In This Issue
- The OptiPro Steakout (Nov. 5 & 6th!)
- Semrock Acquired by Idex
- Recognition and Awards
- SBIR Phase II for Partner Companies
- New Product Announcements
- MCC Optics Program
- Opportunities for Manufacturers
- Conferences and Events
OptiPro Steakout
Don't Miss It!
The OptiPro Annual Technology Open House and Steak Out is happening this week, Wednesday and Thursday, November 5th and 6th!
10:00AM to 7:00PM both Days
Lunch: 11:30-1:30 and Dinner 4:30 – 6:30
6368 Dean Parkway, Ontario, NY
R.S.V.P. – If you know which day you’re attending – send Lynda Bechtold a quick e-mail or give her a cal
Lynda[at]optipro.com or 585-265-0160 ext 236
The Flyer is here.
Duly Noted During OSA Frontiers in Optics
While you're there, congratulate Michael Bechtold, co-founder and president of OptiPro Systems, who received the Paul F. Forman Engineering Excellence Award in recognition of his work revolutionizing the process of optical fabrication by producing the first affordable CNC (computer numeric controlled) machine designed for the optical industry. Bechtold co-founded OptiPro Systems in 1981, which evolved into a company designing and building CNC machine tools for the metalworking and manufacturing sector. The Engineering Excellence Award is given annually by OSA and recognizes technical achievements in optical engineering by individual(s) or teams.
QED Announces Large Optic System
System Capable of Polishing Optics Two Meters in Size
QED announced the production of the Q22-2000F, a machine capable of precision polishing large monolithic or light-weighted optics up to two meters in size and can polish a wide range of geometries including planos, spheres, aspheres, freeforms, prisms and cylinders.
The fabrication of large optics has traditionally been performed by only a few optics manufacturers with specialized equipment, expertise and facilities. The final steps of polishing are particularly time consuming and costly, and require skill that is developed and refined over many years. Often, the optician must rely on many iterations and metrology steps during the polishing process to reach final specification.
QED’s Q22-2000F is designed to automate the final steps of polishing and figuring with speed and determinism, and aims to reduce long lead times and unpredictability, while increasing accuracy. What previously took weeks or months to polish now has the ability to be completed in days.
“The Q22-2000F is designed to bring to large optics all of the benefits and flexibility that our other MRF systems brought to standard-size optics manufacturing.” says Marc Tricard, Director of Business Development of QED Technologies. “Now, the industry has an automated process for polishing large, sophisticated optics that is fast, predictable and cost effective.”
...Speaking of Large Optics
U.S. Patent Number 7429114
Senior Research Scientists Steven Desmitt and David Strafford were awarded a patent for a "Light Weight Mirror Blank Assembly," on September 30, 2008. The patent is assigned to their employer, ITT Space Systems.
The PDF of the patent is here.
ITT's promotional PDF for the product is here.
From the patent:
The need for better ground and space-based telescope resolution has driven the manufacturing of larger diameters of primary mirrors of such telescopes. However, larger diameter primary mirrors result in the primary mirrors having additional weight and manufacturing problems. For example, because large solid mirror blanks weigh more, they require more time to cast and to anneal. The heavier mirror blanks also bend under their own weight, and are more difficult to maneuver in the factory. For space based mirrors, the zero gravity back-out, for testing purposes, is smaller and therefore, simpler and more accurate for light-weight mirrors. Special mounting and supporting is required if accurate testing is to be achieved.
In contrast, light-weight mirror assemblies, fabricated from light-weight mirror blanks, have the advantage of increasing the stiffness-to-weight ratio, and therefore the frequency of the first resonant mode. Light weighted mirror blanks, as it is termed in the industry by those skilled in the art, make the finished mirror assembly more tolerant of spacecraft maneuvers, as well as increasing the mirror's stability. Light-weight mirrors assemblies also result in lighter payloads and lower booster rocket power requirements.
