Towards a continuous data chain for optics design, manufacturing, and tolerancing of free-form optics

Free-form optics can provide unique functions for illumination systems. In many applications, free form elements provide high efficiency while yielding well prescribed lighting functions. They are usually manufactured by reproduction techniques, such as injection moulding of plastic; the process chain from optics design to construction, injection moulding, quality control and back to optics design and simulation for tolerancing generally links many partners. Along this process chain, data has to be transferred between different partners – which is often inefficient, as standards for data formats and free-form tolerances are lacking in illumination optics. In the research project DesiChain (funded by the BMBF) we develop an approach to combine information from optics design, mechanical construction, manufacturing and testing into one continuous data chain, which is based on a single base data set unchanged throughout the chain. Using this approach, conversion errors can be minimised and quality control and tolerancing are simplified: i.e., it is possible to directly transfer measured shape deviation patterns to the surface(s) from optics design for simulation and analysis.