If I was to design a TIR, is there a place I could send the design to get one fabricated?
Also is there a standardize program for designing TIRs or calculating the correct numbers?
I know a guy who makes plastic. You would have to make a LOT of them to justify setting up a machine.
Figured as much.
That’s why I’m hoping there’s some innovative resource commune the way that OSHPark does it for PCBs.
Is there a simpler method to prototype them that I don’t know about?
i suggest 3 d printing might help.
i know zero about it…
but i am going to ask my friend to be sure.
because things change in techland
I guess that there is no way that you can have a TIR custom made. Optical plastics are not easily made, and a 3D printer has a resolution that is nowhere near what is needed.
Yeah, I got a friend of mine who has 3 of the filament style 3D printers, so I asked him. He agrees they’re probably too low res for making TIRs.
Added to my TODO list: Find a cheap way to ad hoc TIRs.
Would a mold and two part clear encapulant resin be good enough?
That’s been my current research approach.
Disney was apparently doing some research on” 3D printing optics with resins”:3D-Printed Optics Using Clear Resin - Make:, but their info seems missing, so don’t know if it ever finished.
DOW makes a mouldable optical silicone but it seems to be intended for industrial level production and I haven’t been able to source it.
I came across Crystal Clear, but they say they’re not suitable to non industrial uses as dangerous.
Addison Clear Wave seems the most promising so far. Can be set with a UV flashlight, but has to be used within 3 months of buying and not sure pricing.
That “crystal clear” seems very interesting though.
But it’s not available in small quantities as far as I can tell…
That may end up being the second hardest part of this experiment.
The first is that I’m coming to understand that using a mold seems to be the standard way to do this, so I’ll need to make a mold. Additionally, the mold shape might have to be based on the resin used, so it might not be possible to precast my mold before picking a resin.
I’m thinking I’ll just get some cheap optical resin and give it a whirl anyways.
Wish you luck, but it looks very tough to me. still if u find a way to make custom TIR or similar optical equipment please do share, I have some strange and bizarre ideas and drawings i want to test :bigsmile:
What is that clear stuff, Norland 61 or some such thing. I was daydreaming of a silicone mold of the shape of optic desired buffed and functional maybe. Norland is pretty expensive if my failing memory serves.
Yeah, Norland might be the way to go. They got a variety of optical goos. Norland 63 is for thicker chunks and might work better. Pricey at $17 an ounce. I have a feeling this is one for long research before buying. We’ll see. I do like crystally bits.
Is it feasible to turn acrylic rod on a lathe into a TIR?
I’ve been thinking about that too. I would have tried it already if I had a lathe 
I think part of it might be that the finish on the outside will be very important to a functionality of the TIR. Polished all over, especially the bottom, and they often have a little aspheric style bump on the top to smooth the beam out.
Could probably heat it and draw it like a glass rod. Set up a little jig to pull the same distance at the same location on the rod relative to heat and it should form the taper for you, not unlike how fiber optic strands are formed, just on a larger scale. Then you only have to polish where where you cut (maybe).
I think it has to be done on a lathe, for small numbers. 3D printing might get you started, but it has to be precise, smooth and polished. Probably better to start with solid stock and cut it and polish it. Maybe hundreds of man hours if you do it yourself or tens if you find an expert to do it. Once it goes into production, it may only take molding of thermal plastics. It might be possible on a manual lathe if you are clever and patient, but NC would be the obvious way. The design software doesn’t sound hard to write. Just geometric optics and function minimization.
Tir optics have a recess for the led and while it’s possible to polish the sides of this cylinder somewhat it’s difficult to get a good surface at the inside end if you machine it. It might be easier to take an existing optic and resize it.
This sounds more logical. In essence, don’t re-invent the wheel but adjust a wheel to your needs. The most simple solution is usually best.
I’ve only seen a handfull of custom TIRs. I think the creator lathed the glass and then polished them.
I’ve wondered the same thing, since I was lucky enough to get into the beta test phase of an advanced optics designing tool, and since the idea of a TIR is simple in theory but hard to materialize.