A Framework of Cooperative Design for Aspheric Glass-Lens Mold

The lens molding technology has become a promising fabrication method for glass lens, especially for aspheric glass lens in batch. Because during the real compression molding, the error compensation for mold shape turns very difficult, the mold needs to be repaired repeatedly to meet the requirements of lens molding. To solve this problem, a cooperative design scheme is proposed. However, the scheme is not limited to solving the mold repairing; it also aims to providing the integrated and optimal design for aspheric glass-lens mold. In fact, the cooperative scheme is a collaborative software platform, which integrates with data processing, optical design, finite element analysis, error compensation and mechanical design for lens molding. On this platform, users only need to submit the (camera) lens parameters or measured data of aspheric lens, and then the platform can provide the final mold drawings, which will be input in the CNC software of ultra-precision machine and guide the mold fabrication. Meanwhile, the cooperative platform is Network-based PDM system, so designers could remotely communicate with it and help to finish the mold design jointly. In this case, the cooperative design could tremendously improve the efficiency and accuracy of lens molding.