Zoom Lens | One-time Solution for Optical Inspection Issues - Mitutoyo
Zoom Lens | One-Stop Solution for Optical Inspection Challenges
In optical measurement or observation, have you encountered these problems:
- When the observation target has height differences, multiple refocusing is required, reducing inspection efficiency...
- When the observation target is moving, it's difficult to capture the 3D positions of particles moving around in space...
- When there are too many objects to capture, with a large volume of shooting, and you want to complete the shooting in one go...
- When the observation target is tilted, the focus easily shifts...
Is there a lens that can solve these challenges in conventional optical systems at once?
Zoom Lens TAGLENS
Mitutoyo's TAGLENS zoom lens is a variable focal length lens that can instantly change the focal length without using mechanical drive mechanisms, solving the challenges of conventional optical systems at once.
The depth of field of TAGLENS can be expanded up to 23 times, allowing quick focusing on targets with different heights in a single observation, fully meeting the needs for large depth of field and fast measurement.
Working Principle
TAGLENS is a type of GRIN lens (Gradient Index Lens) that uses ultrasonic waves to form a periodic refractive index distribution within the lens body. By combining with objective lenses, it achieves efficient variable focal length with periodic changes in focus position.
TAGLENS achieves ultra-high-speed zoom at 70kHz, enabling instant clear focusing across the entire image.
Application Fields
The TAGLENS lens can be embedded into equipment and is widely applicable in various fields and emerging industries such as semiconductors, security, medical, rescue, autonomous driving, big data, and IoT.
Advantages of TAGLENS
01. Pan-Focus
Adjusts focal length without mechanical drives like Z-axis movement, supports high-speed focusing to capture pan-focus images, and captures high-resolution pan-focus images in real-time without changing magnification.
Conventional lens: For observation targets with different heights and depths, multiple shootings are required by moving the camera up and down (Z-axis drive).
TAGLENS: Simultaneously focuses and shoots multiple observation targets with different heights (depths). Also displays the captured images in real-time.
02. Large Depth of Field & High-Speed Shooting, Improving Observation Efficiency
TAGLENS supports high-speed focusing to capture pan-focus images and has a large depth of field, enabling high-speed shooting in one go.
Application Example 1: High-Speed Shooting of Impact Tests
When shooting impact tests, fragments scattered during the impact may be out of focus. Since it's a destructive test with high costs, one-time shooting is required, but conventional lenses struggle to achieve this.
With its large depth of field and high-speed shooting, TAGLENS can capture images with a sense of depth in one go, clearly showing even scattered fragments, allowing high-cost impact tests to be completed in one session.
Application Example 2: Observation of Particles and Floating Objects
When observing particles and floating objects, conventional lenses cannot capture the 3D positions of particles, focus on internal particles, or capture floating objects in liquids.
Observing tiny bubbles in glass and liquidsTAGLENS's auto-focus function can focus on all particles spread over a wide area, capturing the 3D positions of particles moving around in space by adjusting the focus position, and is also suitable for observations in microfluidics.
03. Supports Combination and Embedding, Building Lightweight Automated Measurement Systems
TAGLENS can be flexibly combined with VMU lenses, telecentric lenses, microscope lenses, etc., and can be used with robots for automatic loading and unloading, enabling more efficient automated measurement.
(Microscope Unit VMU-T1: Zoom optical system microscope unit)
TAGLENS also supports embedding into equipment as a machine vision lens, significantly reducing the time required for auto-focusing and improving equipment throughput.
Solution Example: Mounted on a Robotic Arm for Observation
By mounting the TAGLENS lens on a robotic arm for workpiece appearance inspection, the large depth of field eliminates the need for refocusing, greatly improving measurement accuracy and speed, and enabling multi-angle shooting to reduce shooting time.
