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Meeting of asphere specialists

Invitation to an experts’ meeting held by the Nanotechnology Competence Center Ultrapräzise Oberflächenbearbeitung (CC UPOB e.V.) – Young Scientists Award to be awarded for the first time

05.02.2018

Because of their complex geometry, aspheres – that is, non-spherically curved surfaces of optical elements such as mirrors or lenses – pose special challenges to the field of precision metrology. What is more, the requirements placed on aspheres are steadily increasing – as can be seen in highly sensitive technical applications where aspheres are used, such as self-driving vehicles. It is therefore not surprising that interest in this event is very high among experts. The annual High Level Expert Meeting Asphere Metrology became internationally established as early as 2010. Developers, manufacturers and users of aspheres from an ever-increasing number of countries travel to the meeting to inform themselves about the latest measurement procedures in this field. This year, the organizers of the Competence Center Ultrapräzise Oberflächenbearbeitung (CC UPOB e.V.), which is located at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), are again offering a comparison measurement. A Young Scientists Award will also be awarded for the first time. The application deadline for the 9th High Level Expert Meeting – Asphere Metrology on Joint Investigations, which will be held from 28 Feb-1 Mar on PTB’s campus, has been extended. Applications can be received until 19 February.

Specially manufactured aspheres such as these can be measured in the comparison measurement. (Photo: PTB)

The logo for the new Young Scientists Award given by the Competence Center Ultrapräzise Oberflächenbearbeitung (image: CC UPOB e.V.)

This expert meeting is a must-attend event in its field – for many years, it has been attended by all of the leading manufacturers and users of asphere technology, including the technology associated with this metrology. The comparison measurement that is scheduled for this year takes place at regular intervals; in this comparison, all participants measure different asphere types in order to then objectively compare and contrast the measurement procedures and the measurement uncertainties attained. In each case, this comparison is anonymous: the objective is therefore not to evaluate or classify individual companies or their procedures, but simply to advance development in a general sense. For the comparison measurements, the test samples have been selected from the wide range of standard lenses or have been specially manufactured for this purpose. Three samples were measured by all participants in the comparison measurement between April and the end of October 2017 in order to allow time for a careful analysis. Four additional specimens have special metrological requirements and can be measured at any time before the event begins. These specimens are used to test whether and in what way the measurement procedures are compatible with the specific properties. The results will be discussed at the meeting.

As in past years, new and particularly demanding lens geometries – such as especially small, steep and cylindrical lens geometries – were once again selected for the 9th HLEM Asphere Metrology. What is more, the range of subjects addressed will once again be as highly diverse as the wide and diverse market of aspherical and freeform lens systems. By doing so, the event organizers from the Competence Center Ultrapräzise Oberflächenbearbeitung want to ensure that asphere and freeform metrology reaches a wider circle of scientists, developers and manufacturers.

This year, a Young Scientists Award will be awarded whose purpose is to nurture young scientists working in the field of ultra-precise surface finishing. Each applicant will give a brief talk and present a poster; on the basis of these presentations, a jury consisting of all participants will choose the award winners. The meeting, which will be held in English, will take place on PTB’s campus.
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The current schedule can be found under the following link:
Opens external link in new windowhttp://www.upob.de/index.php?option=com_phocadownload&view=category&download=205:9th-high-level-expert-meeting-2018-detailed-programme&id=21:upob-high-level-expert-meetings&Itemid=70

Contact
Competence Center Ultrapräzise Oberflächenbearbeitung CC UPOB e.V., Bundesallee 100, 38116 Braunschweig, Germany; phone: +49 (0)531 592-5131, e-mail: Opens window for sending emailinfo(at)upob.de, website: Opens external link in new windowwww.upob.de