Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

A system for molding optical attenuators that have a lens portion and a supporting portion includes a molding machine containing a mold, an extractor robot and optical inspection portion, and a controller that assesses the inspection information and send control signals to the molding machine and mold. The mold includes a cavity and a core which define a space in which the supporting portion and the attenuator are formed. The mold also includes a core pin, movably located in the core element. The core pin has a proximal end defining a surface of the lens portion and a distal end remote from the molding space. A core pin motor is coupled to the core pin, through a number of intermediate elements, so that the core pin can be moved relative to the core element to adjust a thickness of the lens portion. The movement of the core pin motor is controlled by the controller that is supplied with a stepped index or table of optimum thickness values corresponding to selected values of attenuation desired for the lens portion. The controller preferably includes a comparitor that compares the result of the optical measuring with a selected one of the stepped index values and associated ranges. The controller then generates a signal to the core pin motor based upon the amount to which the result of the optical measurement differs from the desired range for the selected stepped index value.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim