TAGLENS Eliminates Lens Limitations With Ultra-Deep-Focus
The Mitutoyo TAGLENS operates at ultra-high-speed and doesn’t focus at just a single focal length, but at a wide range of focal lengths allowing everything, even subjects at different distances, to remain in crystal clear focus.
TAGLENS has the unique ability to change focus in 70 kHz enabling productivity and cost improvement across a wide range of quality assurance processes. The TAG Technology already has been used in a large variety of markets and can benefit packaging and manufacturing sites in sectors such as electronics, molded parts manufacturing, medical, food packaging, etc. Due to its focusing speed, which is much faster than mechanical systems, the TAGLENS can increase the depth-of-field of any optical system. The TAGLENS is the first variable focus lens capable of withstanding large amount of vibrations and shock or being mounted on robotic arms while maintaining optical performance.
Ultra-Deep Focus Eliminates Conventional Lens Limitations
There are major problems with optical inspection of three-dimensional targets using conventional lenses, including variable distances, inclination, movement, and multiple reflections. The result of these problems is that some surfaces are out of focus in every image. The TAGLENS has ground-breaking ultra-deep focus, which allows completely in-focus images of the target to be captured instantaneously. This revolution in optical inspection will dramatically improve productivity and efficiency.
TAGLENS technology allow production line measurement applications, such as circuit board inspection, with the lens offering innovative visual sensing in a range of fields includes factory automation.
The TAGLENS does not require mechanical autofocus, reducing the time consumed for auto-focusing, contributing to the improvement of the data processing speed of the inspection device. Real-time all-in-focus images are obtained by scanning the focal length range at high speed. A TAGLENS requires absolutely no mechanical power when scanning, and is characterized by its ability to provide images across all focal lengths without stress, and at the desired magnification and resolving power.
One of the best uses of a TAGLENS is for PCB flaw inspection. Using a TAGLENS for inspection allows multiple subjects with different heights to be focused correctly, thus requiring only a single image capture, reducing inspection time significantly. Conventionally, focusing on points with different heights always required altering the height of the camera. Now TAGLENS focuses on each point instantly and precisely without adjustments, bringing efficiency to inspection work.
The patented technology powering the TAGLENS was invented at Princeton University by a team led by Professor Craig B. Arnold, a world-renowned material scientist and laser expert. It was later developed and commercialized by TAG Optics Inc., a company co-founded by Arnold and Princeton alumnus Christian Theriault to bring the technology to market. In 2016, Mitutoyo acquired a controlling interest in TAG Optics Inc. with the intention to further develop the technology.
For more information: www.mitutoyo.com
