Successful completion of this proposed work will ultimately result in reduced cost and lead time for large (700 x 500 mm), curved, visibly transparent polycrystalline ceramic structural components through advances in optical polishing processes. Optimax is well versed in the ceramic materials called out in the solicitation, having ground and polished them for many years on a near-daily basis. Optimax has substantial knowledge and experience in robotics, software development, and novel tooling design which will be leveraged for this effort. In order to accomplish this cost reduction, novel polishing tooling will be designed and built for use on Optimax's proprietary polishing platform. Other commercially available machines will also be employed to produce these components. The result of the Phase I effort will be the creation of a robust manufacturing plan, polishing tooling, and a polishing process for armor-grade polycrystalline material. This will enable the production of the large, curved components during the Phase II period, as desired by the DHS. A robust and low-cost process for producing transparent structural components will increase supply reliability, thereby increasing deployment of such components on host platforms. Current window technologies designed to defeat small arms are made from layers of fused silica and polymer several inches thick. The thickness of a layered window that includes a spinel or AlON component could be reduced while maintaining current levels of protection. Several potential commercial applications exist for this technology, including high-pressure and vacuum-chamber windows, and air, water, land, and spacecraft windows for passengers and sensor packages.
