Manufacture of ultraprecision optics and ultrasonic tooling systems, including mirrors, mold inserts and infrared lenses up to 1 m in diameter
Edmund Optics son-x GmbH
AachenNew on Amplifa
About son-x
Edmund Optics son-x GmbH is a high-tech company headquartered in Aachen, founded in 2011 as a spin-off of the Fraunhofer Institute. The core of the founding was the commercialization of ultrasonically assisted diamond turning, which enables the direct machining of steel with single-crystal diamond tools to optical quality (Ra 1-5 nm, 100 nm PV). Since 2013, the company has operated a state-of-the-art production environment for ultraprecision optics as its second business area. It manufactures high-precision metal mirrors for space and the semiconductor industry, optical mold inserts for injection molding, plastic lenses as prototypes, and diamond-turned infrared lenses made of silicon, germanium and zinc sulfide. Machining is performed on up to 5-axis ultraprecision machines with air-bearing spindles and linear motors for workpieces up to 1 m in diameter; an ISO-5 cleanroom facility is available for space optics. In addition, son-x develops and sells ultrasonic tooling systems such as the UTS2 and supports projects from design through manufacturing to verification.
- Site
- Aachen
- Processes
- Ultrasonically assisted diamond turning, Ultra-precision multi-axis machining of optical components (up to 5 axes, air-bearing spindles,, Manufacture of precision mirrors (aerospace, astronomy, laser, semiconductor), also freeform,, Manufacture of optical mold inserts for injection molding, Diamond-turned infrared lenses (aspheres, diffractives, freeforms, lens arrays), Manufacture of plastic lenses (prototypes), Optics engineering: development of prototype optics, feasibility studies, mold insert design, Systems engineering: development and manufacture of ultrasonic tooling systems (UTS2, spindle
- Materials
- Steel, Stainless steel (corrosion-resistant steel), Inconel, Invar, Silicon, Germanium, Zinc sulfide, Plastic (optics)
- Certificates
- ISO 9001, BSFZ Seal (Innovation Competence)
- Founded
- 2011
- Industries
- Space/Aerospace, Astronomy, Laser, Science/Research, Semiconductor, Automotive Lighting
- 01
Optics Engineering (prototypes, feasibility studies, mold insert design)
- 02
Ultraprecision machining (diamond turning, 5-axis)
- 03
Ultrasonically assisted machining of hard-to-machine materials
- 04
Verification and acceptance
Materials & Processes
Steel
Ultrasonically assisted diamond turning with single-crystal diamond tools to optical quality
Stainless steel
Durable optical mold inserts for injection molding
Inconel
Hard-to-machine material for components of optical quality
Invar
Dimensionally stable material for precision mirrors in aerospace and metrology
Silicon
Crystalline material for diamond-turned infrared lenses
Germanium
Crystalline material for infrared optics in sensing and defense
Zinc sulfide
Crystalline material for infrared lenses, among other things for defense applications
Plastic
Plastic lenses, predominantly as prototypes
Ultrasonic diamond turning
Ultrasonically assisted process for the direct machining of steel to optical quality
5-axis ultraprecision machining
Multi-axis machining of highly complex surfaces with air-bearing spindles and linear motors
Locations
Aachen
DEHeadquarters with production of ultraprecision optics, systems and ISO-5 cleanroom
- Lot size
- Prototypes up to larger quantities
- Materials
- Steel, stainless steel, Inconel, Invar, silicon, germanium, zinc sulfide, plastic
- 5-axis ultraprecision machines with air-bearing spindles and linear motors
- Ultrasonic tooling system UTS2
- Ultrasonic spindle system
- ISO-5 cleanroom production
Components
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ultrasonically assisted diamond turningMachining | 100 nm PV · Ra 1-5 nm | 1000 mm diameter | – | – | Steel, Stainless steel, Inconel, Invar |
| Ultra-precision multi-axis machining of optical components (up to 5 axes, air-bearing spindles,Machining | – | 1 meter diameter | – | – | Metals (metal mirrors), Plastic, Silicon, Germanium, Zinc sulfide |
| Manufacture of precision mirrors (aerospace, astronomy, laser, semiconductor), also freeform,Machining | 100 nm PV · Ra 1-5 nm | 1000 mm diameter | – | – | Metal, Stainless steel, Inconel, Invar |
| Manufacture of optical mold inserts for injection moldingMachining | Ra 1-5 nm | – | – | – | Stainless steel |
| Diamond-turned infrared lenses (aspheres, diffractives, freeforms, lens arrays)Machining | – | – | – | – | Silicon, Germanium, Zinc sulfide |
| Manufacture of plastic lenses (prototypes)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Plastic |
| Optics engineering: development of prototype optics, feasibility studies, mold insert designEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Systems engineering: development and manufacture of ultrasonic tooling systems (UTS2, spindleEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Verification/inspection of optical componentsTesting | – | – | – | – | – |
3 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5-axis ultraprecision machine with air-bearing spindles and linear motors | – | – | max. 1 m diameter | – | Aachen |
| Ultrasonic tooling system UTS2 | son-x UTS2 | – | – | – | – |
| Ultrasonic spindle system | son-x | – | – | – | – |
Additional services
Quality
son-x maintains a quality management system certified to ISO 9001 and supports every project from manufacturing through verification and acceptance. For space applications, cleanroom production (ISO 5), cleanliness, verification and documentation are established.
| Evidence | Aachen |
|---|---|
| ISO 9001 | |
| BSFZ Seal (Innovation Competence) |
History
- 2011
Founded as a spin-off of the Fraunhofer Institute by Dr. Benjamin Bulla and Dr. Olaf Dambon; commercialization of ultrasonically assisted diamond turning
- 2013
Establishment of a state-of-the-art production environment for ultraprecision optics as a second business area
Renaming to Edmund Optics son-x GmbH