About asphericon

asphericon combines a researcher’s pioneering spirit with the practical ability to implement customer-oriented, economical solutions. Latest manufacturing technologies, continually evolving proprietary control software, world class measurement equipment and highly qualified employees ensure that asphericon provids over 600 customers worldwide with innovative solutions. The weekly production capacity is up to 1500 optical elements.


Our patented and continuously developed software architecture is the central success factor for the reliable and efficient production of optical components and systems. We have been using and defining Industry 4.0 for 20 years, way before the term entered the manufacturing world. The principle behind this: We digitize the requirements of our customers as well as suppliers and transfer them directly into the manufacturing process. Starting with customer specifications, through the entire manufacturing process to the final documentation - no manual intervention, everything is managed digitally. In this way, we ensure extremely flexible manufacturing processes - unique in the world of photonics.

The story of the founding of asphericon is characterized by a vision of revolutionizing the manufacture of aspheric components with completely new technologies which are opening up a degree of precision and quality that had been considered impossible until now. Visionen leben – Bringing visions to life. With this mission, asphericon is continuously pushing the boundaries of what is possible and establishing new milestones in the world of optics.

asphericon sets this vision of breaking new ground and developing new ideas as its benchmark and tries to live up to it every day at three locations.

asphericon GmbH

  • Jena | Germany
  • Founded: 2001
  • 170 employees
  • Production area: 4000 m²
  • Production capacity: 1250 pcs./week

 

asphericon s.r.o.

  • Jeřmanice | Czech Republic
  • Founded: 2019
  • 40 employees
  • Production area: 1600 m²
  • Production capacity: 250 pcs./week

 

asphericon, Inc.

  • Sarasota, FL | USA
  • Founded: 2014
  • Service and sales

 

Perfect in terms of quality and precision: Our technologies and technical equipment enable the processing of various shapes, a very wide range of materials and for all wavelengths. Combined with high-end processes and applications, unique precision dimensions are achieved. asphericon impresses with accuracy beyond the standards – always new in every detail. Since 2008, asphericon fulfills all of the requirements of the ISO 9001 and gives proof of its aspiration for high-quality working processes.

Technological leader

  • Worldwide unique and patented control software for CNC processing
  • Small and large quantities in high precision
  • High precision diamond turning of almost any surface
  • Lowest roughness value with asphericon Ångström Polish

 

State-of-the-art

  • 10 production lines of CNC grinding and polishing
  • Wide range of measuring instruments for full-surface interferometric measuring
  • ION-Scan 800 and QED Q-flex for precise surface processing
  • Optical Characterization of every asphere in the laboratory

Certification

  • First certified 2008, recertified 2014 and 2017 to DIN ISO: TÜV certificate
  • Database system for record of entire manufacturing process
  • We guarantee RoHS- and REACH compliant production

Right from the start the founders of asphericon were not satisfied with existing technologies and standards. What drives us is the permanent striving for further development and optimization, pushing and expanding the boundaries of the possible. And the desire to still exceed the high expectations of our customers, partners and colleagues. Everyday afresh. For us partnership means listening, understanding and active thinking. For our customers we are on the lookout for economically reasonable and technically plausible solution. At least not without having seriously tried first. We look forward to enable your project. Do not hesitate to contact us!

Management

Sven R. Kiontke

CEO asphericon GmbH
s.kiontke[at]asphericon.com

 

Alexander W. Zschäbitz

CEO asphericon GmbH
a.zschaebitz[at]asphericon.com

Sales Management

Sebastian Henkel

Sales asphericon GmbH
sales[at]asphericon.com
Tel.: +49 (0) 3641 3100 560

asphericon, Inc.

Steffen Schneider

President asphericon, Inc.
s.schneider[at]asphericon-inc.com
Tel.: +1-941-564-0890

asphericon s.r.o.

Tomáš Vít

CEO asphericon s.r.o.
t.vit[at]asphericon.cz
Tel.: +420 488 100 300

Technologies

Driven by the idea of developing new technologies and optimizing existing ones, we are continuously refining and improving our processes. In doing so, we strive constantly to achieve better quality and ever greater precision – without ever losing sight of our customers’ economic interests. A unique technology to simulate CNC grinding and polishing processes, specifically developed by asphericon, enables the utmost precision on your aspheric surfaces. In comparison to standard processes, the asphericon technology works up to 75% faster and masters almost any shape and size. In addition, all production parameters are recorded for each project and saved in an internal database system. This guarantees the traceability of all process steps and reproducibility at any time.

asphericon engagement

Since its founding, asphericon has maintained a collaboration with numerous partners. Together, we work on new, forward-looking ideas, boost the training of experts, and get involved in socially relevant projects. With membership and active involvement in various networks in the photonics industry, we boost site development and national collaboration. We are proud of our awards over the recent years – the result of our own research work as well as the cooperation with our strong partners.

