Abstract

Typical fabrication of optical glass prisms involves a number of shaping, lapping, and polishing steps done in an iterative process. Initial rough shaping is usually performed with diamond saws (molded blanks for high volume). Processing to near net shape generally involves using bound diamond surface grinders and specialized tooling, with numerous blocking steps needed to complete all facets. Loose abrasive lapping or additional stages of finer surface grinding are required to prepare the prism blank for polishing, particularly to meet specifications for precise angular requirements. Difficult tolerances usually necessitate final finishing of one or more prism facets prior to near net shaping of the remaining facets. This introduces problems associated with protecting the finished optical surfaces from damage or staining.

© 1994 Optical Society of America