Preliminary Characterization of Light Guide Tooling Fabricated by Surface Structuring by Laser Remelting

Abstract

Light guiding is an essential functionality of automotive lighting responsible for styling, safety and artistic effects. The proposed light guide is characterized by a wedged design with a sine-shaped light-redirecting surface. In this study, a new microfabrication method called laser structuring-by-remelting was used to fabricate tooling for wedged light guides. Their preliminary characterization includes the assessment of the shape accuracy, surface quality as well as optical performance as assessed through both simulation and experimental techniques.