Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAMFraunhofer IFAM has tested optical components in collaboration with the Japanese company Asahi Kasei. The Japanese company Asahi Kasei manufactures the specially developed WGFTM polarizing film, which withstands strong mechanical and thermal stresses. Additionally, this film has good and uniform transmission and reflection properties across the entire visible and infrared spectral range. In the latest development, this film has been incorporated into finished optical components such as camera filters and polarizing beam splitters.
High-quality optical components with polarizing film
Fraunhofer IFAM tested these optical components and compared them with conventional optical components (e.g., semi-transparent mirrors). In the setup shown on the left, the conventional semi-transparent mirror and the WGFTM beam splitter (WGFTM PBS) were tested. Several objects, including computer circuit boards, CFRP components, and 1€ coins, were examined. The WGFTM PBS demonstrated higher overall brightness and better color rendering. The semi-transparent mirror exhibited a bluish tint in the captured images, while Asahi Kasei's product enabled uniform color representation.
The schematic on the left shows that the WGFTM product provides constant transmission, whereas the transmission of the conventional semi-transparent mirror decreases towards the red spectral range, explaining the blue tint.
Camera filters utilizing WGFTM technology also offer excellent image dynamic adjustment without affecting color rendering.
