TS ISO 10110-6

TS ISO 10110-6 is the ISO 10110 part that specifies how centring tolerances are indicated on technical drawings for optical elements and optical systems. In practical terms, it supports a clear and standardized way to describe the alignment of optical parts with respect to the rotational axis, so design, manufacture, and inspection can work from the same drawing language.

What centring means in optical engineering

In general technical use, centring tolerance describes how closely an optical surface or component must be aligned to its ideal axis of rotation. When a lens, lens group, or subassembly is decentered, image quality, beam propagation, and overall repeatability can be affected. For optical products, centring is therefore not just a geometric detail; it is a functional alignment condition that can influence system performance.

This part of the standard sets rules for showing centring tolerances on drawings. That matters because a tolerance that is only stated informally can be interpreted differently by different manufacturers or inspectors. The ISO 10110 family is intended to present design and functional requirements for optical drawings in a concise and consistent way, and this part contributes that common notation for centring-related requirements.

Scope and technical boundaries

• It applies to centring tolerances for optical elements, subassemblies, and assemblies shown on drawings.
• It applies only to rotationally symmetric optical systems.
• It supports manufacturing and inspection documentation rather than defining optical design calculations.
• It provides a dedicated drawing convention within the ISO 10110 series, distinct from other optical drawing topics such as surface imperfections or other geometric characteristics.

As one part of a broader drawing standard series, this document is most useful when the relationship between an optical component and the system axis must be communicated precisely. That is especially relevant for precision lenses, objectives, and optical assemblies, where small decentration errors can have a visible effect on system behavior.