Meaningful surface roughness and quality tolerances

David M. Aikens

doi:10.1117/12.869874

9 September 2010 Meaningful surface roughness and quality tolerances

David M. Aikens

Proceedings Volume 7652, International Optical Design Conference 2010; 765217 (2010) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.869874
Event: International Optical Design Conference 2010, 2010, Jackson Hole, WY, United States

Abstract

Most tolerances on optical elements can be derived or calculated from the application requirements using computeraided optical design programs. For surface quality and surface roughness, however, there are few guidelines or tools for calculating appropriate tolerances. Typically, we simply use a legacy specification (e.g. 60-40 and 3 A RMS) with little thought for either the cost of achieving the specification or the penalty for failing to achieve it. Often these legacy specifications are ambiguous, unnecessarily costly and in some cases completely meaningless. This paper provides some basic rules and equations for calculation of the real or perceived impact of these specifications, and some guidelines for the initiate (and for some of us veterans as well) as to how to compose a meaningful tolerance.

Citation Download Citation

David M. Aikens "Meaningful surface roughness and quality tolerances", Proc. SPIE 7652, International Optical Design Conference 2010, 765217 (9 September 2010); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.869874

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