ADDITIVE MANUFACTURE OF OPTICAL COMPONENTS
A method of forming an optical component includes depositing slurry that includes glass powder material onto a facesheet and fusing the glass powder material to a facesheet to form a first core material layer on the facesheet. The method also includes successively fusing glass powder material in a plurality of additional core material layers to build a core material structure on the facesheet. The method can include selectively depositing slurry including glass powder material over only a portion of at least one of the facesheet, the first core material layer, and/or the one of the additional core material layers. Depositing the slurry can include extruding the slurry from an extruder.
1 . A method of forming an optical component comprising:
depositing slurry including glass powder material onto a facesheet;
fusing the glass powder material to the facesheet to form a first core material layer on the facesheet; and
successively depositing and fusing glass powder material in at least one additional core material layer to build a core material structure on the facesheet.
2 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein at least one of depositing slurry including glass powder material and successively fusing glass powder material includes:
selectively depositing slurry including glass powder material over only a portion of at least one of the facesheet, the first core material layer, and/or the one of the additional core material layers.
3 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein depositing the slurry includes extruding the slurry from an extruder.
4 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein fusing glass powder material includes fusing low expansion glass powder into low expansion glass with a laser.
5 . The method as recited in claim 4 , wherein fusing glass powder material includes fusing low expansion titania-silica glass powder into low expansion titania-silica glass.
6 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein fusing glass powder material to a facesheet includes fusing glass powder material to a facesheet that is contoured for optical properties.
7 . The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising positioning the facesheet on a mandrel prior to fusing glass powder material to the facesheet.
8 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein fusing glass powder material to the facesheet includes fusing the glass powder material to a polishable surface of the facesheet.
9 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein successively fusing glass powder material includes forming a mirror substrate.
10 . The method as recited in claim 9 , wherein forming a mirror substrate includes forming an optimal three-dimensional mirror topology that minimizes the mass of mirror substrate while providing a level of stiffness and stability above a predetermined minimum requirement.
11 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein successively fusing glass powder material includes varying material properties in successive layers.
12 . An optical component comprising:
a glass facesheet;
a first layer of low expansion glass fused to the glass facesheet; and
at least one successively fused layer forming a core material structure on an assembly that includes the facesheet and the first layer.
13 . The optical component as recited in claim 12 , wherein the first layer and the at least one successively fused layer include fused low expansion glass powder material.
14 . The optical component as recited in claim 13 , wherein the fused low expansion glass powder material includes fused low expansion titania-silica glass powder.
15 . The optical component as recited in claim 12 , wherein the facesheet is contoured for optical properties in at least one of two-dimensions or three-dimensions.
16 . The optical component as recited in claim 1 , wherein the facesheet includes a polishable surface, wherein the first layer is fused to the polishable surface of the facesheet.
17 . The optical component as recited in claim 1 , wherein the facesheet, first layer, and successively fused layers form a mirror substrate.
18 . The optical component as recited in claim 17 , wherein the mirror substrate includes an optimal three-dimensional mirror topology that minimizes the mass of mirror substrate while providing a level of stiffness and stability above a predetermined minimum requirement.
19 . The optical component as recited in claim 12 , wherein the plurality of successively fused layers includes glass material with material properties that vary in successive layers.
20 . The optical component as recited in claim 12 , wherein the plurality of successively fused layers includes glass material with material properties that vary based on position within the core material structure.