Precision Polishing Techniques for Metal Molding Dies and Glass Forming Technology “Slumping Method”

Precision manufacturing techniques are required for the fabrication of small and large optical components in various fields. To prepare molding dies with highly precise geometric shapes and surface roughness that are used in certain molding processes, polishing techniques have been investigated for many materials. In this research, the polishing techniques used for a SUS310S stainless steel molding die for the glass forming technology “slumping method” were investigated. The surface roughness of the polished SUS310S molding die surface was below Rz = 120 nm (P–V), Ra = 20 nm after 35 h of polishing with 0.5% alumina polishing liquid under a pressure of 1.7 kPa. In addition, the centerless polishing machine was designed and manufactured to polish cylindrical molding die surfaces with same polishing conditions. As the result of using cylindrical molding dies that made by this centerless polishing machine, the surface roughness of the glass plate formed using the slumping method with the polished molding die was below Ra = 20 nm. These results indicate that the surface roughness of the molding die had a small effect on the glass plate surface formed using the slumping method