Advances in freeform manufacturing

Franciscus Wolfs; James Ross; Scott DeFisher

doi:10.1117/12.2535919

15 November 2019 Advances in freeform manufacturing

Franciscus Wolfs, James Ross, Scott DeFisher

Proceedings Volume 11175, Optifab 2019; 1117511 (2019) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2535919
Event: SPIE Optifab, 2019, Rochester, New York, United States

Abstract

As freeform and conformal optics are becoming more broadly used in the optics industry, the manufacturing technology and processing conventions need to be developed to meet the requirements and challenges posed in the manufacturing of these parts. These optics reduce the number of total optics required in an assembly in addition to overcoming the limitations in rotationally symmetric optics. While these optics offer many benefits for system capabilities, these traits also make manufacturing and metrology more difficult. In order to manufacture these complex optics, OptiPro has been focusing on development of the software, hardware, and processing techniques required to meet the stringent part tolerances. For software, OptiPro has been working on the continual development of PROSurf, a CAM package geared specifically toward freeform optics, and the UltraSurf software, which controls OptiPro’s non-contact metrology system. For hardware, the main area of focus has been on fixture development: how should the part be held so that it can be transferred between machines repeatably while still providing adequate support during processing and access to the alignment features. One of the focus areas of processing improvement has been on developing the conventions for the surface datums used for locating the surface and referencing analyzed data against. This paper will present the challenges in freeform manufacturing along with the solutions that we have developed to meet these manufacturing needs.

Conference Presentation

Citation Download Citation

Franciscus Wolfs, James Ross, and Scott DeFisher "Advances in freeform manufacturing", Proc. SPIE 11175, Optifab 2019, 1117511 (15 November 2019); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2535919

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