Fresnel Lens Manufacturing - 2018 Michigan Lighthouse Alliance Conference
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.ย. 2024
- This video briefly describes the evolution of lighthouse illumination, early Fresnel lens design, and how lens manufacturing has evolved 100 years later, using 3D computer models, waterjet cutting, and CNC machining.
Was wondering why I was feeling nostalgia, then realized, this is like a good-old-fashioned episode of How It's Made! Love it!
Gorgeous. It's hilarious how much care they take with the metals and then suddenly they're installing the prisms barehanded.
Thanks you spoiled the whole show for me
@@jamesdavis5096 lol
Probably started slipping and in frustration tor them off and threw them to the ground.
And the lightbulb
metal might react to skin oils and start corrode in the heat of usage where glass would probably not
Looking at their website, the lenses are indeed milled from a very high end acrylic plastic.
It's amazing to see what can be achieved with CNC manufacture and judicious hand finishing.
I was wondering how they were machine glass. And it becomes evident why they need UV protection.
Thank you!
@@tonyennis1787 Some glasses used for optical applications can be machined; usually with carbide tooling, or with very high tooth count cutters to reduce the amount of force being applied to the material and thus breakage. But generally most glass is ground to shape, first with roughing tools, then with very precise optical grinding equipment which has a large platten with the optics mounted in pitch (tar), and the grinding surfaces and media in a specially formed pitch tool with weights and grooves to keep it's shape (since pitch is a fluid, just a very very slow moving one), and the grooves help remove the swarf and allow coolant flow. That's the only way to achieve high accuracy at the practically atomic level needed for lenses; but for lighouse optics, they could get away with a fairly rough cut; and with cast lenses in the case of the fresnel bullseye lenses.
I wonder how long the acrylic would last in a harsh atmosphere like the ocean front ? Car headlights get about 10-15 years and then they oxidise due to IV damage (and they are coated with a UV protectant too).
I'm thinking it would almost have been cheaper to have them made of actual glass. The problem, likely, is that there aren't enough skilled glass-makers to take on the job. CNC shops are a dime a dozen, though.
Even still, multiple 5 axis operations + inspection is not at all inexpensive.
These lenses and lights are as marvelous as they are fascinating.
Quite a piece of artwork. Can be a centerpiece in your living room right along with your other art collection.
A thing of beauty is a joy forever.
Fresnel lenses used in lighthouses are such beautiful objects!
(One of the most) - if not THE MOST - beautifull object(s) in the world. Magnificent!
a bicycle
@@tiltil9442 Yes, a bicycle is more pratical and usable for many people. But I like the combination of brass work with glasswork, and this in serve for people on sea in SOS-condition... And to look at in a mesmerizing way... So, ... 🙂
That's simply exquisite. Mind-boggling to think of all the thought and craftsmanship that goes into making a beautiful reproduction like that.
The incredible thing is how the hell the originals were manifactured
Meanwhile in subsaharan Africa...
Unbelievable works even with today CNC technology. It’s an art !
Beautiful work! I was surprised to see polycarbonate being out into a CNC mill.
It's not polycarbonate - "The prisms are manufactured from acrylic PMMA, one of the best materials, with 92 percent light transmission, better than glass. "
Thank you for explaining the light of old, but more importantly the Importance for the men of optics
I could go on but you are intriguing and knowledgeable. Thank you for the debate.
This process is much more interesting than I thought it would be!
What a beautiful piece of art! Mind boggling!
Functional and beautiful!
that must be one very satisfying job, very methodical and absorbing working for perfection
I saw such lens in the Light House with my Father before 43 years. 👌👍
That time I was not knowing such precision it requires, because I was just seventeen years boy.👌👍
Nice set of safety glasses at 4:05
:p
Fresnel lenses are at the heart of all VR headsets!
Those are beautiful! I need a half scale for a lamp.
Are these shaped differently so they refract properly with acrylic instead of glass, or are they exact replicas that don't work as the original did?
Darn, you've got me working the brain on a Sunday morning.
At the risk of sounding stupid: would it even matter?
With the refraction upon leaving the transparent medium being the inverse of what the light encountered when it entered the medium. Would the exiting angle not be the same, regardless of the material?
I'm looking at the first picture in the Wikipedia article on refraction, showing a ray of light traveling through a plastic block with perpendicular faces. The ray of light changes position, but it's angle stays the same.
If this block were made out of glass. The light would exit the block at a different position, but at the same angle.
Now I might be overlooking something which changes this when the surfaces are not perpendicular, but I can't think of what that could be.
Aight, that's enough. This brain needs more coffee!
@@sigi9669 yes, the angles and refractive indices of prisms and lenses do matter. The faces aren’t all perpendicular, though I don’t think that eliminates variation based in refractive index. But as you note, it’s a lot to wrap your mind around first thing in the morning.
I don't think I've ever seen so many Harbor Freight tools in a production shop. Awesome work though.
