Fabrication of Optical Glass
In a white paper, entitled “Fabrication of optical glass,” Manx Precision Optics (MPO) presents a general overview of optical glass manufacture.
The paper summarizes the steps of this process:
- Rough Shaping – Shaping of raw glass into a blank approximately 1 mm larger than the finished component
- Milling – Further shaping of optical surfaces to better than 0.1 mm and preparation for polishing
- Loose Abrasive Lapping/Grinding – Grinding or “Lapping” of the optic to remove damage from the previous step and shape the optic to within a few micrometres of the desired curvature
- Polishing – Polishing of the ground surface to the desired finish quality
- Edging – Realignment of the optical axis joining the two optical surfaces and the mechanical axis of the optic.
To read this entire paper, technical note TN2022-02, click here.
Manx Precision Optics (MPO) is equipped with facilities for the shaping, grinding, polishing and edging/bevelling of optical glass. Their glass fabrication department comprises industry veterans with the capabilities to achieve surface finishes with RMS roughness as low as ±0.2 nm (2 Angstrom).
To request more information or a quotation for Manx Precision Optics products, contact IL Photonics.