In the manufacturing process of IR optical systems, e.g. for security and defense applications, the non-transparency of the lens materials in the visible spectral range (VIS) leads to special requirements on the assembly and test equipment.
Whereas the assembly process in many cases can be accomplished by using cost-effective VIS equipment, other testing steps require a test bench specifically designed for IR. This is particularly true for the final inspection and when the root cause for out-of-spec assemblies needs to be identified. Here a solution for the full opto-mechanical characterization in the infrared is required.
In this contribution, we present solutions how to make the manufacturing process of IR objective lenses most efficient by using adequate techniques for centration-based alignment testing, IR MTF analysis and non-contact determination of center thicknesses and air spacings
