Quartz glass forming

In laser technology, demand is growing for complex yet cost-effective components made of glass. Today's lasers generate radiation intensities that exceed the power range of conventional glass lenses and arrays.

Quartz glass is characterized by excellent light transmission from the infrared to the ultraviolet range (wavelength range from 185 nanometer to 3.5 micrometer) with extremely low internal absorption. Quartz glass remains dimensionally stable even under strong temperature changes due to its very low thermal expansion. To produce glass lenses, precision molding involves forming heated glass into a lens between two forming tools in a single step and without reworking.

The Fraunhofer IPT is investigating precision molding of quartz glass in order to develop cost-effective alternatives to very costly and time-consuming machining production methods. Due to the high heat resistance of quartz glass, temperatures of over 1000 °C are required for precision molding, which the conventional tool material made of hard metal compounds usually cannot withstand. The Fraunhofer IPT has the necessary know-how to select and evaluate innovative high-performance materials and to develop integrated forming processes. We are constantly developing precision molding of quartz glass so that the technology will soon be economically and industrially available.

Range of services

• Simulation of forming processes
• Detailed analysis of system components
• Design of molding tools
• Replication of complex optical components
• Analysis of wear mechanisms