Optical Manufacturing Processes
Optics Manufacturing
I have worked both hands-on and in a process engineering capacity with optics ranging from 1.5 mm to 2.56 m in diameter; thickness down to 90 mm; with materials of all types including a range of glass, metals, gain crystals, nonlinear and birefringent crystals; with hardness ranging from NaCl to Al2O3; in configurations including flat, radius, prism, cylinder, aspheric, multi-surface, lightweight, water-cooled, gas-cooled, and assemblies. I've also developed tooling, fixturing, handling and test methods for unique projects. I developed and taught a six-month apprentice program for a major laser manufacturer that brought new-hires to the level of five- to ten-year veteran opticians; and have presented training programs for several major precision optics companies' technicians.
Manufacturing Methods
Unit quantity to production line
Conventional fabrication
Planetary polishing
Diamond turning
Tooling and fixturing
Flat, radius, cylinder, prism and asphere
Contacting, cementing and stacking
Precision dicing
Cleaning
Little-known tips and tricks
Double-side lapping and polishing
Process Optimization
Risk mitigation
Tooling and technique
Sequence and method
Integrating test methods with tooling
Multiplying IPQA effectiveness
Preserving the value added