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Advanced ceramics have many attractive features such as high stability and wear resistance that find broad applications in various fields, e.g. optics, aerospace, etc. However, the accompanying difficult-to-machine property with complex geometry brings great challenges to the commonly used laser machining and rigid wheel based grinding in industry. To achieve optical surface quality with surface roughness below 10 nm Ra, three promising ultra-precision compliant machining technologies using adaptive elastic tools are presented in this paper, including bonnet polishing, compliant pitch polishing and shape adaptive grinding with fine grain size. A comparative study was conducted by machining three different low thermal expansion ceramics while continuously increasing attack angle, spindle speed and tool offset across rectangular regions. Material removal rate (MRR) and surface roughness (Ra) with respect to different process conditions are compared. With sufficient data, the processing ability using above three compliant machining technologies is summarized based on the MRR-Ra plots for different ceramics. In addition, microscopic observation and X-ray diffraction analysis are conducted to characterize differences in material behavior.

In optics fabrication technologies such as computer controlled optical surfacing (CCOS), accurate computation of the dwell time map plays an essential role in the deterministic performance of the fabrication process. However, it is still difficult for existing methods to derive smooth dwell time maps that reduce dynamic stressing on the machine especially at the aperture edge region, while retaining fine correction capability on freeform optics. To answer these challenges, we propose a new method based on Zernike decomposition and improved differential evolution optimization of the dwell time map, which can be applied to time-dependent optics fabrication processes such as fluid jet machining. Simulations and experiments based on a bi-sinusoidal freeform design were carried out to assess the feasibility of the proposed methodology. With appropriate fluid jet pressure, a bi-sinusoidal optical surface with demanding form error target of sub-100 nm in peak-to-valley was achieved, showing a remarkable improvement on the state-of-the-art, while keeping a good average surface roughness of 2.6 nm Ra on the optical glass.

In the technology of computer-controlled optical surfacing (CCOS), the convergence of surface form error has a close relationship with the distribution of surface form error, the calculation of dwell time, tool influence function (TIF) and path planning. The distribution of surface form error directly reflects the difference in bulk material removal depth across a to-be-polished surface in subsequent corrective polishing. In this paper, the effect of path spacing and bulk material removal depth on the residual error have been deeply investigated based on basic simulation experiments excluding the interference factors in the actual polishing process. With the relationship among the critical evaluation parameters of the residual error (root-mean-square (RMS) and peak-to-valley (PV)), the path spacing and bulk material removal depth are mathematically characterized by the proposed RMS and PV maps, respectively. Moreover, a variable pitch path self-planning strategy based on the distribution of surface form error is proposed to optimize the residual error distribution. In the proposed strategy, the influence of different bulk material removal depths caused by the distribution of surface form error on residual error is compensated by fine adjustment of the path spacing according to the obtained path spacing optimization models. The simulated experimental results demonstrate that the residual error optimization strategy proposed in this paper can significantly optimize the overall residual error distribution without compromising the convergence speed. The optimized residual error distribution obtained in sub-regions of the polished surface is more uniform than that without optimization and is almost unaffected by the distribution of parent surface form error.

In recent years, miniaturization and light weightedness are required for industrial products as well as high functionality. Thin plates are appropriate in terms of weight, however they are usually difficult to produce only by cutting operation due to the deformation by cutting force or vibration of the thin plate. This study deals with the machining of a twisted thin plate, whose height, width and thickness are 50 mm, 30 mm and 0.1 mm respectively, without using any auxiliary tool. Such a thin plate with high aspect ratio is easily broken down by the cutting force. Thus, the machining of thin plate with high aspect ratio is approached by devising a tool path strategy in this study. As the cutting force easily allows for deformation of twisted thin plate with high aspect ratio, two methods are devised with regard to the generation of the tool path, the method with a supporting frame and the peeling method so that the stiffness of the plate can be kept high. Then, the actual machining of thin plate with high aspect ratio, made of aluminum alloy, was realized without any breakage. As a result, it is found that such cutting method allows the possibility of fabricating such a twisted thin plate.

With increasing global competition, reduction in the machining cost is the most important issue after machining quality. The machining cost consists of various factors. Among them, the cost of cutting tool holds the first place. The reduction or suppression of tool cost results in an increase in competitive force. This study aims at lengthening the tool life, while decreasing the tool wear. Therefore, the cutting edge of a ball end mill is swung around its center by continuously changing the tool axis vector so that the cutting edge may be uniformly used. Taking account of the width of the flank wear of the ball end mill and the surface roughness of the workpiece in the finishing process, the study proposes an appropriate tool attitude and a suitable tool swing rate of the ball end mill. As a result, the machining method with the tool axis vector continuously swung allows for decreasing tool wear due to its dispersion across the entire tool surface. The proposed method can be applied to machining of workpieces with sculptured faces. From the experimental results, it is found that the proposed idea has the potential of saving tool cost.

In recent years, miniaturization and light weightedness are required for industrial products as well as high functionality. Thin plates are appropriate in terms of weight, however they are usually difficult to produce only by cutting operation due to the deformation by cutting force or vibration of the thin plate. This study deals with the machining of a twisted thin plate, whose height, width and thickness are 50 mm, 30 mm and 0.1 mm respectively, without using any auxiliary tool. Such a thin plate with high aspect ratio is easily broken down by the cutting force. Thus, the machining of thin plate with high aspect ratio is approached by devising a tool path strategy in this study. As the cutting force easily allows for deformation of twisted thin plate with high aspect ratio, two methods are devised with regard to the generation of the tool path, the method with a supporting frame and the peeling method so that the stiffness of the plate can be kept high. Then, the actual machining of thin plate with high aspect ratio, made of aluminum alloy, was realized without any breakage. As a result, it is found that such cutting method allows the possibility of fabricating such a twisted thin plate.