Issue |
J. Eur. Opt. Soc.-Rapid Publ.
Volume 15, Number 1, 2019
Highlights of EOSAM 2018
|
|
---|---|---|
Article Number | 24 | |
Number of page(s) | 10 | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/s41476-019-0119-y | |
Published online | 04 November 2019 |
Research
Fully automating fine-optics manufacture - why so tough, and what are we doing?
1
Laboratory for Ultra Precision Surfaces, University of Huddersfield, TechSpace One, SciTech Daresbury National Innovation Campus, WA4 4AB, Daresbury, United Kingdom
2
University of Huddersfield, Queensgate, HD1 3DH, Huddersfield, UK
3
Nottingham University Business School, Jubilee Campus, Wollaton Road, NG8 1BB, Nottingham, UK
4
Research Center for Space Optical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, 150001, Harbin, China
Received:
7
February
2019
Accepted:
30
September
2019
Precision and ultra-precision surfaces are crucial for many products – quality optics, joint & cranial implants, turbine blades, and industrial moulds & dies, to name a few. Automation in this context is distinct from standard procedures in industry, where the identical sequence of operations can be repeated over and over again. Ultraprecision tolerances may be tens to hundreds of times tighter, and this is compounded by the hundreds of diverse substrate materials in use. Even with modern computer numerically controlled (CNC) machines, skilled craftspeople are needed to plan a process-chain for a new material or geometry. Processes working at these tight tolerances, fall short of being fully-deterministic, so repeated process-metrology iterations are required. Surface-correction loops may be automated, but expert assessment should be performed at each step to check for unexpected anomalies. The ultimate goal of importing a part, processing autonomously, and delivering a finished part to an “optical” specification with no human intervention, is still a long way off. This paper describes the challenge and why it is important. It then melds together process-monitoring, psychology, artificial intelligence and robotics, to take a far-sighted view of how the ultimate goal can be realised.
Key words: Optics / Surfaces / Manufacturing / Polishing / Autonomous / Automated / Artificial-intelligence
© The Author(s) 2019
Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.
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