Company
Experience 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 800 customers worldwide with innovative solutions. The weekly production capacity is up to 1500 optical elements and systems.
The symbiosis of IT and photonics
The story of asphericon begins in 2001, when the founders started to realize their vision: to produce high-precision aspheric lenses using digital technologies.
“We are establishing the asphere as a standard element in optics.“
Sven Kiontke & Alexander Zschäbitz, 2001
The company grew continuously over the following 10 years. New machines could be purchased, technologies developed, and employees trained. After renting premises in Erfurt and at TIP Jena, the first company-owned building was constructed at Stockholmer Straße 9 in Jena in 2011.
At a time when “Industry 4.0” was still a foreign concept, the young team began to build the company on a digital foundation. All data and processes were to run through the company on a digital basis. To this day, the CNC machines are controlled using patented software developed in-house. This now comprises more than two million lines of code. Digitization was transferred to all upstream and downstream production processes. Innovative ideas and products are created on a production area of over 2700 square meters with the help of 200 employees these days. The asphericon GmbH is supported by its subsidiaries asphericon, Inc. and asphericon s.r.o. in Florida/USA and Jeřmanice/Czech Republic.
The following figure shows the company’s current process landscape, which connects all three locations. To this day, the focus is on the intelligent control software and the associated digitalization concept from 2001.
The asphere as a standard in optics
The constantly evolving software architecture is the key success factor to manufacture optical components and systems. The principle: We digitize the requirements of our customers and suppliers and transfer them directly into the development and production process. Right through to the final documentation, there is no manual intervention - everything is organized digitally. This ensures flexible and transparent production processes. Our customers benefit from the variety of data, e.g. in the further development or optimization of their own optical systems.
Until recently, aspheric optics had a reputation for being difficult to tolerate and difficult to produce. This image has changed in recent years, partly thanks to asphericon’s efforts. Aspheres have become indispensable in areas such as life science, measurement technology and laser applications. Thanks to their impressive properties, aspheric optics have made a triumphant advance in leading technology sectors.
In everything we do, light inspires the future
What’s important to us
Since the beginning, the founders of asphericon have not been satisfied with existing technologies and standards. What drives us is the constant striving for further development and optimization as well as the desire to exceed the high expectations of our customers and partners - both in terms of our products and our cooperation.