In This Issue
- New Products & Capabilities
- Annual Meeting Recap
- OP-TEC, MCC Optics and Photonics
- SBIR Solicitation Open
- ISO Standards Update
- Collaboration Everywhere (almost)!
- Conferences
Optics Standards News
Headlines from Berlin
I know we’d all like to be able to attend ISO standards committee meetings in person, but sometimes our busy schedules won’t allow it. Since I just got back from the ISO standards meetings in Berlin, I thought I would report on some of the highlights, for those readers who couldn’t make the meeting.
In November there were a series of meetings of TC172/SC1, SC3, and SC9, held at the headquarters for the German standards organization, DIN. These are the sub-committees responsible for fundamental standards, standards for materials and components, and electro-optical systems standards, respectively.
ISO 10110 in color? The biggest news may be that ISO 10110 Parts 1 and 10 (which describe the symbology and format of optics drawings) are going to be revised to allow color to be used on optics drawings. This project will be led by the Romanian and US delegations, and will probably be complete in 2012.
Surface slope notation. The final draft of the new surface texture notation standard has been approved for publication in 2010. This standard will bring ISO 10110 Part 8 into alignment with ISO 1302, and will add some new notations for surface slope, RMS slope, waviness, and lay, as well as making many other improvements and including a table of examples.
New centering notations. Thanks to the hard work of Ray Williamson of Ray Williamson Consulting, the next version of ISO 10110 Part 6 for centering tolerances, expected in 2011, will include a way to specify element wedge in terms of runout and beam deviation, which is standard practice in the US, in addition to surface tilt.
New glass standards. A Japanese-led standard on IR materials, ISO 11382, and a German-led standard for optical properties of raw optical glass, ISO 12123, have both been advanced to the final draft stage. A new project has begun to synchronize the drawing notations with the raw glass standard. The project, led by Allen Krisiloff of Triptar Lens Company, will result in a new notation standard, ISO 10110 Part 18, in 2011 or 2012.
Coating standard to be revised. The existing coating standards , ISO 9211 Parts 1 and 2, have been revised and will be published next year. In addition a new project, led by Gordon Boultbee of JDSU, will revise the test methods standard, ISO 9211 Part 4.
A new LED standard? The Japanese delegation to SC9 has proposed a new measurement standard for Light Emitting Diodes. The original charter was to develop a standard to address the optical properties, however this new proposal also encompasses the diode’s electrical properties. This may intrude on the charter of a subcommittee of IEC, responsible for international electrical standards. Resolution of the issue is anticipated at a summit meeting at Photonics West between the two standards bodies.
For more detailed information about the meetings, please contact the heads of the US delegation to each of the committees directly.
- For SC1, contact Dave Aikens daikens{at}savvyoptics.com of Savvy Optics Corp.
- For SC3, contact Gordon Boultbee of JDSU Gordon.Boultbee{at}jdsu.co
- For SC9, contact Breck Hitz of LEOMA breck{at}leoma.com.
Dave Aikens is president and founder of Savvy Optics. He lives in central Connecticut with his wife and three children, two cats, and about ten chickens.
OP-TEC Workshop
Workshop Targets Educators
 In an effort to support and promote the inclusion of optics and photonics applications in secondary and postsecondary programs, OP-TEC, the National Center for Optics and Photonics Education, will be offering a free one-day Workshop on Optics and Photonics Education at Monroe Community College in Rochester, NY.
 OP-TEC is a consortium of two-year colleges, high schools, universities, national laboratories, industry partners and professional societies funded by the National Science Foundation’s Advanced Technology Education (ATE) program. OP-TEC serves secondary STEM programs and postsecondary programs devoted to lasers, optics and photonics technology or technologies enabled by optics and photonics.
The location will be R. Thomas Flynn Campus Center Rooms Monroe A & B on the Monroe Community College Campus.
For more information click here.
