Optical Industry

A large number of precision optical systems and instruments play a key role in many important equipment. With the development of modern science and technology, especially the rapid development of space science, aerospace technology, national defense, microelectronics and optoelectronics and other cutting-edge technologies, various optical systems have higher requirements for optical elements such as shape and surface roughness. Therefore, there is an urgent need for advanced machining technologies with high precision, efficiency and high surface integrity. Previously, silicon carbide was used to process optical components, but its processing efficiency and quality was poor. Nowadays, diamond and diamond tools have been used in the whole process of processing a variety of optical components due to their excellent processing accuracy and efficiency, from cutting to milling, fine grinding, super-fine grinding, polishing and edging. Compared with silicon carbide, the comprehensive production efficiency of diamond is increased several times to tens of times.

Applications

Diamond and their tools can be used to process components made of the following optical materials.

• Single crystal oxide such as sapphire (Al₂O₃), crystal (SiO₂), magnesium oxide (MgO) and rutile (TiO₂).
• Single crystal fluoride such as magnesium fluoride (MgF₂), calcium fluoride (CaF₂), barium fluoride (BaF₂)
• Semiconductor single crystal materials whose chemical elements are in group Ⅱ-Ⅵ, such as germanium (Ge), silicon (Si) and their oxide.
• Microcrystalline optical glass (glass ceramic) materials, colored optical glass, optical plastics (organic polymer), etc.

Diamond and their tools can be used in the following optical component processing processes.

• Cutting process: To process optical components, the first step is to cut the optical material blank. There are many options for cutting tools, but the most ideal is diamond tool. There are many kinds of diamond tools for blank cutting, mainly including metal bond circular diamond saw blade and diamond grinding wheel, resin bond circular diamond saw blade and diamond grinding wheel, electroplated diamond cutting wafer, diamond wire saw and so on.
• Milling process: After cutting, the blank should be processed into the prototype of optical element by milling process according to the design requirements. This is usually done with a diamond wheel. Diamond wheels used in milling optical components include metal bond diamond grinding wheels, resin bond diamond grinding wheels, ceramic bond diamond grinding wheels and electrodeposited diamond grinding wheels.

• Fine grinding process: After the completion of the previous process, it is necessary to remove the damage layer and rough surface left by the milling process by fine grinding under the premise of ensuring that the optical element has a certain size and processing allowance. Metal bond diamond finishing sheet and finishing column, made by mixing diamond powder with metal powder and filler through cold press sintering or hot press sintering method, are mainly used in this process.
• Super-fine grinding process: Next, a super-fine grinding process is required to remove the damaged layer (rough surface) left by the fine grinding process, and further improve the shape surface size, finish and aperture value of the optical element. Resin bond diamond superfine grinding sheet and superfine grinding column, made by mixing diamond powder, resin powder and filling material through cold pressing curing or hot pressing curing, are mainly used in the process.
• Polishing process: After the super-fine grinding process, polishing is required to ensure the shape size, surface finish and aperture value of the optical element. Diamond polishing powder, diamond paste, and diamond slurry & suspensions are frequently used in this process.

Meet Alfa Chemistry

At Alfa Chemistry, we are committed to providing the highest quality superhard materials and services to meet the needs of optical industry. We have successfully developed various diamond products including single crystalline diamond, polycrystalline diamond, diamond micron powder, resin bond diamond, CVD diamond, diamond slurry & suspensions, diamond paste and many others. These products and the tools made by them have great application potential in the optical industry and are suitable for the processing of a variety of optical materials and components. With our advanced products and unparalleled expertise, we are confident that we can provide superior diamond products solution for the optical industry and help our customers gain a competitive advantage in the market with higher product performance and lower production costs to achieve their goals.