Optical fabrication of lightweighted 3D printed mirrors

Harrison Herzog; Jacob Segal; Jeremy Smith; Richard Bates; Jacob Calis; Alyssa De La Torre; Dae Wook Kim; Joni Mici; Jorge Mireles; David M. Stubbs; Ryan Wicker

doi:10.1117/12.2188197

2 September 2015 Optical fabrication of lightweighted 3D printed mirrors

Harrison Herzog, Jacob Segal, Jeremy Smith, Richard Bates, Jacob Calis, Alyssa De La Torre, Dae Wook Kim, Joni Mici, Jorge Mireles, David M. Stubbs, Ryan Wicker

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 9573, Optomechanical Engineering 2015; 957308 (2015) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2188197
Event: SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications, 2015, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) and Electron Beam Melting (EBM) 3D printing technologies were utilized to create lightweight, optical grade mirrors out of AlSi10Mg aluminum and Ti6Al4V titanium alloys at the University of Arizona in Tucson. The mirror prototypes were polished to meet the λ/20 RMS and λ/4 P-V surface figure requirements. The intent of this project was to design topologically optimized mirrors that had a high specific stiffness and low surface displacement. Two models were designed using Altair Inspire software, and the mirrors had to endure the polishing process with the necessary stiffness to eliminate print-through. Mitigating porosity of the 3D printed mirror blanks was a challenge in the face of reconciling new printing technologies with traditional optical polishing methods. The prototypes underwent Hot Isostatic Press (HIP) and heat treatment to improve density, eliminate porosity, and relieve internal stresses. Metal 3D printing allows for nearly unlimited topological constraints on design and virtually eliminates the need for a machine shop when creating an optical quality mirror. This research can lead to an increase in mirror mounting support complexity in the manufacturing of lightweight mirrors and improve overall process efficiency. The project aspired to have many future applications of light weighted 3D printed mirrors, such as spaceflight. This paper covers the design/fab/polish/test of 3D printed mirrors, thermal/structural finite element analysis, and results.

Citation Download Citation

Harrison Herzog, Jacob Segal, Jeremy Smith, Richard Bates, Jacob Calis, Alyssa De La Torre, Dae Wook Kim, Joni Mici, Jorge Mireles, David M. Stubbs, and Ryan Wicker "Optical fabrication of lightweighted 3D printed mirrors", Proc. SPIE 9573, Optomechanical Engineering 2015, 957308 (2 September 2015); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2188197

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