Machining and Shaping

15 unique components programmed and machined with various non-standard thread sizes and secondary mill setups. Accounted for dimensional changes due to plating.

Left-to-right: a) Internal bores made to +0.0005"/-0. b) AMO threads checked on comparator. c) 0.022" thick spacers. d) Retention ring with spanner slots

Unique features on all 6 sides with accompanying lids. Deep drilled Ø0.25" hole 6" vertically through cavity

Custom fixture holds the lens at a 1 degree wedge with hot wax while an ellipitcal profile is ground into the pre-polished Germanium surface.

Large Ø8" and Ø12" pre-shaped Pyrex blanks needed grooves for coolant and polishing compound to flow through for use as grinding tools.

Large Ø8" Silicon lenses needed locating notches ground into its outer diameter for assembly. Although a practice piece is shown above, later lenses required careful surface preperation on their polished surfaces.

For the final step of post-processing, custom diamond tooling was used to cut a small round notch and bevel around the profile and top surface of this epoxied filter glass assembly.