Electroplating is performed in-house under strict environmental conditions, allowing us to customize the surface coatings of our products to meet the specific requirements of our customers.

Assembly
Our lenses are assembled in dedicated clean rooms that provide a clean and controlled environment and ensure they are free of contaminants. Our qualified staff with many years of experience and expertise perform precise adjustments and calibrate the optics to the highest quality with the lowest tolerances.

Testing and Quality Assurance
Our test technology and quality assurance reflect our high quality standards. We use state-of-the-art technologies such as interferometers and 3D coordinate measurement technology to test the lenses we manufacture to ensure they meet the highest standards. Our ISO 9001 certified processes, metrology rooms and procedures ensure consistent and reliable production to meet our customers' high expectations.

Different needs, individual solutions: Let us advise you

Our sales and engineering professionals provide customers with a high level of expertise and responsiveness. We understand that the needs of our industrial customers can be diverse and complex. Whether it's technical specifications, the exact application environment, special customizations, or other unique requirements, we take the time to understand each customer's unique needs and provide customized solutions. Our advice ranges from selecting the right lens to assisting with integration into existing systems. You can count on our experts to provide the best support and find the perfect solution.

Our in-depth application knowledge and proven optical expertise enable us to provide customized solutions that combine mechanical robustness, reliability and the highest imaging accuracy. This is the result of our decades of experience with extremely tight tolerances. We even go so far as to design and build our own manufacturing and metrology systems if there is no equipment available on the market that is accurate enough. Our customers value us not only for our technical expertise, but also for the dedicated and customer-focused advice we provide. We listen. We answer questions and make recommendations. It is important to us that our customers have all the information they need so that they can make the right decisions and achieve the best possible results.

Contact us - we will be happy to advise you.

All products at your glance - our digital product brochure (PDF)

Discover our wide range of high quality lenses, optical filters and accessories in our interactive eBrochure. Find the detailed compilation of all standard products currently available from Schneider-Kreuznach. Our product brochure gives you a comprehensive overview of our entire product range, including all technical information. Whether you are looking for specific products or want to compare different options, our eBrochure has it all in one place. Click on the link below to download our product brochure.

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Download brochure (PDF)



Discuss Your Mechanical Design Challenge

Contact us to learn more about our mechanic design and engineering capabilities. Whether you require a modification to an existing product or a fully custom optomechanical solution, our team is equipped to provide the technical expertise necessary to ensure your project's success.

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Headquarters - Europe

Jos. Schneider Optische Werke GmbH
Ringstraße 132
55543 Bad Kreuznach | Germany
+49 (0) 671 601 0

 

Business Units

Business Unit Industry
+49 (0) 671 601 205
isales@schneiderkreuznach.com

Business Unit Photo/ Cine
+49 (0) 671 601 551

B+W belongs to the Photo division
photo@schneiderkreuznach.com
cine@schneiderkreuznach.com

 

Offices Worldwide

America
+1 800 645 7239 (East Coast)
+1 800 228 1254 (West Coast)

Asia
+86 755 8832 1170

Singapore
+65 9488 0062

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