Flexibility analysis on precision glass molding by finite element method (FEM) simulation

In recent years, there has been a rising demand for complexly shaped precision glass optics, in sectors like automotive, lighting and laser technology as well as renewable energies. This increase represents significant challenges to the industry due to the growing complexity of geometries and escalating production costs. Precision glass molding (PGM) has emerged as a promising solution for producing precise, and cost-effective glass optics. In this replicative manufacturing method, a glass preform is heated and deformed between a pair of mold inserts to obtain the desired lens geometry. However, the molding pair is limited to manufacturing a specific lens design under a de-fined set of molding parameters. In this study, the influence of process parameters variations, including molding force and temperature, on the lens shape was analyzed by finite element method (FEM) simulation, aiming to determine the flexibility of the PGM process and optimizing its efficiency.