Designing products, configuring machinery, production layouts and other project information is greatly enhanced by the use of computer aided drawing and analyses programs such as AutoCAD, Pro-E and SolidWorks in most state-of-the art Engineering facilities. Until recently, there was not much that could be added to these files to provide a true understanding of the effects, losses and optimization possibilities of optical devices being added to the system.

Recent years have changed this situation and resulted in the development of a large number of programs which can provide data for illumination systems, light pipes, reflectors, imaging systems, LEDs, ray tracing, stray light analyses, thermal imaging systems, coherent beam propagation, diagnostic prototyping, laser and much more.

Reasons to Purchase Optical Engineering Software

There are several reasons to invest in an optical imaging program including:

• Time and money savings through faster design
• Improvement in the ’Time to Market’ schedule
• Cost savings through simpler, more effective and less expensive fabrication and design
• Superior algorithm applications
• High quality and accurate diagnosis and implementation results
• Optical design can now be integrated with current design processes

Top Optical Engineering Software Applications

The list of available Optical Design programs is extensive so we are covering what we believe to be the top selections below:

• APEX Optical Engineering software from Breault – The latest version of this software can be fully integrated with the SolidWorks 3-D modeling program. Among its many features is the Advanced System Analysis Program (ASAP) that enables more cost effective production by creating simpler products with more effective applications.

• Code V from Optical Research Associates – this software permits the user to model, analyze, optimize and provides production tools for more efficient systems and less expensive fabrication. It accomplishes this through a wide array of simulation and analysis tools that can be integrated into current design software.

• FRED from Photon Engineering – This software was designed for a large conglomerate of customers from the occasional user to the most experienced Engineer. It provides ray-tracing tools and allows the simulation of light propagation through virtually any medium. It can build on files created in SolidWorks, PRO-E or AutoCAD.

• OpTalix from Optenso – This program allows unconstrained 3-D ray tracing through vector based polarization and ray tracing analyses. It can be used in conjunction with a number of computer aided drawing programs for fully integrated system designs.

• Virtual Lab IV from Light Trans – This is possibly the most comprehensive Optical Engineering application as it takes Optical Modeling beyond ray tracing and analysis. Virtually all optical components and their sources can be simulated with pre-loaded data for fast results with high physical accuracy.

• ZEMAX from Zemax Development Corporation – Optical Design from illumination to lens design and system analysis is provided by ZEMAX. It offers physical optics, non-sequential and polarization ray tracing, fabrication assistance and more.

VCC is available and ready to meet any LED and Light Pipe design requirements that are recommended or created with the use of your Optical Engineering software. We have stock parts that are available for prototyping, information for simulation and products for implementation in your design. Contact VCC today for more detail or check out our catalog on-line.