CUSTOMIZED LENSES
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Customized Lenses

If a standard lens from our portfolio is not suitable for your challenges, we will manufacture customized solutions for you. In industrial optics, there are often requirements that cannot be met with standard lenses. In such cases there are two options: The modification of an existing lens or the development of a special lens. The possibilities are virtually unlimited. 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.

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Product brochure 2024

Lens modification

Modification involves adapting an existing lens to meet specific customer requirements, for example by optimising the working distance or applying a special coating to optimise the lens for a particular wavelength. Modification may also involve adjusting the housing format or mount of the lens to optimise it for a particular camera or application.

The advantage of modification is that it is often quicker and cheaper than developing a completely new lens. In addition, an existing lens can be used as a base, reducing development time.

Lens development

The development of a custom lens focuses on meeting specific requirements through innovative design. For example, a lens can be tailored to excel in unique scenarios such as special imaging conditions, particular focal lengths or application-specific needs.

The key benefit of embarking on a new development project is that the lens is meticulously optimized to meet the exact requirements of the customer. This optimization ensures that the resulting lens delivers unparalleled performance and uncompromised quality tailored to the specific application.

Possible lens modifcations

Ruggedized & Stabilized

Fixed
aperture

working distance

Coatings & Wavelength

Size &
weight

add-on
parts

Ruggedized & Stabilized Lenses

Ruggedized lenses offer longer life and resistance to harsh environments, making them ideal for applications in aerospace, mining, oil and gas and other harsh environments. The rugged construction ensures that the lens will perform optimally even in the harshest conditions.

Stabilized lenses offer improved image quality by reducing vibration and movement. This makes them ideal for applications where a clear and stable image is required, such as medical imaging or 3D measurement.

Lenses with Fixed iris

For example, fixed aperture lenses tend to be simpler in construction and therefore more robust and reliable. In addition, they can often be offered at a lower price for the same optical performance. In situations where constant exposure is required, such as in many industrial applications, fixed aperture lenses are advantageous. Their fixed aperture size eliminates the need for frequent adjustments, ensuring reliable and stable performance in a variety of working conditions. This reliability is especially important in industries where precision and durability are paramount.

Optimization of Working distance

This optimization allows our customers to ensure that they get the best possible optical performance when viewing or recording objects at a specific distance.

Working distance optimization is particularly useful for applications such as industrial inspection, where objects often need to be viewed from a specific distance. By optimizing the lens to the correct working distance, our customers can ensure that they get sharp images that capture all the important details of the object.

Lenses for Special Wavelengths

Lenses can be optimized for a specific wavelength range by using special materials and coatings that are best suited to that wavelength. The design of the lens can also be adapted to the specific wavelength to ensure optimum performance. This optimization allows the lens to achieve higher resolution and contrast and provide more accurate measurements, which is important for many applications.

Wavelength tuning is particularly useful for applications such as spectroscopy or laser technology, where it is often necessary to work with specific wavelengths. By optimizing the lens to the correct wavelength, our customers can ensure they get sharp images and make accurate measurements.

Size and weight reduction of lenses

As a manufacturer of high quality lenses for a wide range of industrial applications, we know that the size and weight of a lens is an important factor for many customers. That's why we specialise in developing lenses that not only offer outstanding optical performance, but are also compact and lightweight.

By using the latest technologies and materials, we are able to produce lenses with significantly reduced size and weight without compromising optical performance. This allows our customers to make their systems lighter and more compact, resulting in greater mobility and flexibility in a variety of applications.

The compactness of the lenses also has the advantage that they can be used in applications where space is at a premium.

Add-on - Lenses with beamsplitter

A beamsplitter can be added to a lens. A beam splitter is an optical element that can split an incident beam into two beams. One part of the light is reflected and the other part is transmitted. This technology is used in many applications such as metrology, microscopy or optical data transmission.

By integrating a beamsplitter into the lens, the light can be split and directed in different directions. This can be particularly useful when the lens is used in combination with other optical components to manipulate or analyse the light. An example of this is the use of beamsplitters in stereomicroscopy, where two separate lenses are used to create a spatial representation of the object.

Methods of modifying a lens

Mechnical modification of lenses

Mechanical modification refers to the design of the lens and its mechanical properties. The aim is to design lenses that are reliable and durable. This includes, for example, the choice of materials, the design of the housing and the specification of dimensions and tolerances. Mechanical optimization is essential to ensure that the lens functions reliably even under difficult conditions such as vibration, shock or temperature changes.

Optical modification of lenses

Optical modification refers to the design of the lens and its optical properties. This involves designing the lens to deliver high image quality. This includes, for example, the selection of lenses, their arrangement, the determination of their radii of curvature and the choice of coatings. Optical optimisation is essential to ensure that the lens delivers sharp, high-contrast images and meets user requirements.

What are customized lenses?

Customized lenses in industry are specially made lenses that are adapted to the specific requirements of a particular application. They are manufactured to ensure optimal performance, image quality and precision in industrial processes.

Customized lenses offer a variety of benefits in industry, including improved image quality, performance, flexibility, cost efficiency and competitive advantage. By adapting lenses to specific requirements, companies can make more precise measurements, improve product quality and develop innovative solutions

Benefits of customized lenses

Performance enhancement: By customizing lenses to the specific needs of an application, performance can be significantly increased. Customized lenses enable optimal light collection and image transmission, resulting in improved resolution, contrast and colour reproduction. This is particularly important in industrial applications where precise image analysis and measurements are required.

Flexibility and adaptability: Standard lenses may not be suitable for every industrial application. By customizing lenses, manufacturers can adapt the optics to specific environmental conditions, such as lighting, working distance and ambient temperature. This allows greater flexibility in integrating camera systems into different applications and improves overall performance.

Cost efficiency: Although customized lenses may initially require a higher investment, they often offer cost savings in the long run. By optimizing image quality and performance, companies can make more accurate measurements, minimise production downtime and increase efficiency. This can lead to improved product quality, lower reject rates and lower total cost of ownership.

Applications for customized lenses

Customized industrial lenses are essential tools in a variety of markets. Their adaptability to specific industrial needs makes them valuable in multiple applications.

In mechanical engineering, these lenses ensure precision and clarity in vision systems, supporting meticulous inspection processes and stringent quality control. In robotics and automation, customized lenses guide robots with optimal performance, increasing efficiency and accuracy in automated processes. In image processing, customized lenses enhance clarity and precision to meet the high standards of machine vision systems and cameras. In Medical Imaging, these lenses contribute to diagnostic accuracy by capturing detailed and accurate images for healthcare professionals. In security monitoring, custom lenses meet specific field-of-view requirements, enhancing the effectiveness of surveillance systems. In research and development, these lenses play a critical role in achieving precise imaging for experiments, supporting the advancement of cutting-edge technologies.

Benefits of 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

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.

Download brochure (PDF)