Mitutoyo’s TAGLENS series is deemed ideal for demanding inspection applications such as non-contact ultra-high-speed inspection systems. Reducing the need for mechanical focusing modules, TAGLENS is described as the first ultra-high-speed variable focusing lens capable of operating in tough industrial environments. An optional SDK enables users to seamlessly integrate the TAGLENS-T1 into their own system.
The patented technology powering the TAGLENS™ series of products was invented at Princeton University by a team led by Professor Craig B. Arnold, a world-renowned material scientist and laser expert. It was later developed and commercialized by TAG Optics Inc., a company co-founded by Arnold and Princeton alumnus Christian Theriault to bring the technology to market. In 2016, Mitutoyo acquired a controlling interest in TAG Optics Inc. with the intention to further develop the technology.
The TAGLENS-T1 can change focus in 70 kHz enabling productivity and cost improvement across a wide range of quality assurance processes. Due to its focusing speed, it can increase the depth-of-field of any optical system. The TAGLENS-T1 is also the first variable focus lens capable of withstanding large amount of vibrations and shock or being mounted on robotic arms while maintaining optical performance.
Also, part of the TAGLENS product launch is the Mitutoyo VMU-T1, said to be the first commercial system to incorporate the TAG technology. The combination embodied in the VMU-T1 results in a powerful inspection tool which, when using Mitutoyo’s M Plan Apo Series of objectives, generates world-leading imaging depth-of-field capabilities that are up to 20 times greater than other similar microscopy inspection systems. Such an increase in depth-of-field reduces the need for mechanical z-motion and thereby reduces the time needed to inspect parts with complex geometry. For more information, visit Mitutoyo America Corporation.