Liquid Crystal Technology
OEM Supplier to Demo Technology at Lennox Center
Dr. Le Li, of Kent Optronics, [KOI] will be in Rochester on November 18 - 19 to present an overview of the company and demonstrate some of the applications of its leading edge liquid crystal technology for optoelectronic applications. KOI is an employee-owned company with headquarters near Fishkill, NY. The company was started in April 2000, and has enjoyed steady growth and success based on industry partnerships as well as US government funding for unique, innovative uses of liquid crystal technology, including one here (just search for the name: Kent Optronics) for the MDA.
In the presentations, to be held in the multi-media room of the Lennox Tech Incubator, Dr. Li, CEO of KOI, will discuss and demonstrate applications of the technology for potential use in electro-optical products, system testing and simulation. Examples include high speed, switchable mirrors ; high temperature infrared scene generators; high performance holographic devices; and a variety of other applications in which the KOI technology represents an advance over competitive technologies.
See the schedule here. A map to the Lennox Center is here.
For more information, or to schedule one-on-one sessions or other meetings with Le Li, please contact: Gary Conners, ghconners[at]aol.com
Tel: 585-442-9143 or 585-721-8882
SBIR: ASE Optics / OptiPro Collaboration
Innovation Partnering Pays Off for Two RRPC Members
 ASE Optics, Inc. was awarded a Phase I SBIR grant from NAVAIR in April of 2008 for the topic N-08-029 "Fabrication of Corrective Optics for Conformal Windows and Domes."
The Phase I prototype successfully demonstrated proof-of-principle, and ASE has been invited to further develop the metrology technology as a Phase II SBIR project in partnership with OptiPro.
Rochester Top 100
Five Optics / Photonics Firms Represent the Industry in This Year's List
As one RRPC Member has commented several times during the past few years, several RRPC companies would easily make it onto the Rochester Top 100 list each year, but they do not bother to enter the contest.
For several members this year that is not the case: G-S Plastic Optics (#96), Apollo Optical Systems (#67), RPC Photonics (#44) and Semrock (#20) all made the list this year. We can even be gracious and include E.T. Precision Optics (#29) because they have optics in their name.
When asked what the motivation was for submitting their first ever application to the Top 100, Andy Germanow, President of G-S PLASTIC OPTICS said, “What was our motivation? Mostly to recognize our talented and hardworking GSPO team.”
Michael Morris of Apollo Optical Systems was interviewed here.
Five companies is a fair showing of Rochester's Optics and Photonics community on the list. Perhaps next year more companies will submit applications and we will see a more accurate representation of what Optics and Photonics means to the economy of the Finger Lakes Region.
Optimax
Optimax Systems and Fractional Wave Aspheres
Optimax routinely manufactures fractional wave aspheres using sophisticated metrology equipment, such as Zygo’s VeriFire Asphere (VFA) interferometer and QED’s Subaperture Stitching Interferometer (SSI). For more information, send your contact information and Optimax will send you their article on improving aspheres, titled Transmitted Wavefront Error Correction.
Events and Conferences
University of Rochester
Optics Colloquia (ongoing)
Special RRPC Tour of the RIT
Microelectronic Engineering Laboratory
Monday, November 3, 5:30 PM
APOMA Fall Optical FabricationWorkshop
17 - 18 November
Meinel Optical Sciences Building
University of Arizona
Tuscon, AZ
Photonics
West
24 - 29 January, 2009
San Jose, California
Defense,
Security & Sensing
13 - 17 April, 2009
Orlando World Center
Orlando, Florida
Optifab
Call for Papers here
11
- 14 May, 2009
Rochester, NY
CLEO / IQEC 09
May 31 - June 5, 2009
Baltimore, Maryland
World Science Festival
11 - 14 June, 2009
New York City
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Semrock Acquired by IDEX
Rocky Start-up and Repurposing of Assets Leads to Success for Company and Founders
In a press release dated October 20, 2008, semrock announced its acquisition by IDEX Corporation.
