Report: Manufacturing Processes and Materials for Camera Lenses

This report provides a comprehensive overview of the manufacturing processes and materials involved in the creation of camera lenses. It begins with an introduction to photography and the function of a camera lens, followed by a discussion of the lens design process, including material selection and computer simulations. The report then details the raw materials used, such as optical glass and lens barrels, and the manufacturing steps, including grinding and polishing the lens elements, coating the lenses for protection and performance, producing the lens barrel, and assembling the lens components, including the auto focus module and diaphragm. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of precision, quality control, and the various techniques employed by different manufacturers, from automation to hand-craftsmanship. References to supporting literature are also included.

MANUFACTURING PROCESSES & MATERIALS FOR CAMERA LENS
[Author Name(s), First M. Last, Omit Titles and Degrees]
[Institutional Affiliation(s)]

Contents
Introduction.............................................................................................................................................................. 3
Background............................................................................................................................................................... 3
Design of camera lens........................................................................................................................................... 4
Raw materials for manufacture of a camera lens...................................................................................... 6
The Process of Manufacturing a Camera Lens............................................................................................ 7
Grinding and polishing of the elements of the lens.............................................................................. 7
Coating lenses...................................................................................................................................................... 8
Production of the barrel.................................................................................................................................. 9
Assemblage of the lens.................................................................................................................................. 10
Conclusion............................................................................................................................................................... 11
References............................................................................................................................................................... 13

Introduction
Photography is a technique that is used in taking caption of energy record through the use
of permanent chemical reactions via excitation or in the case of film and storage of the charged
elements in the capacitive elements for the case of digital image processing. The purposes
notwithstanding, be it informative, artistic, scientific or even a combination thereof, photography
tends to be technically intensive in every process which changes a real as well as physical scene
or object into processed image (Rodda & Duparré, 2015).This purpose of this report is to
describe the raw materials as well the manufacturing processes that are used in the manufacture
of a camera lens.
Background
The camera lens is innovation which tries to copy working of human eye. The lens
glimpse captions, concentrates it hence thereafter transfers the brightness, color as well as
sharpness via the camera to the photographic film, which, just as the case of human memory,
keeps the picture for processing as well as use for the future. Lenses are devised out of optical
glass or plastics and concentrate rays of light through bending or reflecting them to coverage or
meet at a common point.
The elements of a lens are often described using their shape: convex lens curving
outwards, Plano-convex lenses are flat on one side and curved outwards on other side and
biconvex lens curving on both two sides (Yin, Jia, Zhang, Chen & Zhu, 2017). There are as well
concave lenses, Plano-concave lenses and biconcave lenses these elements are not symmetrical
and hence may curve more on one side as compared to the other. Light rays are made to

converge or focus more when the middle of a lens is thickened relative to the edges. Lenses
having thick edges and thin middle are known to be making light rays to disperse.
A complex camera lens is composed of some elements that are uniquely grouped. A
combination of the grouping, composition as well as shape of the elements results in maximized
properties of light bending of each element to generate the desired image. Focusing of the length
is attained by moving it closer or farther from the focal plane or film. It is possible to twist the
lens elements resulting in in and out movement of the lens elements along a spiral screw thread
that is machined into case of the lens. Twisting of the lens as well dislocated a scale on the
casing that indicates the best focus distance.
Figure 1: Anatomy of exterior of a lens
Design of camera lens
The design of a camera lens starts with the identification of the photographer intended to
use it. The designer of the lens chooses on the mechanical as well as optical materials, optical

design, and the recommended technique for making mechanical aspects as well as focus lenses
the inter-face type between the lenses and the camera upon the identification of the market.
There are patterns or features of various groups of lenses among them wide angle, macro,
telephoto lenses and hence some of the aspects of design tend to be standardized (Hosoya,
Umino, Kajiwara, Maeda, Onuma & Mihara, 2016). Improvements in the materials offer the
designers numerous challenging options nonetheless.
Figure 2: A group of lenses (Hosoya et al., 2016)
In making a choice on the materials, the engineer has to take into considering an
avalanche of metals for components as well as the different kinds of glasses alongside plastics
for use for the lenses. Upon completion of the design by the designer, tests are done on the lens
performance using computer simulation. Computer programs which are lens manufacturers
specific provide information to the designer on the type of picture or image that will be generated
by the lens at the lens center as well as the edges for an avalanche of lens operation. Should the

lens successfully go through the computer simulation test, it is established if the lens meets the
identified need through a review of the performance criteria which were selected (Schaub,
Schwiegerling, Fest, Shepard & Symmons, 2016). A prototype is then manufactured to engage
the actual performance and the lens tested under changing conditions of the environment and
temperature at each aperture position and at each focal length for the case of zoom lenses.
The target charts in a workshop are captured similar to the field conditions of the
changing shadow and light. Some of the lenses are rapidly aged in laboratory tests to verity their
durability.
There is need for additional design work in cases where the lens automatically focuses
sine the auto focus module has to work with an avalanche of camera bodies. The auto focus
needs both mechanical and software design. Elaborate prototype testing is carried out on such
lenses owing to their sophisticated functions as well as due to the fact that the software is fined-
tuned to every lens.
Raw materials for manufacture of a camera lens
The raw materials include;
 lenses themselves
 the barrel
 Camera lens housing
 Coating
 Lens mount; each as described in the manufacturing procedure below

