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Grinding of additively manufactured silicon carbide surfaces for optical applications...

by Nicholas W Horvath, Andrew S Honeycutt, Matthew Davies
Publication Type
Journal
Journal Name
CIRP Annals - Manufacturing Technology
Publication Date
Page Numbers
509 to 512
Volume
69
Issue
1

Many of the properties of Silicon carbide (SiC) are advantageous for optical applications, such as telescope mirrors and industrial laser systems. However, the base shapes of complex components are costly and difficult to manufacture. Leveraging additive manufacturing, near net complex components are readily processed. Here, we investigate the post processing of additively manufactured SiC (AM SiC) compared to chemical vapor deposited (CVD) SiC. The specific grinding energy for the AM SiC was lower than CVD, however the trends were the same. A specular finish was observed on both materials but the AM SiC finish was limited due to residual porosity.