In optical design projects, it’s crucial not to underestimate the impact of optomechanical tolerances on the actual system performance. Too often, simulations performed in OpticStudio rely on simplified tolerance models that don’t accurately reflect real-world manufacturing and assembly conditions. The COMET software, developed by INO, provides optical designers with an integrated solution that directly linksuses OpticStudio files to perform tolerance analyses based on realistic optomechanical models.
Tolerance analysis is a critical step in predicting the final performance of an optical system given the inevitable variations in manufacturing and assembly. Traditional tolerancing methods in OpticStudio rely on arbitrary perturbations, which are often insufficient to accurately model real-world mounting behaviours. Manually configuring tilts, decenters and axial errors is laborious and requires advanced expertise in optomechanics.
COMET is a standalone MATLAB application with a guided graphical interface designed for optical designers and mechanical engineers. It leverages manufacturing databases (optical and mechanical) and applies optomechanical equations to convert real-world tolerances into perturbations usable directly in OpticStudio.
How does it work?
The process begins with an initial OpticStudio file or a previously configured COMET file. The optical designer or mechanical engineer can:
- Configure each lens individually (or apply the same settings to all lenses),
- Select the mounting method,
- Set tolerances using an intuitive table,
- Automatically generates the required coordinate breaks and pick-ups in the lens data editor, with tolerances in the tolerance data editor, in a new OpticStudio file ready for Monte Carlo tolerance analysis.
COMET allows to save and share files easily, to facilitate exchange of information and design variations between the optical designer and the mechanical engineer. This shared standard reduces errors and misunderstanding between disciplines, and rely on ISO10110 and ASMEY14 standards.
Tangible Benefits for OpticStudio Users:
- Increased Realism: By simulating real-world mechanical centring and mounting conditions, COMET provides more reliable predictions compared to basic OpticStudio tolerancing methods. This minimizes discrepancies between simulation results and actual prototype measurements.
- Rapid Iterations: COMET enables quick assessment of various centring and tolerance scenarios, starting from the early project stages—before a complete mechanical model is even developed.
- Cost and Risk Reduction: With more accurate tolerance modeling, COMET helps avoid costly overdesigns and failures due to poor centring. It promotes an optimal balance between performance and manufacturing feasibility. Comet helps predict more accurately optical performances and yield of an optical design in production.
- Enhanced Collaboration: COMET offers a shared workspace, guides users step-by-step, and structures information exchange between multidisciplinary teams, minimizing communication errors.
By combining a robust scientific foundation with a user-friendly interface, COMET represents a major advancement in optomechanical tolerance analysis. COMET empowers OpticStudio users to:
- Translate real-world mechanical tolerances into accurate optical simulations,
- Efficiently compare mounting methods,
- Prioritize cost-effective and performance-driven assemblies,
- Standardize communication across multiple disciplines.
Ultimately, COMET transforms tolerance analysis—a critical and historically time-consuming task—into an integrated workflow that is rapid, reliable, and insightful. With this approach, optical design teams can make more informed, precisely calibrated, and cost-effective decisions.
