The letters TNO stand for Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research. This independent body comprises 14 specialized institutes. One of these is TNO TPD. TPD has a 50 year track record in contract research for industry and government. The wide ranging technology menu runs through optics, materials research, information technology, acoustics and process physics, to space instrumentation, security technology and beyond.
Out of the 500 TPD employees, 120 are employed in the Optical Instrumentation Department. Major fields of work are Space Instrumentation and Lithography (ASML). The span of capabilities for instrument development ranges from conceptual design to instrument calibration.
An important part of our extensive research program is addressed to the issue of Optical Fabrication and Testing. Major items are load controlled polishing of aspherics, "on machine" measurement of aspherics and Fluid Jet Polishing (FJP). FJP is a promising cost effective tool for finishing and shaping a great variety of materials. TNO is planning to use its first Precitech Ultra-Precision Diamond Turning Machine primarily as a state of the art platform for the research in optical fabrication.