Have you ever wondered what happens between the time you send an optical design off to be manufactured and the time you receive the finished parts? Custom precision optics aren't available on Amazon Prime, and the journey between design and production is quite lengthy. This process involves many steps to ensure that your optical designs meet the exact specifications you need.
At CNGeir, we aim to provide a high-level overview of the entire manufacturing process, from design to final delivery. Our goal is to help you understand the intricate steps involved in turning your engineer's vision into reality.
The journey starts at the end of the design phase. After extensive simulations and defining your performance specifications, you consolidate everything into a detailed print. You then send thisprint to CNGeir, where our team of engineers will work with you to refine the design and ensure manufacturability. Our engineers will provide critical feedback and help bring your vision to life. Once both parties agree on the specifications and tolerances, we will generate a quote. With a little luck, the order will be placed, and you'll be well on your way to receiving your custom optics.
Our first step is to conceptualize how the optical parts will be manufactured. We take a high-level view of the processes needed to transform a near-net shape blank into the final part. This involves understanding the most efficient methods for achieving the desired specifications.
Depending on your needs, we can use either cut blanks or molded blanks. Cut blanks are typically faster and more suitable for smaller volumes, while molded blanks are more cost-effective for higher volumes. Here are some general guidelines:
Cut Blanks: These blanks tend to have shorter lead times and are ideal for lower volumes.
Molded Blanks: These blanks are more affordable, especially as volumes increase. Molded blanks can take up to 3 months to arrive at CNGeir.
Regardless of the type of blank used, we must ensure there is enough material for grinding and polishing without creating excessive waste. We typically start with over-oversized blanks to account for any machining steps. For example, we might have a 2 mm oversize in diameter and 1.5 mm oversize in overall height to allow for the subtractive manufacturing process. This process can take anywhere from 1 week for expedited cut blanks to 3 months for high-volume molded blanks.
Once the blanks arrive, our team will determine the most appropriate process to complete the part. For larger volumes, we use conventional manufacturing methods with classical machines and customized tooling. For prototype quantities, we utilize state-of-the-art CNC grinding and polishing machines for their precision and setup times.
The initial step involves grinding the initial radius into the blank and removing stock. This is a mechanical process that involves using a series of diamond grits, similar to using varying sandpaper grits to remove and then refine the surface. Once we have achieved a suitable center thickness, we move onto polishing.
Polishing is a crucial step that combines chemical and mechanical processes. We use polishing slurries and various material pads to remove all grinding damage and fine-tune the surface quality. This step can be challenging depending on the tolerances required. Our shop floor is equipped with over 40 interferometers, allowing us to measure our parts as we make them. The adage "if you can’t measure it, you can’t make it" holds true here.
With each surface ground and polished, we need to align the optical axis with the mechanical axis. This alignment is typically performed in a centering machine. We use centering bells to find the optical axis and then clamp the mechanical axis. As the grinding wheels come in, the mechanical edge is aligned with the optical axis, making them parallel and correcting any wedge introduced during grinding and polishing.
Once the substrate is ready, we apply custom coatings to meet the specifications of your application. Whether the part is used for transmission, reflection, or a combination of both, the coating we apply is selected based on these needs. CNGeir offers a wide variety of custom coatings tailored to different applications in transmission and reflection. For more information, check out our coating page. If you're interested in laser damage thresholds, explore our blog on the topic.
After the optics are complete, they undergo final inspection. Our inspectors verify 100% of the lenses to ensure they meet the required surface quality, center thickness, diameter, optical power, irregularity, focal length, optical deviation, and more. A first-article inspection confirms that every specification on your print is met. Read our "On-Boarding Made Easy" blog for more details on inspection and packaging.
At CNGeir, our mission is to provide quality optics made to your specifications on time and at a fair price, while delivering top-notch customer service. If you need a quote for your current project, feel free to send our engineers a Request for Quotation directly!
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No.9 Zhongxing East Road, Lishui Economic Development Zone, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China 
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