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Deterministic microgrinding (DMG) process technology, developed by the Center for Optics Manufacturing (COM) at the University of Rochester, has been extended with the development of two new computer-controlled contouring microgrinders that can produce highly accurate aspheric and conformal optical surfaces in minutes. The NanotechTM 150AG Asphere Grinder was designed and built by Moore Tool Company (Bridgeport, CT) with input from the COM Machine Technical Advisory Board. Funded by DARPA, the scope of this COM-led machine development project was to create a cost- effective, high precision machine that would deterministically microgrind aspheric optical components in brittle glass materials. A critical performance requirement dictated that the ground surfaces produced by the NanotechTM 150AG be compatible with the COM and QED-developed magnetorheological finishing (MRF) process. With the new capabilities of this grinder and the magnetorheological finishing process, COM has demonstrated a potential 10X reduction in the cost of asphere fabrication. The NanotechTM 150AG is a CNC controlled, ultra-precision machining system that is capable of deterministically generating axisymmetric aspheric optical surfaces up to 100 mm in diameter in a production environment. The contouring DMG process produces aspheric surfaces within 1 micrometer of the intended surface shape with significantly lower surface roughness and less subsurface damage than conventional grinding processes. Grinding results on a variety of glasses, crystal and polycrystalline brittle materials are reported in this paper. The NanotechTM 500FG ultra- precision Freeform Generator is the second next-generation deterministic microgrinder. Also developed under a DARPA funded program, the NanotechTM 500FG was designed and built by Moore Nanotechnology Systems, LLC with input from a COM-led Machine Technical Advisory Board. The NanotechTM 500FG is a multi-axis, deterministic microgrinding platform capable of generating non-axisymmetric and axisymmetric optical surfaces in brittle materials. This paper reports the first results from this machine.
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