Optimization of heating and molding temperatures in multi‐station glass molding for a meniscus aspheric lens

Abstract Multi‐station precision glass molding (PGM) technique enhances production efficiency by sequentially distributing heating, molding, and cooling across multiple stations. However, designing proper temperature settings for this technique is challenging due to the non‐continuous temperature profile between stations and their interdependence. This study employs finite element simulations to analyze the heating and molding behaviors of a positive meniscus aspheric lens under various temperature settings. The results reveal that the glass temperature increases progressively across heating stations but does not reach the target due to limited heat absorption. Temperature gradients induce tensile stress during heating, while compressive stress during pressing decreases exponentially with higher heating temperatures due to stress relaxation. The molding temperature is critical for complete lens filling, with 580°C identified as the minimum requirement for P‐SK57 glass. Additionally, increasing the molding temperature to 590°C expands the number of suitable temperature settings, offering greater flexibility in temperature selection. Out of 60 design groups, 24 meet all process criteria. The first heating station temperature should not exceed 400°C to minimize the risk of excessive thermal shock. Additionally, all heating stations must collaboratively generate a uniform, sufficiently high final heating temperature to control maximum compressive stress during pressing. This work establishes a framework and provides systematic guidelines for selecting optimal heating and molding temperature settings in multi‐station molding, enhancing heating efficiency, reducing thermal stress, and ensuring high‐quality replication. The findings would contribute to advancing multi‐station PGM technology and offer practical insights for optimizing industrial‐scale optical manufacturing.