Edmund Optics, a world-renowned leader in the supply of high precision optical components and systems, is proud to announce the recent acquisition of Q22-Y MRF technology.

Magnetorheological finishing is a deterministic process using a precise interferometrically documented sub aperture tool to correct waveform errors by selectively removing material under a controlled and predicted process. MRF computer controlled deterministic processing can remove many of the artisan steps necessary to finish a fine optical surface. Optical form profile is directly fed into MRF machine based software from Edmund's newly acquired Zygo Verifire AT™ Interferometer or Taylor Hobson's Talysurf PGI 1240 aspheric measurement system. Consistent and reliable data transfer from the world's state of the art metrology systems into MRF based polishing routines creates truly spectacular results on flat, spherical or aspherical surfaces. Gone is the guesswork, the long iterative processing steps and the expensive empirical labor associated with precision optical surfaces.

The Q22–Y MRF is capable of producing high precision flats, spheres and aspheres exceeding 1/20 wave accuracy. In addition to polishing rotationally symmetric parts, the Q22–Y can utilize a raster tool path routine to polish rectangular and polygon surfaces allowing for surface figure correction as well as angular correction. Understanding optical surface performance and utilizing proprietary optical correction software, MRF based polishing can also be used to induce surface error to correct for total transmitted wavefront errors.

Capabilities and Applications

• High-Precision Spherical and Flat Optics
  • to 1/20 wave p-v

• Circular, Rectangular, and Irregularly Shaped Apertures
  • Prism angles corrected to sub-arc-second accuracy

• Mild Aspheres (<20µm departure)
  • Aspheric profile induced from best fit sphere

• Strong Aspheres (>20µm departure)
  • MRF Corrected after asphere generation and prepolishing

• Correction of Transmitted Wavefront Errors
  • System correction on a single surface
  • Thin windows
  • Laser rods

• Optical Glasses, Crystalline Materials, and Ceramics
  • High-aspect-ratio Optics and Substrates

Workpiece Specifications

• Workpiece Diameter Range: 10mm to 200mm
• Maximum Workpiece Mass: ~7kg
• Radius range:
  Concave Radius of Curvature: >35mm
  Convex Radius of Curvature: Call*

*Radii available for polishing with the Q22-Y is metrology limited, please call us to see if metrology is available for your surface.

Example

Symmetric and asymmetric errors were removed from this 50mm diameter convex surface (250mm radius of curvature).

Before: P-V (waves): 0.135
rms: 0.027

After: P-V (waves): 0.041
rms: 0.005