Figure 3: Lens mount
The Process of Manufacturing a Camera Lens
Grinding and polishing of the elements of the lens
An optical lens is supplied to the manufacturer of the lens through specialized supplier.
Mostly, it is given as pressed plate or even sliced glass plate where from elements are extracted.
A curve generator device which is initial step grinder is used in the shaping of the glass elements
to the form that is either convex of concave. A lens is taken through a number of sequential
processes it is ground through polishing the particles in water in order to attain the shape
specifications. As the lens undergoes continuous refining, the size of the polishing particles
reduces gradually and become smaller (Groever, Chen & Capasso, 2017). The oxidation, frailty
and softness properties of the optical materials used determine the generation of curve and
subsequent grinding which vary in speed.

Figure 4: Optical glass lens grinding and polishing tools (Groever, Chen & Capasso, 2017)
The elements are put at the center after grinding and polishing to ensure that the lens outer
edge has perfected circumferences in relation to the optical axis or centreline of lens. The same
process is used in the production of lenses that are made of plastic or bound glass alongside
resin. Hybrid aspheric which refers to lenses that whose surfaces are not spherical are made
using bonded materials. The spherical surfaces of such lenses are normally completed during the
process of centering (Mercado, 2016).
Coating lenses
This involves the coating of two formed lenses with an aim of protecting the material from
undergoing oxidation, prevention of reflections as well as attaining the designed spectrum
transmission standards or color balance as well as rendition. The surfaces of the lenses are
cleaned carefully prior to coating. The methods used in the application of the coatings as well as
the coatings themselves tend to be key marketing points for the lenses manufacturer and are
often secrets that are highly confidential and guarded.

Figure 5: Lens Coatings (Hou, Zhu, Jin & Fan, 2019)
Some of the most common coatings types include light-alloy fluorides, quartz layers and
metal oxides which are applied to the mirrors and lenses through a vacuum process. Numerous
layers of coating can be applied to attain the best color as well as light transmission even though
too much coating has the potential of reducing the light passing through the lens and hence
reducing the usefulness.
Production of the barrel
The barrel is composed of the chassis that offers anchorage to the different elements of the
lens as well as their cosmetic exterior. Groove, moving portions as well as metal mounts are very
important when it comes to operation of lens; are often machined to highly precise levels. Lens
mounts can be manufacturers of plastic, aluminium otherwise even glass. A significant number
of metal barrel segments are die-cast and machined. Metal mounts have been found to be more
durable, able to maintain the dimensions, may be dismembered to replace the various elements
and may more precisely be machined if needed. Plastic mounts on the other hand tend to be more

costly and of lightweight (Mercado, 2016). A highly efficient as well as accurate injection
molding method is used in the production of the barrel in case it is made of engineering plastic.
Coating of the interior surfaces of the barrel is as well done to offer protection as well as
eliminate chances of flare and internal reflection.
Assemblage of the lens
The other components of the lens including the auto focus module and the diaphragm are
generated as subassemblies. Curved leaves extracted from coat out of the thin metal sheet are
used in the construction of the iris diaphragm and the metal leaves are held in position in the lens
using two plates. Of the two plates, one is fixed while the other is movable and is made up of
slots that are used for sliding pins (Mercado, 2016). The pins slide the leaves backwards tending
to the barrel to result in the opening of the diaphragm into center, closing opening while f-stop is
turned.
Attaching lens mount to barrel end fastens the diaphragm assembly into place. The auto
focus is as well included, positioning of the optical elements is done and the lens then sealed.
The lens undergoes thorough inspection and adjustments after the final assemblage are
completed. This is done to ensure that it attains the required design standards for mechanical
function, optical resolution as well as auto focus responses. The lenses may as well be tested
through exposing them to vibration, shocks or even dropping from a height.

Figure 5: Operation of an assembled camera lens (Mercado, 2016)
Conclusion
The techniques in the manufacture of lenses greatly vary among various companies.
While some of the companies adopt full automation such as industrial robot in the manufacture
of their products, other adopt the use of assembly lines and still handcrafting forms the basis of
pride of others. Lens production significantly relies on precision and quality nonetheless,
irrespective of the approach of manufacturing. Thorough inspection is done on the incoming
components as well as materials to ensure they are of the desired quality and are compliant with
the engineering specifications.
Constant inspection is also done on the automated processes besides being subjected to
the various tolerance checks. Hand-craftsmanship is carried out only by the skilled artisans that
have long years of experience and training. Each of the manufacturing processes incorporates
stress tests and quality control with the components and elements being measured using precise

and accurate instruments (Mercado, 2016). Some of the devices used in measuring are controlled
by laser and are able to sense changes that are not more than 0.0001 millimeter in the surface of
the lens or in the centering of the lens.