Even factories use them. Not everything harbor freight makes is junk. In actual factories, its more likely to see a US General tool box than a snapon.
Nice video. Informative of 🎉🎉hand making as-well as computer aided machining of prisms.
Thank you for sharing your hard work
But that's not glass. Polycarb has a different refractive index than glass (I wear high index glasses so I know different materials have different indexes.) I mean if you are making lenses for historic lighthouses should they not be made of glass? Polycarbonate and UV long term are not a good fit even if you do put a protective coating on it.
I'm guessing here, but these are not made for "in-field" use. They're replicas for museums or existing historical lighthouses acting as museums. I don't think these units will be exposed to long-term use and UV.
very beautiful construction and excellent video.
Yummy.. there is something about a highly polished, machined, copper piece.
Both are works of art.. but the original made out of glass... chefs kiss.. wow.
Nádhera. To není jen technické dílo. To je umělecká práce! 👍
Some long-dead relative of my wife was an Anchor Hocking and made the lenses that still illuminate the Washington Monument.
Very nice. Period-accurate flat-head screws used throughout.
Exquisite work! 👍🏻
Fascinating . Thank you for this .
I'm curious how difference in the index of refraction between acrylic the original glass affects the appearance of the emitted light.
this lamp is gorgeous!
Gorgeous
That’s was something! Beautiful.
Beautiful work! I kept a couple lenses from old overhead projectors we were throwing away.
You never know when California will fall in the ocean. I might need those lenses to turn my condo into a lighthouse 😂
It won’t be as nice as this though. Love a good marriage of art and engineering.
dare i ask.... how far are you from the coast currently?
@@axhed about 10 miles or so :)
Please please please fall into the ocean. All of it.
Why do you say such sarcastic words like that? I don't read anywhere that "hondahirmy" offended you in any way. Maybe you need to do some soul searching, and introspection, and then maybe you will be more cordial, and civilized. I suggest you try this, and most likely you will feel more happy inside. Doctor George Whitehead@@whiskeymonk4085
Too bad they didn't think it was worth making glass lenses for it.
Agree. Glass would be the gold standard and would last for an extremely long time.
The optical quality acrylic used has a higher transmission rate for light than glass does.
Pretty close, lol. My extended family used to tend a couple navigational lights in the US. Those old crystal and brass lights had a Kerosene lantern for light and the lens floated in a pool of mercury driven by a wind up clockworks. Pretty cool stuff but no mention in the intro of what you are trying to reproduce. Even so I love to see what your doing.
yeah felt weird when they explain the history and then use a totally different design and don't eventellwhat the parts are or do
excellent, thank you.
Fascinating. 5:10 you said "cotton gloves are not used at this point to prevent the frame from tarnishing." Later in the video I see the operator touching the frame without cotton gloves multiple times, see for example 8:43. Why? Thanks
That’s really cool l. Interesting that they make from acrylic. Guess it is for looks anyway
You might consider using those 5-axis functions during finishing. You could have the tool contact the part in a constant angle, so that the surface speed of the tool is in correct range. And you could use circle segment tools.
Very cool stuff. Thanks.
Gloves are worn until final assembly...
I love that big screwdriver. Is it possible to set various torque values with it ?
A thing of beauty
I'll take a guess that hey start at about 30k US?
They made the lenses circular, absolutely makes no sense to spin the whole complex. Fresnel lenses of a lighthouse direct the light to those 4, 6 or8 respective faces they are installed to, making the light pulse and more easily recognizable. Wouldn't it be nice to build these with some actual sense if so much effort is spent?
Circular lenses give short pulses of light (at the viewer's location). This lens wrapped around 270 degrees, giving a 75% on - 25% off pattern. The flash pattern of light houses was varied for each one as an aid to identification when at sea.
So… all that work… and the prisms are plastic?? Such a beautiful looking product to have plastic. How did they used to make the glass prisms originally?
Amazing
The polished brass is beautiful. We don't see them applying clear lacquer so it's going to tarnish.
Fantastic!:)
Although beautiful, how well does it function made of plastic versus glass?
Or are we just looking at a non-functional art piece?
Very nice.
I wonder what the cost and optical differences are between the plastic and glass. Glass can be machined on a CNC apparently but I wonder if it takes too long or if you have to use a very high end glass. I doubt the acrylic would yellow, though, since pretty much all windows today are UV resistant or reflective(notice how you don't get sunburn in a car with the windows up or when you sit near a window in your house).
5:12 "cotton gloves are now used at this point to prevent the frame from tarnishing"
while at that exact time the guy is grabbing it with his bare hand.
I would have polished the screws too or polished nothing, because polishing brass is a someways effect only.😊😊 Why using such a small bulb? The locking lever should be hanging downwards. Great work indeed.😊
Indeed a piece of Art, I should probably just hang one of these in my Florida house as a chandelier. Wonder why they just dont use an eye safe laser ?
Led's used todays, some of this looking lens stuff could found with them.
That should need just one 6 kilowatt flashtube in it, it would give some good headaches for people.
