Q: Is this going to update overtime based on technologies of grinding/polishing machine capability e.g. cost effectiveness in the future?
A: PanDao updates its data (including cost level etc.) and technology performances every three months. Please check the update posts on their LinkedIn page and blog.
Q: Does PanDao recommend optical shops that can manufacture the lenses for the listed price?
A: PanDao informs about fabrication cost (not prices of suppliers). PanDao supports purchasing managers and suppliers specialists with independent data about fabrication cost. Leading optics companies like Zeiss use PanDao.
@Sean Turner
Q: Can PanDao provide cost estimates for optics with user-defined apertures?
A: Yes, they can.
Q: Are composite lenses exportable to PanDao?
A: PanDao only reads in data of single lenses and mirrors. PanDao also gives information about centering of cemented optics.
@David.Aziz
Q: The lead times were shown as about 2 and 4 days. Where do these times come from? They seem hopelessly optimistic.
A: The lead times shown is the time needed in serial production to produce one batch of lenses, but this strongly depends on the batch size. PanDao assumes that the fabrication chain is 100% productive; e.g. 15 hours a day, 6 days a week - which is typical in industry. With e.g. 10 lenses per hour, 150 lenses per day can be produced. So in 4 days it is possible to produce batch sizes of >500 lenses easily.
@BOWEN
Q: Are the predicted prices based on fitting to past historical data, and if so when and how do the vendors update that data?
A: PanDao is programmed using pure physics and NOT vendor selling prices. We take machining cost, tooling cost, operator cost, setting-up machine jobs, down time of machines etc. into account. The resulting cost has been (and is and will be) constantly double checked with cooperating companies and institutes. That way, PanDao gives realistic cost estimates (excluding company overhead cost). Leading optical companies such as Zeiss are satisfied and use PanDao.
@Maxime
Q: How do you adapt the cost estimation with the evolution of glass price for example, or manufacturing cost ? Are you based on real society (Thorlabs, Edmund Optics, others)?
A: PanDao is programmed using pure physics and NOT vendor selling prices. We take machining cost, tooling cost, operator cost, setting-up machine jobs, down time of machines etc. into account. The resulting cost has been (and is and will be) constantly double checked with cooperating companies and institutes. That way, PanDao gives realistic cost estimates (excluding company overhead cost). Leading optical companies such as Zeiss are satisfied and use PanDao. In fact, Safran use PanDao.
Q: How reliable are the costs between different manufacturers?
A: The prices you receive from different vendors vary dramatically. PanDao calculates cost not price and gives both parties (purchasing and supplier) realistic and honest fabrication cost information.
Q: Are there restrictions regarding materials (e.g. plastic materials)? Is injection molding included?
A: PanDao takes about 360 different optical fabrication technologies into account, including injection molding. Currently, PanDao covers all types of glasses (glass catalogs from CDGM, Sumita, Hoya, Ohara and Schott) as well as crystals, metals, SiC, binderless tungsten carbide (WC), PMMA, PC, COC, SG95, UV Hardening Polymers, CR39, CaF2, Ge, Si, fused silica, and glass ceramics.
Q: What is a good recommended precursor online course to do simple lens design?
A: I recommend the Ansys Zemax Optical System Design course available on the Ansys Learnign Hub.
