When one thinks of applications for 3D printing, optical components don’t seem to be a good fit. With the possible exception of Fresnel lenses, FDM printing doesn’t seem up to the job of getting the smooth surfaces and precision dimensions needed to focus light. Resin printing might be a little closer to the mark, but there’s still a long way to go between a printed blank and a finished lens.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://hackaday.com/2023/11/16/a-3d-printed-grinder-for-printed-lens-blanks/