Precision Optical Hosts Pasadena College's LaserTech Program

On Dec. 4th 2024, Precision Optical hosted Pasadena City College (PCC) and it’s LaserTech program for the 2nd year in a row. Similar to last year (and previous years efforts when partnering with Irvine Valley College), Precision Optical offered to instruct a class within LASR245, the course titled Quality Assurance for Precision Optics. The lecture, demonstrations and discussions were all very engaging. The students asked intuitive questions of our industry-volunteer panel, which included Precision Optical President & CTO Nicolaus Lambert (instructor and demonstrator), Shop Foreman of Optical Fabrication John Hllywa (shaping/grinding demonstrator) and Quality Assurance Technician Sean Baume (QA demonstrator). PCC Laser Technology Professor Brian Monacelli, whom Precision Optical has partnered with on photonics education and outreach for over 10 years, also helped coordinate and lead this event.

After a detailed applications-based lecture provided by Mr. Lambert, the group was given a comprehensive shop tour of each critical department including optical cutting & shaping, fine grinding & polishing, and quality assurance. For the cutting and shaping demonstrations, the students got exposure to our optical fabrication department, including our cutting, shaping, edging, blocking and CNC work centers. The students were given full access to our polishing department, and several demonstrations were provided including observing “shop” test plate fringes, goniometer usage, and laser interferometry. Students witnessed firsthand what it takes to properly fabricate an optical element from raw glass to near-net shape to a complete finished precision optic! Particular emphasis during the manufacturing tour and demonstrations was placed on the importance and significance of quality assurance throughout the manufacturing process. As the saying goes, “if you can’t measure it, you can’t make it.”

Students were particularly keen of our CNC department which utilizes several 5-axis machines for intricate tooling and complex multi-axis optics manufacturing. In addition, they were provided a tour of our coating pump alley to see what a fully integrated thin film coating facility looks like from the back side!

To round out the experience, and as it is with real optics manufacturing, the students witnessed several precision instruments being used in real-time to perform final metrology operations including: surface defects, material imperfections, mechanical inspection of physical dimensions, angular inspection, and surface texture.

We look forward to continued mutual beneficial partnership with the Laser Technology Program at PCC and to continue to support optics & photonics education in our Southern California community.