Large Grinding: Ceramic & Large Optics Grinding

Rayotek excels at large optics grinding, large ceramic grinding and large surface grinding of glass, fused silica, fused quartz and large ceramics. Our massive 5-Axis Grinder and large molding furnaces enable us to precision grind large ceramic and glass type materials to complex shapes.

Our capabilities include:

5-Axis Precision Grinder - work envelope: 4150mm (163”) x 5000mm (196”) x 1400mm (55”)
Thermal Processing - for molding, annealing & brazing of massive workpieces
Large Format CMM - measurement envelope: 4500mm (177”) x 1752mm (69”) x 711mm (28”)
Fusing & Sealing Capabilities - for creating large blanks when raw material size is not available
Engineering & Scientific Staff - specializing in precision shaping of glass & ceramic
DelCAM Software - for complex, precision tool path strategies for large workpiece shaping

5-Axis Grinding:

Our 5-Axis Grinder has been optimized to achieve very tight tolerances and repeatability across its entire 20 meter² working footprint. Rayotek can precision grind large ceramic, glass, fused silica and glass ceramics to any shape with the 5-Axis Grinding System including OD grinding ceramic and glass up to 4 meters in diameter. Rayotek can also perform large optics grinding and large surface grinding on this system.

Machine enhancements include:

Fanuc control & drives
Renishaw touch probe for in-process adjustment of tool path
Onsite laser mapping for higher accuracy
Temperature controlled work environment

Thermal Processing:

In addition, Rayotek has the capability to anneal large workpieces. Annealing is often required before and/or after grinding to insure higher accuracy and stability of the final product; especially after large surface grinding and large optics grinding.

Fusing & Bonding:

Rayotek can fuse similar and dissimilar materials to form solid, stable large blanks that can be molded and/or ground to precision shapes. Rayotek bonding technologies are often stronger and more stable than the materials being bonded.

Rayotek bonding methods:

Thermal fusing
Welding
Controlled atmosphere brazing & soldering
Permanent high strength adhesive bonding

CMM for Large Formats:

Rayotek has a massive CMM to support its large workpiece grinding and molding capabilities. Our large CMM can measure workpieces up to 4.5meters x 1.7meters x 0.7meters in a temperature controlled environment. All of our large grinding and large molding can be inspected and certified on our massive CMM including our large optics grinding and our large surface grinding.

Rayotek Staff Expertise:

Molding, shaping and grinding of large size workpieces is a unique skillset achieved only through years of experience and an ongoing commitment to continuous R&D and improvement. With a team of engineers and scientists committed to excellence, Rayotek has the capabilities to work with customers for optimized design and processing strategies.

Applications for large workpiece shaping:

   • Massive Optics & Large Reflectors - for telescopes & aerospace
   • Molds - for metal & superplastic forming
   • Composite Molds - ceramic & glass
   • Precision Domes - for deep sea vehicles & aerospace
   • Supports & Holders - thermally stable, fused quartz & ceramic
   • Mounts - for large turrets
   • Models – scale size for prototyping & testing
   • Large Scale Prototypes - for testing Lithography Stages &
     Bases - made of low CTE materials, such as: glass ceramic,
     fused silica & borosilicate

DelCAM Software Support:

DelCAM is the premier CADCAM software for machining and grinding complex curved shapes. DelCAM is specifically designed for shaping curved surfaces where tool path patterning and mesh faceting is undesirable. Using DelCam software we can generate G-code to achieve near perfect surfaces.

5-Axis Grinding System Work Envelope/Accuracy

Maximum Grinding X-axis 163in 4150mm

Maximum Grinding Y-axis 197in 5000mm

Maximum Grinding Z-axis 55in 1400mm>

Maximum Outside Diameter 159in 4030mm

Approximate Accuracy Across entire footprint* ±0.003in ±0.075mm>

* Actual machine accuracy is determined by part design,
size and material type. Greater precision can be achieved
for smaller parts.