Yighen Ultra Precision- Optical Design & Machining ꄲ Precision Optical Components ꄲ Freeform Optics

🔷 Freeform Optics

Advanced Freeform Optical Design & Machining Services

Freeform optics represent the next frontier in optical engineering—unlocking new degrees of freedom in shape, function, and performance. At Yighen Ultra Precision, we offer complete design-to-manufacturing services for freeform optical components, helping you realize compact, high-performance, and application-specific optical systems.

Whether you’re developing next-generation AR/VR devices, advanced imaging modules, or high-efficiency illumination systems, our engineering team will help you optimize and fabricate precision freeform optics with nanometer-level surface control.

🔹 What Are Freeform Optics?

Freeform optics are non-rotationally symmetric optical surfaces that cannot be defined by a simple spherical or aspherical equation. They offer:

Increased design flexibility
Fewer optical elements
Compact, lightweight systems
Superior aberration correction

Freeform surfaces are especially valuable when system performance must be preserved in off-axis or space-constrained layouts.

🔹 Yighen’s Freeform Optics Capabilities

Capability	Specification
Surface Accuracy (P-V)	Down to 0.10 µm
Surface Roughness (Ra)	As low as 2.0 nm
Materials Supported	Optical plastics, metals, CaF₂, MgF₂, and glass ceramics
Maximum Diameter	Up to 650 mm (customizable)
Design Software	Zemax, Code V, LightTools, SolidWorks
Machining Technologies	5-axis ultra-precision turning & grinding
Metrology Equipment	White-light interferometers, profilometers, CMM

We support both freeform refractive and freeform reflective optical components.

🔹 Common Materials We Machine

We offer prototyping and volume machining for freeform optics in:

Plastic Optics: PMMA, PC, COP, APEL, OKP-1, ZEONEX, TOPAS, MR-series
Glass Materials: CaF₂, MgF₂ (via diamond turning); fused silica, BK7 (via ultra-precision grinding)
Metal Mirrors: Aluminum, copper, nickel-plated substrates

Our machining is fully in-house, combining single-point diamond turning, CNC grinding, and hybrid toolpaths optimized for freeform geometries.

🔹 Typical Applications

Application Area	Use Case
🥽 AR/VR Headsets	Pancake optics, waveguide combiners, beam shaping
🛰️ Aerospace & Remote Sensing	Lightweight off-axis mirrors and correctors
🧪 Scientific Instruments	Custom beam expanders, correction plates
💡 Illumination Systems	Freeform collimators, reflectors, and homogenizers
🧠 Medical Imaging	Optical path folding, aberration correction
🚗 Automotive LiDAR	Compact scanning mirrors and custom lens elements

Freeform surfaces reduce the number of elements required in many complex systems, improving both optical throughput and integration feasibility.

🔹 Our Key Equipment for Freeform Optics

Machine	Country	Specs (P-V / Ra)	Specialization
NanoTech 650 FG (5-axis)	USA	P-V ≤ 0.15 µm / Ra ≤ 3.0 nm	Large-diameter freeform lens cutting
NanoTech 250 (3-axis)	USA	P-V ≤ 0.1 µm / Ra ≤ 2.0 nm	Small and mid-sized plastic optics
Toshiba ULC-100D/F(S)	Japan	P-V 0.01–0.015 µm / Ra ≤ 0.002 µm	Diamond turning on mold cores
Toshiba ULG-100D(H3)	Japan	P-V ≤ 0.03 µm / Ra ≤ 0.01 µm	Ultra-precision grinding for glass

All optical tooling and metrology are managed by our Dongguan facility, fully owned and operated by Yighen.

🔹 Why Choose Yighen for Freeform Optics?

✅ 100% in-house control: design → tool path → polishing → testing
✅ Expert in both plastic and glass-based freeform optics
✅ Deep experience with optical modeling & mechanical packaging
✅ Responsive prototyping & scalable volume production
✅ Strong record in optical system co-development

❓ FAQ

Q: Can you reverse engineer an existing freeform optic?
A: Yes. We offer reverse optical engineering using profilometry, interferometry, and simulation-based design recreation.

Q: What’s the typical lead time for freeform prototypes?
A: 2–4 weeks depending on material and complexity.

Q: Can you do full module integration with freeform optics?
A: Yes, we provide optomechanical design and system assembly services.

🔷 Design Without Limits — Explore Freeform Precision

Yighen offers full-service support for freeform optical components, from design modeling to ultra-precision machining and system-level alignment.
Our capabilities cover off-axis lenses, conformal optics, compact relay systems, and multi-surface geometries that cannot be achieved with traditional optics.

We process advanced materials like PMMA, Zeonex, COP, glass, and infrared-grade crystals — all with nanometer-level precision.

🔵 Request a Freeform Optics Quote or Technical Review
📩 Share your system diagram, wavelength range, and intended tolerances — our optical engineers will follow up within 24 hours.

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Want to learn about our diamond turning accuracy or alignment simulation tools?
📄 Download Our Freeform Machining Guide

Interested in how we close the loop from design to measurement?
👤 Learn More About Yighen

🔗 Related Content

🧪 Optical Engineering Services
System modeling and ray-tracing support for freeform surfaces and off-axis designs.
🛠 Ultra-Precision Machining Services
CNC grinding and single-point diamond turning for irregular geometries.
✨ Opto-Mechanical Design
Tolerancing and mounting strategies for asymmetrical and multi-surface optics.
🔍 Optical Metrology & Testing
Interferometry, profilometry, and error compensation for freeform surfaces.

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