Design of ultra-precision grinding process for conformal optical window with high steepness

Conformal window is a protective and imaging element in the optical system of high speed flying missile. Its surfaces are required to have the ultra-precision level of surface finish and profile accuracy to ensure good imaging quality and excellent aerodynamic. The large size and high steepness of conformal window bring great challenges to the high- precision manufacturing of inside and outside surfaces. In this paper, an ultra-precision grinding process was designed for conformal window with high steepness. The problems existing in the process of machining the inner and outer surfaces of the window were analyzed, and the most suitable grinding methods for the inner and outer surfaces were determined respectively. Furthermore, the ultra-precision grinding process of conformal window were designed and verified in detail. The research of this paper can be used as a guideline for ultra-precision manufacturing of large-size optical components with high steepness.