New Hires
Infotonics Technology Center
David A. Gottfried has been hired as Manager, Community & Government Affairs for the Infotonics Technology Center in Canandaigua. Gottfried will oversee ITC’s interaction with Local, State and Federal officials, coordinate federal, state, and foundation proposal development, manage educational programming including ITC Summer Science Camp and SEMI High Tech U., and work with the leadership team to implement strategic growth initiatives.
In prepared remarks concerning Gottfried's appointment, ITC CEO Paul Tolley said, “David brings in a great deal of experience communicating with the regional delegation as well as with other key stakeholders. We must continue to show the community how the Center’s mission as a commercialization center is contributing to technology-led economic development and addressing areas of critical national need, and that’s one of the tasks at hand. Having him on board full time will also help in advancing our educational and career development programming”
Since 2005 Gottfried has consulted with ITC as President of The Javelin Group, Inc. in support of ITC’s small business outreach efforts, particularly in SBIR/STTR grant development. Javelin will continue, through the end of 2009, to support some existing clients include The Entrepreneurs Network (TEN) – a County of Monroe and Finger Lakes WIRED supported entrepreneurial training and economic development program. Previous to his work at ITC, Gottfried was Legislative Director at the Greater Rochester Metro Chamber of Commerce (now the Rochester Business Alliance).
Semrock Hires Industry Veteran
 Bob Hallock has been appointed Director of Coatings at Semrock/IDEX Corporation.
Since earning his Masters in Electro-Optics at Tufts University, Hallock has worked in all phases of optical fabrication. First as a senior thin films engineer for Corning, then as a product development manager at JDS Uniphase. Most recently Hallock was Applications Engineering Manager at QED Technologies.
Bob is also an adjunct professor at MCC, currently teaching OPT 131: Optical Elements and Ray Optics.
The NIF gets Recognized In Newsweek Magazine
Click here to read the story.
Events and Conferences
SPIE Photonics West
23 - 28 January, 2010
San Francisco, California, USA
OP-TEC
Workshop on Optics & Photonics Education
4 -5, February 2010
Monroe Comunity College
Rochester, New York
Optical Fabircation & Testing
13 - 16 June, 2010
Jackson Hole, Wyoming
SPIE Defense, Security & Sensing
5 - 9 April, 2010
Orlando, Florida, USA
CLEO / QUELS 2010
16 - 21 May, 2010
San Jose, California
Optatec
15 -18 June, 2010
Frankfurt, Germany
OSA Annual / Frontiers In Optics
24 - 28 October, 2010
Rochester, New York |
SBIR
DoD SBIR Solicitation
The DoD SBIR 2010.1 solicitation is open for proposal submission from December 10, 2009 through January 13, 2010 at 6:00 a.m. ET. Seven DoD components -- the Air Force, Army, Navy, DARPA, CBD, DTRA, and SOCOM -- have R&D topics in this solicitation under which Phase I proposals are sought.
The Solicitation, which contains detailed information on the parameters of the SBIR program and how to submit a proposal, and Topics are available at http://www.dodsbir.net/solicitation. You may also search the topics by going to http://www.dodsbir.com/Topics.
RRPC / New York Photonics Annual Meeting
120 people gathered at the Rochester Museum and Science Center for the RRPC / New York Photonics Annual Meeting and a panel discussion about Optics and Energy. Two RRPC members were recognized with awards for exceptional leadership and entrepreneurship.
Michael Mandina, President of Optimax Systems, Ontario, NY, is the winner of the 2009 RRPC Entrepreneur of The Year Award. The award is given annually to an RRPC member who has demonstrated creativity, innovative spirit and drive in pursuit of the dream of creating an industry-leading company in the Optics, Photonics and Imaging Industry.
Christopher Cotton, President & CEO of ASE Optics, is the winner of the 2009 RRPC Leadership Award. The Award is is given to a member who has demonstrated a passion for working with both fellow members and the community to promote the Rochester Region's Optics, Photonics & Imaging Industry.
