Conclusion and outlook
Achieving precise optical surfaces: manufacturing processes

We have reviewed all the new technologies being implemented industrially in companies. They all have several points in common:

• very significant improvement in repeatability compared with traditional processes ;

• This makes it possible to produce many shapes that were previously impossible, such as aspherical shapes with high distortion, and free-form shapes;

• improved flatness performance ;

• certain limits remain when it comes to obtaining shapes, and still call for the use of traditional processes.

To achieve good performance, they required highly specialized, even expert, labor. For many years, polishers were considered masters of the art. The arrival of new technologies has brought optics into the industrial...