Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer
UltraForm Finisher Optical Mandrel Fabrication
Project Description
The requirements for cost effective manufacturing and metrology of normal incidence and grazing incidence X-Ray optical surfaces is instrumental for the success of future NASA programs such as LISA, WFIRST, NGXO and X-ray Surveyor. Our plan in this Phase I effort would be to implement our UltraForm Finishing (UFF) (a sub-aperture compliant wheel and belt type polishing process for rapid material removal from the ground/machined state to a finished work piece), with a new work piece rotary axis configuration. The UFF rapidly removes residual grinding & cutter marks and sub-surface damage, while providing a robust solution for surface corrections on the required X-ray mandrels and cylindrical shells. Our UFF process was initially developed for high speed finishing of hard ceramic plano components and is now producing impressive test results for smoothing of critical aspheric components. OptiPro's technologically advanced optical manufacturing capabilities, along with our strong university and industry partnerships, gives us a very strong team and a clear path towards developing and commercializing the platforms which solve the difficult challenges associated with the fabrication of these large complex mirrors and cylindrical shells. The fabrication of shells with the electroforming process and glass replication process require very accurate mandrels. The proposed Phase I plan will include the design, manufacture and assembly of a precision rotary axis. The rotary axis will be tested on a host OptiPro UFF optical fabrication platform while polishing an Aluminum Mandrel. The part geometry will be measured with OptiPro�s �UltraSurf� a non-contact free-form measurement system. We envision that the work done during Phase I will be extended during Phase II to hyperbolic or elliptical shaped mirror surfaces. This research will position us with the information needed to develop the machine platforms needed for the fabrication and test of large mirrors and mandrels.
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Anticipated Benefits
UltraForm Finishing (UFF) and UltraSmooth Finishing (USF) are CNC processes designed to remove grinding sub surface damage as well as mid spatial frequency errors for both relatively "soft" glasses as well as metals and ceramics for many applications. These applications may include the fabrication of forming mandrels used to produce multiple segmented shell mirrors for the International X-Ray Observatory (IXO) and (NXGO). The aspheric and freeform optical surfaces required by LISA and WFIRST will also benefit from the fabrication advances made with this endeavor. By integrating finite element analysis (FEA) tools with the UFF and USF computer aided manufacturing (CAM) interface, we will be able to optimize the fabrication process and subsequently reduce mid spatial frequency and slope errors. The UFF has the capability to work with a wide range of traditional optical mediums (i.e., combination of belt materials and loose abrasives) in addition to a variety of sizes of wheels. The work piece rotary axis combined with the UFF platform will provide NASA a unique tool for fabricating the current mandrel designs. The wide variety of loose and bound abrasive slurries make the UFF and USF ideal for finishing Aluminum, hard ceramics, Silicon and SiC. The UFF has shown promise for grinding as well as polishing hard ceramic surfaces. GSFC, MSFC and JPL have requirements for the cost effective manufacture of Aluminum work pieces and glass or ceramic mandrels.
Since 1989 OptiPro has developed and refined conceptual technologies into robust deterministic machines and processes for the optical fabrication industry. Non-NASA commercial applications include the fabrication of flats, spheres, aspheres, and complex conformal shapes such as aerodynamic ogive domes. Commercialization of these technologies has developed into very cost effective solutions. The combination of UFF and USF polishing tools can be used to polish a variety of materials, removing grinding marks and subsurface damage. This makes these processes excellent candidates for applications where mid-spatial-frequency and slope surface errors are an issue such as EUV lithography. Another application is for laser amplifiers, such as the Inertial Confinement Fusion National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Laboratory for Laser Energetics, at the University of Rochester. For these types of applications, laser damage threshold and irradiance distribution are critical and therefore mid-spatial frequency errors need to be minimized after the polishing stage. These processes are also being utilized for many new military optical systems requiring conformal shaped optics in the very hard optical ceramics and the softer optical glasses. Producers of stainless steel injection mold inserts for military optical visors have also adapted UFF technologies. More »
Since 1989 OptiPro has developed and refined conceptual technologies into robust deterministic machines and processes for the optical fabrication industry. Non-NASA commercial applications include the fabrication of flats, spheres, aspheres, and complex conformal shapes such as aerodynamic ogive domes. Commercialization of these technologies has developed into very cost effective solutions. The combination of UFF and USF polishing tools can be used to polish a variety of materials, removing grinding marks and subsurface damage. This makes these processes excellent candidates for applications where mid-spatial-frequency and slope surface errors are an issue such as EUV lithography. Another application is for laser amplifiers, such as the Inertial Confinement Fusion National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Laboratory for Laser Energetics, at the University of Rochester. For these types of applications, laser damage threshold and irradiance distribution are critical and therefore mid-spatial frequency errors need to be minimized after the polishing stage. These processes are also being utilized for many new military optical systems requiring conformal shaped optics in the very hard optical ceramics and the softer optical glasses. Producers of stainless steel injection mold inserts for military optical visors have also adapted UFF technologies. More »
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Primary U.S. Work Locations and Key Partners
| Organizations Performing Work | Role | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| OptiPro Systems, LLC | Lead Organization | Industry | Ontario, New York |
Marshall Space Flight Center
(MSFC)
|
Supporting Organization | NASA Center | Huntsville, Alabama |
Primary U.S. Work Locations
-
Alabama
-
New York
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