Mandina started his first optics fabrication company in 1976 in Rochester at the age of 25. The company, Cormac Industries, started with business partner Warren Carlough, was later sold to Melles Griot in 1980. Today that Rochester company is part of CVI / Melles Griot on Science Parkway in Rochester, employing over 75 people.
Optimax began in a barn in Ontario, NY in 1990, moving to a new new facility on Dean Parkway in Ontario, NY in 1997. The company employs 150 people fabricating complex prototype optics for customers and industries around the world. 
Mandina is a master optician with an Associates Degree in Optical Engineering from Monroe Community College and an Associates Degree in Engineering Science from RIT. He earned his B.S. in Applied Physics from Empire State College and went on to earn an EMBA from RIT. He was inducted into the New York State Business Hall of Fame in 2008.
In his introduction to Mandina, James Sydor, President & CEO of Sydor Optics and winner of last year's Entrepreneurship Award said, "Mike has now translated his passion for optics and company building into a passion for workforce development and continuing education." Mandina and his company, Optimax, have been credited with initiating and organizing the Finger Lakes Advanced Manufacturing Enterprise, a workforce development effort whose mission is to build world-class workforce talent that have the skills, inspiration, and motivation to advance the industry, [making Western New York] the most profitable and productive region in advanced manufacturing.
Christopher Cotton, President & CEO of ASE Optics, Rochester, is a graduate of the University of Rochester with a B.S. in Physics and both a B.S. and a Masters Degree in Optics.
Cotton is credited with organizing the Rochester Regional Photonics Cluster as an industry collaborative in 1998. The organization, which boasts over 70 members, is the largest Optics cluster in the United States and is viewed among industry experts as a model in cluster success and development.
John Hart, President & CEO of Lumetrics, the recipient of last year's RRPC Leadership Award, said, "This year's honoree, Chris Cotton, is the person who has exemplified what I call 'the vision thing'."
In his acceptance remarks, Cotton stated, "If it needs to be done. We do it. That's what we do in Rochester, isn't it? Rochester is home to the most successful Optics Cluster in the world. We knew it. We just had to declare it."
Thanks to this year's sponsors!
Be sure to check the sponsor list for your suppliers, your bank and your service providers. If their name is listed, offer them a special thanks.
Governor's Task Force Issues Report
Diversifying the New York State Economy though Industry / Higher Education Partnerships
Back in June, we reported that New York State Governor David A. Paterson announced a Task Force to Diversify the New York State Economy though Industry / Higher Education Partnerships.
New York's Optics, Photonics and Imaging industry, comprised of hundreds of New York companies, employing thousands of high technology knowledge workers (read: taxpayers) was not mentioned in the executive order:
"The Task Force’s inquiry shall include analysis of ... Existing economic strengths and competitive advantages of New York State industry with respect in particular to renewable energy generation and storage, biotechnology, nanotechnology, animal and human health medicine, sustainable agriculture, food and wine, and related areas."
We communicated our concern that optics, photonics and imaging was ommitted from the list with the chairman of the Task Force, Cornell President David Skorton and got a cordial reply suggesting that optics was represented on the Task Force by Wendell Weeks, CEO of Corning. Yet somehow, Optics, Photonics and Imaging still did not make it on the Task Force radar screen. Apparently testimony was given by a hand-picked group, but we were not made aware of any hearings held by the Task Force.
A press release has been issued, and the report has been released. Our industry does not make the cut for "strategic areas." (see the bottom of page 17 in the report.)
Oddly, considering the aforementioned, the report highlights a collaboration resulting in an optics and imaging company, X-Ray Optics. We can only conclude that X-Ray Optics is considered to be in a "related area" with the rest of our industry.
The entire world recognizes New York as a major hub for manufacturing and innovative research in Optics, Photonics and Imaging, but as of yet our current political leaders in Albany seem not to.
All The Best
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and The Best To You And Yours in The Coming Year!
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