At present, two methods are primarily used for aligning doublets: manual alignment and automated active alignment. Since switching between these methods is a big step both financially and procedurally, many users of the traditional manual method are wary about making the change.

In traditional doublet cementing processes, the measurement is done on a lens rotation device, for example. With this method, the edge of the lower lens is joined to a V-edge and the lens is rotated using a friction wheel. The upper lens can be aligned manually by tapping it into position or by using a manually-operated air manipulator. “However, these conventional alignment methods often reach their limits nowadays,” explains product developer Tobias Schenk. “These limitations affect both the efficiency, which can hardly be increased in the manual processes since they are already fully developed, as well as the quality assessment of the final alignment result. Since the alignment is frequently assessed on a purely visual basis, a certificate of completion usually cannot be created.”

To address this problem and close the gap between conventional and automated active alignment methods, Schenk has developed a new alignment module: the LensAlign 2D Air for devices in the OptiCentric series. This is a cost-effective entry-level solution in the range of Trioptics LensAlign modules, bridging the gap between traditional manual alignment techniques and automated active alignment.