If they do optics vertically, why it need's spin like that? Old days light house shows two or four spot's and rotate right speed for unique interwalls
I'm curious how much something like this sold for and how much it's worth now
Agreed.
Acrylic instead of glass, interesting.
After all of that labor-intensive prep & polishing, and they don't bother to nickel- or silver--plate the brass? Perhaps it's to match the originals, but it seems like a worthwhile step. Brass just tarnishes too quickly in salt air.
Wow! Nice replicas.
It's plastic?
With this devise will I be able to remotely observe candidates?
Wears cotton gloves during assembly of frame, but not when installing lenses into frame.
awesome.
This doesn't look like a wall-hanger. Where is it being used?
Awesome prism construction. I wonder why the door prisms are different. And they seem to perform worse in that 90° sector compared to the other 270° sector. (judged by watching from 10:50 to 11:00
I'm no expert but it makes sense to me. Varying the light intensity in a rythmic pattern probably draws a mariners eye from afar so they know its a lighthouse and not a star on the horizon.
@@calebkemplay6040 the rythmic pattern is so u know what light house ur looking at by the pattern
There is a market for this?
Whats the screw driver hes using?
wy would u still use flathead screws?
the milling of the prisms looks like its made from plastic.
Да ладно😳... А я думал, что призма пластиковая...
Isn't it? Why else would they have UV protecting lacker?
Yeah that looks like acrylic.
great work however 8:16 .. probably has regrets with not touching the brass without gloves on..
Fabuloso!!!!!!!
A beautiful approximation, but fire up the "carbon arc lamp" I am familiar with and it will be a puddle in short order.
Why are they using slotted screws to assemble the brass frame? Old outdated screw type....
It's a reproduction of an old lamp, so they've used the authentic type of screws used historically.
Tolle sache, ich würde gerne mal wissen was so eine Lampe kostet.
I have been trying to get my hands on a large fresnel lens for over 10 years that is big enough for the frame my grandfather had made to hold the lens he bought a long time ago.......sadly we couldn't find one affordable enough to replace the broken lens before he passed away........I still need to get a lens to fix his fresnel lens heater for him and me even though he's gone
How about fixing it same stuff they use windshields 'hole's' and make them gone. It's hardened with UV and mechanically it's very good.
There's even thin films that could use to save glass from breaking.
@@jannejohansson3383.......no chance in that the lens was too big
Dan
Is this a 5th order lens? Ty
Sears tools??
The rotation rollers are of no use here, because this optics is designed for a horizon light and not for a rotating flashing light
All those who would challenge my comment would be absolutely wrong, I know perfectly well the operation of lighthouse's optics😊
How many CP / Lumens is that tiny little bulb? I thought that lighthouse beacons used carbon-arc lamps or at least kerosene mantle lights?
I think this reproduction lamp is intended for decorative or museum use, with the light mainly 'for show'. Lighthouses have not used either carbon arcs or mantle lamps for a very long time.
Excelent!
Now let's take a look at all the subsaharan inventions. So far we have a stick. Anyone else have any to share?
It's so disappointing to see that, despite the obvious pride and care taken to create these masterpieces, the simple task of tapping the threaded holes in teh brass frames is done with complete randomness, resulting in the screw slots being random, rather than lining up together. It costs nothing to achieve...
That would only work if the screws were also uniformly manufactured. In general, they are not.
10.09 touching the bulb with bare hands is not good. The grease of the skin will burn in and make the glass dim.
Interesting.
I thought they would be glass ?
It's a replica, the originals would have been made with flat head screws
@Artworks Florida Classic Fresnel Lenses Learn about Meta-materials and build a whole new setup. Love the technology, but create some excitement. Create something new.
5:11 "cotton gloves are used at this point to prevent the frame from tarnishing" 5:23 assembler proceeds to touch frame without cotton gloves
They are not made of glass, but some form of plexiglass. Weird...
2:43 with the advent of GPS and shore based radar, lighthouses don’t really have a role in guiding shipping nowadays…
The background track is very annoying. If only there was a video without it....
good job with lens. shame for the daft music
Que poco hemos evolucionado como civilización, aún seguimos con el fuego para iluminar nuestras vidas y la rueda para desplazarse.
Están casi más evolucionados los monos que los humanos.
Ну может ты и недоразвит, не знаю... Солнце, получается, тоже морально устарело, предъяви ему эту претензию. Оно же бездарно выжигает водород и гелий!!!111одинодинодин
Трудоёмкость процессов просто поражает. Лучше бы оставили параболические отражатели.
I guess I shouldn't be surprised they took the cheap way to restore these rather than using the actual materials....that seems to be all anybody thinks about
So, basically, it's the optical version of a Darwin Wind Turbine, just dispersing instead of collecting.
But a darn sight prettier!
M. Fresnel was a genius.
And they didn’t really show how it shines, they didn’t show it from a distance. What's the point of doing such an expensive reproduction?🤦🏻♂