Optical performance and manufacturing feasibility of a novel retroreflective geometry

本提案的工业合作伙伴Active Industrial Solutions代表着北美市场上的知名品牌，专注于原型生产以及生产模具、工艺夹具、检查量具和所有形式的二次组装设备的制造。自1977年成立以来，该公司经历了持续的增长，这主要归功于其对创新驱动的专注，这促进了其持续扩张，远远超出了最初参与汽车行业模具制造的范围。 在Active Industrial Solutions多年来大幅扩展和增强的技术中，汽车照明模具的制造占据了领先地位。在这方面，这里要简单提到的是，Active工业解决方案部门Active Reflex Solutions专门从事汽车和交通应用的照明产品，它依赖于设计和制造反射式光学插件的最先进技术，包括一条100英尺长的光隧道。Active Reflex Solutions正在积极寻求寻找创新的反光产品，使其业务在全球市场上得到进一步发展。 为了解决这一问题，本提案的目的是确定一种新的棱镜后向反射几何图形的技术和经济可行性，这种几何图形与目前该领域的最先进技术有很大不同。通过理论/数学建模、光学模拟和利用安装在五轴微型铣床上的金刚石刀具进行的单点倒置切割，研究小组将尝试对新开发的反向反射几何进行建模、制造和验证。如果成功，拟议的研究将加强Active Industrial Solutions作为照明/照明产品领域的市场领导者的地位，并将为Active Industrial Solutions和Western之间的合作开辟新的途径。

The industrial partner of the present proposal, Active Industrial Solutions, represents a well-established name on the North American market focused on the fabrication of production of prototype as well as production moulds, process fixtures, inspection gauges, and all forms of secondary assembly equipment. From its inception in 1977, the company has experienced a sustained growth, primarily due to its innovation-driven focus that has facilitated its continuous expansion well beyond its initial involvement with the fabrication of moulds for the automotive sector. Among the technologies that were considerably expanded and enhanced over the years by Active Industrial Solutions, the fabrication of moulds for automotive lighting occupies the front stage. In this regard, it will be briefly mentioned here that Active Reflex Solutions, Active Industrial Solutions's division specialized on lighting products for automotive and traffic applications, relies on the most advanced technology in the design and manufacturing of reflective optical inserts, including an 100-foot light tunnel. Active Reflex Solutions is actively seeking to identify innovative retroreflective products that will allow a further advancement of its business on the global market. To address this, the present proposal will aim to identify the technical and economic viability of a novel prismatic retroreflective geometry that departs significantly from the current state-of-the-art in the field. Through a combination of theoretical/mathematical modeling, optical simulations and single point inverted cutting performed by means of a diamond tool mounted on a five-axis micromilling machine, the research team will attempt to model, fabricate and validate the newly developed retroreflective geometry. If successful, the proposed research will strengthen Active Industrial Solutions's position as a market leader in the area of illumination/lighting products, and will open up new avenues of collaboration between Active Industrial Solutions and Western.