Thorlabs Plano Optics Manufacturing

http://www.thorlabs.com/newgrouppage9... Thorlabs Newton headquarters has facilities for both small and large production runs of optics with plano surfaces. This video follows a piece of filter glass through the production process. All plano optics are produced using variations of the same key steps: cutting the substrate into the desired shape, grinding the surface to ensure the two planes are parallel or lie at the desired angle, beveling the edges of the optic to prevent chipping during processing, and polishing the surfaces to achieve the specified surface quality. Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 0:28 Coring/Dicing 2:04 Grinding 3:06 Beveling 3:35 Polishing 4:29 Large-Volume Fabrication 5:20 Quality Control