Technical Developments for the Next Decade of Optical Fabrication

Before 1940, glass optics were generated by loose abrasive grinding. During World War II this started to be replaced by fixed abrasive grinding. Afterwards, in Europe, a typical supplier-driven market situation emerged. The booming post-war market for binoculars, camera lenses and eyeglasses provided the driving force behind the progress made in optical manufacturing. Therefore, from the mid-1950s onward, production sequences such as surface generation by fixed abrasive grinding, followed by labor intensive loose abrasive grinding and pitch polishing, had to be reorganized. These slow production cycles were replaced by multi-step, fixed abrasive grinding utilizing diamonds as abrasives, and by fast polishing methods.