ISO 10110-19:2015

Overview

ISO 10110-19:2015 - part of the ISO 10110 series for optics and photonics - defines a general method for describing surfaces and components on technical drawings used for manufacture and inspection. The standard covers presentation and referencing of continuous and discontinuous surfaces (including complex descriptions such as NURBS, splines, point clouds), and sets rules for coordinate systems, sign conventions and data exchange. It does not apply to diffractive or Fresnel surfaces, ophthalmic glasses, micro‑optical surfaces, nor does it prescribe test methods for compliance.

Key topics and requirements

• Scope of application: Applies to any general surface or component where a generalized mathematical description is needed (including off‑axis and non‑symmetric surfaces).
• Referencing and coordinate systems: Requires a clear definition of the origin, reference axis and component reference points. Uses a right‑handed XYZ system with the Z‑axis typically representing the reference axis; once defined, the coordinate system must not be changed.
• Sign convention: Specifies sagitta sign convention (sagitta positive when in the positive Z direction relative to the XY plane).
• Drawing specifications:
  • General surfaces are labelled using the abbreviation “GS”.
  • The origin and component references must be shown and dimensioned relative to the general surface coordinate system.
  • A sagitta table (point‑by‑point Z and slope data) or equivalent data file must be provided to enable verification.
  • Mathematical description or a named data file (with version/extension) must be referenced on the drawing.
• Tolerances: Surface form, centring and imperfections referenced to related ISO standards (e.g., ISO 1101; ISO 10110‑5, ‑6, ‑7, ‑8, ‑14) and may be specified via tables or code numbers from the ISO 10110 series.
• Data exchange and formats: Encourages uniform transport formats (e.g., XML, STEP) ensuring full mapping of mathematical descriptions, coordinate systems and units. Requires inclusion of sufficient decimal precision.
• Data reduction: Provides guidance for converting high‑level mathematical descriptions into point data (sagitta/slope) for inspection.

Applications and users

ISO 10110-19 is intended for:

• Optical designers documenting complex freeform or off‑axis surfaces
• Mechanical and optical engineers preparing manufacturing drawings
• CAD/CAM and metrology software developers implementing import/export formats
• Precision optics manufacturers and inspection laboratories that verify surface form using sagitta tables or data files

Use cases include documentation of freeform lenses, non‑symmetric optical components, and transfer of surface data between CAD, CNC tooling, and measuring machines.

Related standards

• ISO 10110 (other parts: 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 14, etc.)
• ISO 1101 (geometrical tolerancing)
• ISO 5459 (datums and datum systems)
• Recommended transport formats: XML, STEP

Keywords: ISO 10110-19, optics and photonics, general surface description, technical drawings, NURBS, sagitta table, data exchange, STEP, XML, surface tolerancing.