Combined 5-axis CNC glass machining
Conventional technologies for CNC ceramic and glass processing are no longer able to cope with the growing demands on optical and geometric component properties. Grinding, lapping and polishing processes are realized on separate machines. Each of these technologies is very complex and demanding in its own right. The manual change of components between the machines and limitations in the machine kinematics thus lead to considerable losses in accuracy. In addition, the design and functionality of the components is often restricted.
ShapeFab developed a more efficient solution to improve the production of high-precision glass and ceramic components. The previously separate production steps (grinding, lapping and polishing) are now combined on a single machine. By means of high-precision 5-axis CNC machining and corresponding integration of the CAD-CAM chain, the processes of grinding, finishing and polishing can be fully combined. This new way of CNC machining of glass and ceramics offers many advantages.
Figure: 5-axis machining of channel connections, edge chipping < 20 μm: Combined machining in one setup ensures higher precision
This process generates completely new design possibilities in product development, as optically effective surfaces can be applied to any 3-dimensional structures with high precision. Since the manufacturing process can be fully automated, a high level of process reliability can be guaranteed. In addition, higher manufacturing accuracies and lower manufacturing costs are achieved by eliminating the need for manual component changes.
Publication on "High-precision CNC glass processing with innovative coordinate grinding technology".
If you would like to learn more about the most important research and application results related to our CNC glass processing, we invite you to request our paper. We will send it to you at the given e-mail address.
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