Long-Wave Infrared (IR) Window/Dome Life-Cycle Cost (LCC) Reduction

Proposed herein is a method for processing Germanium material for MWIR/LWIR domes that results in a considerable time and cost savings such that a ten-inch hemispherical dome can be produced for less than $50,000 and delivered with an eleven-week lead-time.The processing entails the use of “scoop-grinding” wherein a hemispherical cutting tool scoops out the material surrounding a spherical surface instead of bulk-grinding away all the material surrounding the surface. This process results in three savings: 1) the cutting time is dramatically reduced because only a fraction of the material is removed compared to bulk grinding, 2) the waste scraps can be recovered and recycled at a rate of 50 cents on the dollar of the cost of the original Germanium material, and 3) the domes can “overlap” wherein, for example, three ten- inch domes can be produced from a blank that is ten inches long (instead of just two with bulk grinding).In the proposed Phase I effort we will endeavor to implement the scoop-grinding process by demonstrating that a four-inch Germanium dome can be scoop-ground and subsequently polished and inspected with in-house CNC fabrication and metrology equipment.