Optical glass machining techniques and equipment

The different optical glass processing techniques used by AGI for their day-to day tasks:

• Optical glass precision sawing: several computer-controlled precision saws are used to cut optical glass blanks from different materials such as fused silica and optical glass.
• Optical diamond sawing: 5 diamond band saws to meet all optical material production needs. AGI has one of the largest continuous band saws in the world.
• Optical glass waterjet cutting: the waterjet platforms allow to cut all optical materials including fused silica, ZERODUR, Pyrex but also granite, metals etc. They allow the cutting of almost any imaginable shape, and the engraving of optical materials.
• CNC machining: 8 CNC machining centers, including a DMG Mori Seiki DuraVertical 1035eco that allows you to meet strict tolerance requirements more quickly.
• Optical diamond core drilling: AGI has manual and CNC capabilities for the diamond carving of optical glass cylinders. For strict tolerances, precision grinding is possible.
• Optical diamond edge cutting: AGI’s 7 diamond edge cutting units meet mass production needs.
• Optical glass grinding : the 4 high precision centerless grinding machines allow the machining of glass blanks according to very strict specifications in terms of size and circularity.
• Optical rotary surface grinding: 12 rotary grinders for diamond surface grinding. They enable the grinding of large optical glass ingots, fused silica and fused quartz but also smaller and more complex optical glass blanks.
• Optical sphere and profile generation: spherical, parabolic and aspherical curves can be generated in a wide variety of optical materials ranging from the most delicate optical lenses to the most demanding materials such as fused quartz or fused silica.
• Optical precision chamfering: AGI has developed and built a set of semi-automatic chamfering machines to meet all the needs for precision chamfering.
• Polishing of blanked optical lens edges: AGI is able to polish optical lens edges of any shape and configuration.
• Optical glass blanks molding: With its 5 furnaces, Advanced Glass Industries offers precision molded and repacked optical glass blanks in a variety of configurations such as lenses, discs, domes, windows, prisms, etc.
• Optical glass annealing: 16 computer-controlled annealing furnaces allow the optical glass to be annealed with a low residual stress and a controlled refractive index.
• Optical glass testing: AGI has a complete test facility to ensure compliance with the standards set for optical glass blanks. All materials are accompanied by a certificate of conformity. Melting data, test reports and measured refractive index values are available on request.