What limitation does the MRF® process have for polishing aspheres?
MRF does not have any inherent limitations for polishing of aspheres. The process may be used to polish (figure correct and smooth) aspheres with mild-departure (<20 microns) or with large-departure (hundreds of microns). Additionally, MRF is very adept at "aspherizing," i.e., polishing in the aspheric shape from a best-fit-sphere, particularly for mild aspheres. The primary concerns are the availability of metrology and preparation prior to MRF, each of which can be more difficult as aspheric departure increases.