Semrock is a leading provider of optical filters for biotech and analytical instrumentation in the life sciences markets. Semrock produces hard-coated optical filters using the state-of-the-art Ion Beam Sputtering (IBS) process, thereby offering significant improvements in the performance and reliability of their customers’ instruments.
IDEX is a global fluidics leader serving high growth specialized markets, including health and science technologies. Headquartered in Rochester, New York, Semrock will operate as a stand-alone business within IDEX’s Health & Science Technologies segment, and will continue to offer its customers the exceptional performance, reliability and rapid delivery of quality optical filters, for which it is renowned.
Founded in September 2000 by Victor Mizrahi and Turan Erdogan, Semrock was one of the many venture capital-funded start-ups that emerged during the telecom bubble. Mizrahi, Semrock’s president and CEO, was previously the chief scientist at CIENA Corporation. Prior to that, he was a research scientist at AT&T Bell Laboratories.
It was at Bell Labs in 1992 that Mizrahi met Erdogan, who had just finished his Ph.D. and come to Bell to do his postdoctoral work. After two productive years of working together, Mizrahi and Erdogan parted ways in 1994, when Erdogan received an assistant professorship at the University of Rochester’s Institute of Optics. More on the company's history may be found here in an article written by RRPC-member, Jennifer Kruschwitz that appeared in OPN.
Mizrahi stated, “We are excited to become part of IDEX and its Health & Sciences Technologies segment. IDEX is a recognized leader within the health and science market and is well known for its broad fluidic platform and significant solution capabilities. We look forward to developing the resulting customer synergies.”
Commenting on the acquisition, IDEX Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Larry Kingsley stated, “We are extremely pleased with Semrock’s decision to become part of IDEX. Semrock is well known for their quality optical filters for biotech and analytical instrumentation in life sciences. Their expertise in this market enables the continued expansion of our core capabilities in integrated fluidic applications. The acquisition of Semrock extends our offerings to existing OEMs and provides us with significant access to new opportunities within the health and life sciences market.”
Semrock has annual revenues of $21 Million. The deal was valued at about $60 million in cash.
Some text taken from Semrock October 20, 2008 News Release and from OPN Article by Jennifer Kruschwitz
I Found It!
Three RRPC Member Companies Find Eureka Program Impressive
Mike Bechtold, President of Optipro, Inc. describes the “Eureka! Winning Ways” process like this: “Participating in the Eureka program was a valuable experience for us at OptiPro. We came up with new ideas for products and product improvements, but just as importantly: new ways to look at how we market our current product line and our company. The program gives you a unique way of rating how and what you should spend time and money on … “the biggest bang for the buck” as they say.”
He’s talking about a program that the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) at High Tech Rochester (HTR) began to roll-out locally last year. Developed specifically for manufacturers wanting to try new ways to create, explore and act upon choices for growth, the Eureka Program has been adopted by over 300 firms nationally, with a success rate of over 98% in converting ideas to programs in development or delivery.
Author Tom Peters said this about the program: “Practical Stuff. Worth its weight and price 1000X over. It’s as important for companies at $1 million dollars as at $1 billion. Credible because it’s supported by very hard data.”
New York Photonics and RRPC members OptiPro, Lumetrics, and Newport / Richardson Grating Labs are among local participants who have benefitted from the program.
“Eureka! Winning Ways” is based upon the problem-solving principles of W. Edwards Deming, the Father of Lean; the Toyota Way; Six Sigma and other discovery-based systems of learning and continuous improvement, as well as additional research by Doug Hall, the program’s creator. The process begins with a “jumpstart” session focusing on an individual firm’s growth issues. These issues, as described by company management, are converted by HTR facilitators into stimuli for a fast-paced day of concept generation, and are the foundation for what is called “Eureka Inventing”.
Each invention is described in terms of its basic components, using the criteria of:
- Eureka’s “Marketing Physics®”
- The overt benefit (What’s in it for me?)