Freeform Optics Plus (fo+)

Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena

 

Ernst-Abbe-Hochschule Jena


Abbe School of Photonics

Fraunhofer IOF

Fraunhofer IST

Fraunhofer ILT

 

UKPL Innovationsnetzwerk

Laserzentrum Hannover

Jenaer Bildungszentrum gGmbH

Deutsches Institut für Normung e.V.

The Optical Society of America

The international society for optics and photonics

OptoNet e.V.

Spectaris

Gesellschaft der Freunde & Förderer
der FSU Jena e.V.

European Photonics Industry Consortium

Photonics 21

Sustainable manufacturing has been an important part of asphericon’s corporate philosophy for many years. For example, we only use electricity from certified renewable resources and are a pioneer in the provision of public charging points for electric vehicles. And our dedication to sustainability includes many other measures and activities:

Green energy: When we moved into our own headquarters in 2011, we stopped using oil and gas, and have only used renewable energy sources ever since. In addition, we use waste heat from our production to heat our premises – an approach adopted at our Czech plant in Liberec when it was built in 2019.

Photovoltaics: Since 2011, we’ve generated about 75 MWh of electricity annually on our own PV system. We partly use it to power the company’s electric vehicles.

Electric vehicles: Our fleet of electric cars and hybrids currently consists of 35 vehicles and is continuing to grow. The cars can be charged on one of the many special e-parking spaces at asphericon’s headquarters on Stockholmer Strasse. In addition, working together with Jena’s public utility company, the city’s second rapid charging station was opened outside asphericon’s head office in 2019. Two electric vehicles can be fully charged simultaneously with green electricity supplied by the utility, normally within just half an hour, depending on the vehicle model.

Water treatment: We recycle the ‘wastewater’ from our polishing machines so that it can be reused. Every week, we treat about 1,400 litres of solvent used in cleaning equipment as well as 150,000 litres of process wastewater for discharge. By the way, in recent years we’ve also significantly reduced our use of solvents.

Sustainable construction: asphericon’s sustainable strategy includes the new building currently under construction at our Jena site. It’s the first sustainable wooden building in the optics industry and will be completed in fall 2023. With a floorspace of 1,200 square metres, the new building will combine sustainability with a pleasant indoor climate thanks to the use of a timber hybrid construction method.

Company bicycles: Employees benefit from not only (electric) company cars, but also company bicycles. Since 2020, it’s been possible to lease bikes through asphericon. Demand is rising, and our fleet currently includes 44 company bikes.

STADTRADELN: Talking of cycling, since 2018, asphericon has taken part in the annual cycling event STADTRADELN in Jena, and has managed to encourage more and more employees to get pedalling. Being the main sponsor of this fantastic event, we support the switch from cars to bikes and love cycling for the climate!

NAThüringen: Since 2018, we’ve been a partner of NAThüringen, a sustainability agreement in the surrounding region of Thuringia that integrates economic, ecological and social aspects. A certificate is awarded for demonstrable, special and voluntary endeavours in the areas of eco-friendliness and energy efficiency. asphericon’s membership has already been extended multiple times for its work championing photovoltaics and green electricity.

Download certificate

Business travel: Whenever possible, we replace business trips with virtual meetings. We have 360° views of our manufacturing facilities which make the production environment at asphericon transparent. Whenever business trips are unavoidable, we make increasing use of carpooling, electric vehicles, and rail travel.

Sports sponsoring

Stadtradeln Jena 2022

Triathlete Maja Betz

To spread our company's enthusiasm for sports and motivate even more people in the region to take part in sporting activities, we have been cooperating with triathlete Maja Betz since May 2022.

Her athletic career began in her childhood. Maja tried her hand at tennis, swimming and athletics, among other things, but running quickly became her favorite discipline. First titles at Lower Franconian and Bavarian championships followed. When she began studying sports science at the Friedrich Schiller University in Jena, she began to focus on triathlon. Quickly, the first successes came with the title of Thuringian University Champion 2019 (Duathlon) and third place at the Knappenman Triathlon (2020). In 2021, Maja Betz competed for the first time as a professional athlete in the long distance. With the 10th place at the Challenge Roth and the 8th place at the Ironman Austria she could complete a successful first professional season. With the German championship title on the triathlon long distance as well as further top ten placements on the long distances in Roth and Emilia-Romagna, the year 2022 was also very promising.

Since the time and financial organization of the training and competition routine is a challenge, especially for individual athletes, we are pleased to support Maja Betz, a young and highly focused professional athlete.

Science Sponsorship

Faculty of Physics, University of Jena

SciTec Department - Precision-Optics-Materials

Cultural Sponsorship

Theaterhaus Jena

Benefit from customer-oriented, economical solutions at the highest level. We accompany you from the first optical system design through manufacturing and coating, the precise measurement and documentation up to the assembly of optical components and their optical characterization.

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