Study on the tool setting for microlens array machining via swing cutting

Abstract

Ultra-precision cutting is widely applied in the fabrication of micro-spherical lens arrays (MSLAs). However, due to the geometric limitations of the cutting tool and the degrees of freedom of the machine tool, the traditional cutting strategy cannot be employed to fabricate high-quality microscale lenses with high efficiency. In this paper, the novel tool swing cutting (TSC) method is presented to efficiently fabricate MSLAs, and its tool setting technique is introduced. First, the principle of TSC is analyzed, and the relationships between the tool parameters and machining structure are determined. In the proposed method, the tool is precisely located in the rotating center of the B-axis via charge-coupled device (CCD) camera tool setting and trial cutting. Finally, an MSLA is experimentally machined based on the proposed TSC method, and the results reveal the achievement of good machining quality with a form error of <354 nm and a surface roughness of <3.74 nm.