Cost-Conscious Tolerancing of Optical Systems

Level: Introductory Length: 4 hours Format: In-Person Lecture Intended Audience: This material is intended for managers, engineers, and technical staff involved in product design from concept through manufacturing. Description: The purpose of this course is to present concepts and methods that will help attendees determine optimal tolerances for optical systems. Beginning with a review of the role of the systems engineer in the verification of requirements and allocation of sub-requirements, we move into 10-step plan for error budgeting. These budgets provide the basis for developing tolerances for design, optical and mechanical fabrication, assembly, operation, compensation, and calibration as needed. The importance of iteratively tolerancing throughout the design and development process is discussed in detail. Three optical system examples are given and apply to all volumes of systems being developed – from single systems to millions of units. These examples are included to help researchers, designers, engineers, and technicians practically apply the concepts to plan, design, engineer, and build high-quality cost-competitive optical systems. Learning Outcomes: This course will enable you to: - create the sensitivities needed to convert between errors and tolerances - construct a top-level error budget for an imaging system using 2-3 different organizations - list the advantages of building and maintaining an error budget - explain the role of, and skills required of, the budget keeper - predict the interdisciplinary communications that will be required to manage errors - apply simple statistical methods to combine and evaluate proposed tolerances - replace allocations with simulated or actual data to refine performance predictions Instructor(s): Jennifer Michels is an optical engineer who has worked with and around optical systems since 1986. Jennifer specializes in systems engineering, optical system modeling, and manufacturing metrology, and has worked at Eastman Kodak, IMAX, and Optimax Systems. She has also taught Statistics and Photo Science at the State University of New York and serves on the OEOSC. Event: SPIE Photonics West 2023 Course Held: 31 January 2023