Manufacturing Considerations for Tolerancing Aspheres

Aspheric lenses offer major performance advantages over spherical optics, but only if their tolerances are specified correctly from the start. This white paper gives designers a manufacturer's-eye view of the tolerances that actually determine whether an asphere can be produced to spec — and whether it will perform as intended once it's built.

Readers will gain a clear understanding of irregularity and mid-spatial frequency (MSF) errors, including slope specification, maximum Zernike residual error, and spatial filtering, along with practical guidance on clear aperture and center thickness requirements. The paper closes with a straightforward list of do's and don'ts for tolerancing aspheres, helping engineers avoid over-tolerancing that drives up cost and lead time, or under-tolerancing that risks system performance.

Downloading this paper equips optical and mechanical engineers to write specifications that are both manufacturable and optimized for real-world results.