Reduced-Cost Grinding and Polishing of Large Sapphire Windows

The proposed process improvements leading to cost reductions would be implemented gradually during the course of a Phase I effort, starting with a process that is well in control and adding one variable at a time. The strategy that is proposed to reduce the cost of polishing sapphire plates of 12"x 18"x0.25"addresses the following cost elements: - Direct labor cost - Direct materials cost - Depreciation cost - Capacity - Process time - Process yield - Optical quality The key to decreasing the cost of sapphire finishing is to narrow down the process time, reduce capital equipment expenditures and decrease required floor space. Shorter process time usually results in less direct labor, less capital equipment expenditures (and thereby less depreciation expense), less floor space and higher yields (less handling).