Method and system for the centrifugal fabrication of low cost, polymeric, parabolic lenses.

Abstract

A method for low-cost, rapid production of aspheric polymeric lenses using fluid rotation is presented. The system utilizes a cylindrical chamber to hold and cure a polymer while spinning. This system is capable of producing lenses with parabolic planar-concave, planar-convex, and meniscus geometries with tunable radii of curvature and focal lengths. Examples are demonstrated for lenses of 25 mm diameter. System models, performance, and components are described in detail, and lens variability is assessed for surface profile, surface roughness, radius of curvature, and single-lens resolution limit. Results show excellent RMS surface roughness for a low-cost lens production technique.