Asia Optical confirms plans to expand glass molded lens capacity

Molding glass aspheric lenses, involving relatively complicated technology and expensive manufacturing equipment, are used to minimize the size and weight of optical zoom lenses in mobile phone cameras.Through strategic alliances with Japanese companies, Asia Optical reached a monthly output of 800,000 molding glass aspheric lenses late last year.The company will increase its production capacity by adding three glass molding machines every month.

Taiwan-based Kinko Optical finished installing manufacturing equipment for molding glass aspheric lenses in December and will start volume production in March, according to company president Kent Chen.

Specializing in plastic lenses, Taiwan-based Largan Precision does not plan to foray into molding glass aspheric lenses for the time being. According to company president Scott Lin, Largan Precision has the core technology for the product but is evaluating costs. The company will expand its monthly capacity for polishing spheric lenses to 10 million units by the end of June from 8.5 million now.