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Edge Blackening

from manual application to an automated process-safe solution

Because we have been working with printing on optical components for many years, we can offer you the perfect solution for edge blackening your optical components!

The goal of edge blackening is to apply a light-absorbing layer outside the optically effective area (circumferential surfaces/apertures) of optical components to minimize stray light.

Benefits & Advantages

  • From stand-alone systems to process-integrated solutions for your production line
  • Short setup times
  • Variable lens diameters – tailored to your needs
  • Integrated UV dryer ensures abrasion-resistant ink application
  • And much more...

We have achieved this.

  • The presented system is a fully functional, semi-automatic prototype.
  • Production models will be configured according to customer specifications, e.g., with multiple printheads, additional drying, and similar features.
  • Utility model protection was granted by the German Patent and Trade Mark Office on April 17, 2017.
  • Climate tests have been commissioned.
  • Transmission and reflection measurements have been commissioned.
  • Currently, additional axes and printheads are being designed.
  • UV curing of the ink is in place.
Linsenrandschwärzen
Linsenrandschwärzen
Linsenrandschwärzen
Linsenrandschwärzen
Linsenrandschwärzen
Linsenrandschwärzen

State of the Art – Status Quo.

In practice, there is a strong drive to automate the edge blackening of optical components.

However, the current state of the art involves the manual application of fast-drying, liquid, mostly ethanol-based lacquers using a brush or felt-tip pen.

The lenses are mounted on a rotary table with vacuum suction or a chuck.

A significant disadvantage is that increasing design diversity and decreasing production batch sizes hinder a high degree of automation.

The use of a large number of lacquers, whose properties vary considerably due to their different chemical bases, further complicates matters.

At the Fraunhofer IOF in Jena, several experiments for the automated application of edge blackening for this process have been developed and tested for industrial application.