What should I pay attention to when processing optical glass lenses?

The processing of optical glass lenses is a complicated process, which needs to pay attention to the following aspects:

I. Inspection of raw materials

Purity inspection: the purity of optical glass is very important to the performance of lens. Before processing, ensure that the purity of glass materials meets the requirements and check whether there are impurities. For example, even tiny metal impurities may affect the refractive index uniformity of lenses.

Optical uniformity detection: use professional interferometer and other equipment to detect the optical uniformity of glass. Because if the optical uniformity is poor, the different parts of the processed lens have different refractive and convergent abilities to light, which will lead to the decline of imaging quality.

Second, the cutting process

Cutting tool selection: according to the hardness and thickness of optical glass, choose the appropriate cutting tool. For example, for thick optical glass, it may be necessary to use a diamond cutter to ensure the flatness and accuracy of the cutting surface.

Cutting speed control: cutting speed should not be too fast, otherwise cracks and edge collapse will easily occur. At the same time, too slow speed will affect production efficiency. Generally, it is necessary to determine the appropriate cutting speed according to the material of glass and the performance of cutter.

Third, the grinding stage

Matching of grinding materials: Choose suitable grinding materials, such as the particle size of grinding powder, which should be determined according to the grinding stage and precision requirements. In the coarse grinding stage, grinding powder with larger particle size can be used to quickly remove excess materials; In the fine grinding stage, it is necessary to use grinding powder with smaller particle size to obtain a high-precision surface.

Grinding pressure control: During grinding, the grinding pressure should be strictly controlled. Excessive pressure may cause scratches on the lens surface or deform the lens, while too small pressure will affect the grinding efficiency.

Fourth, the polishing process

Polishing agent selection: Different optical glass materials are suitable for different polishing agents. For example, for Guanpai glass and flint glass, their chemical compositions are different, so it is necessary to choose a suitable polishing agent to obtain a high-quality polished surface.

Adjustment of polishing process parameters: including polishing speed, time and other parameters. If the rotating speed is too fast, the edge of the lens may be broken, but if the time is not enough, the ideal surface finish cannot be achieved. At the same time, in the polishing process, we should pay attention to the flatness and cleanliness of the polishing pad to avoid impurities scratching the lens surface.

V. Cleaning and coating

Thoroughness of cleaning: After lens processing is completed, cleaning is a very important link. Appropriate cleaning agents, such as organic solvents and deionized water, should be used to thoroughly remove the abrasive, polishing agent and other impurity residues on the lens surface. The residual impurities may affect the subsequent coating effect and the optical properties of the lens.

Coating quality control: If the lens needs coating, pay attention to the uniformity and thickness control of coating. Uneven coating will lead to inconsistent optical characteristics such as reflectivity and transmittance of lenses, which will affect the imaging effect. The quality of coating can be ensured by controlling the process parameters of coating, such as evaporation rate and deposition time.

Six, quality inspection and packaging

Optical performance testing: use optical testing equipment, such as spectrophotometer to test the transmittance and reflectivity of the lens, and use image quality instrument to test the imaging quality. Only lenses that meet the optical performance standards can enter the next link.

Visual inspection: check whether there are scratches, pits, bubbles and other defects on the lens surface. For high-precision optical lenses, even tiny flaws may affect their use effect.

Packaging protection: Use appropriate packaging materials, such as anti-static and shock-proof packaging, to prevent the lens from being damaged during transportation and storage.