Current Research
Predictive Molding of Precision Glass Optics
Principal Investigator:
Graduate Student(s):
Peiman Mossadegh and Waqas Iqubal
Sponsor(s):
Moore Nanotechnology Inc. and National Science Foundation
Brief abstract:
The widespread use of digital cameras in cell phones has created the need for improved small lenses. Glass offers superior optical properties compared to the polymeric materials currently used for these lenses. To meet cost and volume targets, it is desirable to manufacture glass lenses to final form and finish in a hot press molding process. The goal of this project is to create a computational model of the glass molding process that is capable of predicting the final form of the optic, given a mold shape and a set of processing parameters. This will speed up the current iterative process of mold creation and help to make Precision Glass Molding an economically viable manufacturing technique.
Impact:
Consumers will benefit by the availability of high quality optical elements at a lower cost.
Project Schedule:
July 2007 to July 2009
Preliminary Results:
Clemson’s role in the project is to perform molding experiments and material property characterization to support the modeling effort. A custom-designed glass molding machine has been installed for this purpose.