- Dramatic difference (Why should I care?), and
- Real reason to believe (Why should I believe you?)
Some concepts are chosen by the participants for further refinement and peer review during the jumpstart session. They are then tested using a proprietary system designed to predict the strength of the idea in terms of its Marketing Physics® components. Choices are then made by the firm on which of the ideas to further examine in a discovery process called “Trailblazer®”.
Those concepts are subjected to rapid cycles of discovery allowing a “Scout” to “Fail Fast, Fail Cheap, Get Smart®”. It ensures new insights and understanding of the issues and potential “death threats” surrounding the concept, whether it’s to gain sales with existing customers and markets, or when pursuing new ones. With guidance from an HTR coach, the scout will finally make a recommendation to management as to how (or whether) to proceed with the concept. A pipeline of these concepts is developed with repeated rapid cycles of discovery with additional ideas.
John Hart, President of Lumetrics, Inc. put it this way: “Our senior management team participated in the discovery process and found validation and definition on 2 new initiatives (One new product and a novel market positioning) that will result in increased sales in 2009. Prior to the Eureka process we had a series of ideas that were somewhat disjointed about our new product offering. After seeing the idea through this discovery process we were able to effectively define the business need.”
When asked about an aspect of the process that stood out, Chris Palmer, Vice President and GM of Newport Corporation in Rochester said: “I was impressed that the creative process was handled so systematically. Using broad, open ended questions about growth topics specific to Newport allowed us to focus on issues important to us and to our markets.”
Companies outside the Rochester Region are likely to find someone at their regional NYSTAR TDO that can work with them on the Eureka program. You can also call John Steele, Certified Facilitator and Coach - Eureka! Winning Ways at High Technology of Rochester's MEP Program. phone: 585.327.5906
cell: 585.503.2737 , or by email: john.steele[at]htr.org
MCC's Optics Program During FiO
A potential new partnership with the National Center for Optics  and Photonics Education Center (OP-TEC), moved forward during two meetings at the OSA Annual in Rochester. 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.
Dan Hull, Executive Director of OP-TEC gave a presentation. Over twenty people engaged in optics manufacturing and education participated. Two Rochester optics manufacturers, RPO and Optimax, marked-up a draft of the Skill Standards for a Precision Optics Technican which can be found here.
MCC and the RRPC are working with OP-TEC to become the designated national model site for precision optician technician training.
Harvey M. Pollicove Memorial Scholarship
Katie Hasman, a master’s student at the University of Rochester, was named the winner of the first annual Harvey M. Pollicove Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship, which honors optics manufacturing pioneer Harvey Pollicove, is given to an outstanding student pursuing a degree in the field of precision optics manufacturing. The H.M. Pollicove Memorial Fund, established by APOMA and its members, is managed by the OSA Foundation.
More Recognition
Emil Wolf, Wilson Professor of Optical Physics at the University of Rochester, was presented with the 2008 Joseph W. Goodman Book Writing Award. The biennial award, cosponsored by OSA and SPIE, recognizes Wolf’s book, Introduction to the Theory of Coherence and Polarization of Light. Published in October 2007 by Cambridge University Press, Wolf’s book is the first to provide a unified treatment of the phenomena of coherence and polarization.
10th Annual Glass Cartel Clambake
The response to this year's Clambake during OSA FiO was that it was the best ever. 191 people networked for a few hours over cocktails and and excellent dinner. Although most of the attendees were from the northeast we had visitors from Texas, Georgia, Illinois and one visitor from Germany. People view this event as one of the must-go places to network with others in optics manufacturing.
Thanks to Jim Sydor for hosting the event at Brook-Lea Country Club and a special thanks to Schott Glass for upgrading the bar service and extending the hours. And thanks to Mike Naselaris, Jude Schnarr, and Carol Corey at Sydor for organizing the event!
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Join us! There are advantages to working together, and
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