The type of work we do here can best be described with two recent cases.
The first case is one of optimal materials choice and part of the work we perform in the EU-project Production4
. The question here to be answered is, what is the best material to choose for the lens elements of a Rearview camera lens, glass or plastic and which technology is most applicable, spherical or aspherical. Together with the R&D institute VTT of Finland we have performed a study evaluating a matrix of designs (see diagram) and using cost models for the manufacturing of injection molded plastic lenses, glass polished lenses and glass molded lenses.
O = preliminary design, X = available detailed design, P = potential design
The outcome of the study is that a combination of 5 glass spherical and one plastic bi-asphere gives an excellent optical performance at an affordable cost.
The second case is an advice for material and construction of pill casings as they appear nowadays in electronic pills for diagnostic purposes, such as measurement of the temperature of the body. Trials have been performed to determine the minimum thickness of the pill casing with the chosen medical grade material, particularly at the place of the joint, where the wall thickness is only 50% of the rest of the pill. Cooperation with Philips Research and glue manufacturers has lead quickly to a good solution.