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A novel magnetorheological finishing (MRF) method, which is named Lap-MRF, is proposed in this paper. The magnetorheological fluid (MR fluid) in the polishing zones can be renewed continuously so that the determinacy is ensured. A lap, instead of a large polishing wheel, is used to expand the polishing area, which improves the material removal rate largely. Lap-MRF uses flexible MR fluid as polishing pad to match the surface well. Moreover, the polishing pad executes planetary motion so as to obtain smooth surface. In this paper, the principle of Lap-MRF and the theoretical model of material removal rate are presented. Using the finite element analysis method, the permanent magnet unit is simulated and a multi-parameter optimization is conducted to improve the performance of Lap-MRF. Finally, a series of polishing experiments and simulation process are carried out. For K9 sample, the volume removal rate is up to 0.76 mm3/min and its relative change rate is less than 5.5%. For silicon modification layer sample, the surface roughness is improved to 0.788 nm RMS (root mean square) from 1.610 nm RMS. There is no deep pit and the polishing ripple is not apparent on the surface. For Φ1000 mm flat mirror, the convergence efficiency of simulation process is up to 97.2%. These results verify the validity of the proposed method, which makes Lap-MRF to be a promising finishing technology for large aperture mirrors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmosphere plasma etching methods have been applied to the machining of optics. However, due to the high chemical stability and inertness of silicon carbide (SiC) ceramics, it seems difficult to improve the material removal rate (MRR) for conventional etching methods. We have found MRR will be significantly improved while arc forms between the inductively coupled plasma and SiC ceramic surface. This etching method is called arc-enhanced plasma machining (AEPM) technology. Arc-enhanced plasma (AEP) is represented as the secondary of a high-frequency transformer considering capacitive coupling in this paper. Radio frequency (RF) voltage in AEP is measured. The RF voltage of plasma is extremely high to form arc when plasma is close to the SiC ceramic surface. The measurement results of RF voltage at the metal-plasma interface show that the arc formation is related to the distance between source jet and workpiece ( D ). When D is small, a nonconductive layer of cooled argon forms over the workpiece surface, preventing arcing. Trenches are etched on SiC ceramic surface with different D , finding that the MRR is improved under the arcing action and the optimal D is obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fabrication of high-quality freeform surfaces is based on ultra-precision diamond turning with fast tool servo (FTS) technology which allows direct machining of the freeform surfaces with sub-micrometric form accuracy and nanometric surface roughness. Surface roughness is an important factor in evaluating the performance of the optical freeform surfaces. This paper presents a theoretical and experimental analysis of surface generation in ultra-precision single-point diamond turning. In this model, we take into consideration the basic machining parameters as well as the relative vibration between the workpiece and the tool in both the cutting and feeding directions. Theoretical model is built to predicting the surface roughness of machined flat surface as well as freeform surfaces. A series of experiments have conducted and the results show good correlation between the theoretical model and the fabricated surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single point diamond turning (SPDT) based on tool servo system is one of the significant techniques to fabricating the optical freeform surfaces. The conventional fast tool servo (FTS) actuated by piezoelectric actuator has the problem of short stroke, while the drawback of the slow tool servo (STS) is low frequency response. This paper briefly presents a novel long range fast tool servo (LRFTS) with high frequency response and long stroke. The total stroke can reach up to 30 mm. The LRFTS uses a voice coil motor as the actuating element and air bearings as the guide mechanism. The LRFTS utilizes a linear encoder to measure the displacement of the tool for closed loop control. The servo performance of the LRFTS system's amplitude and frequency response is analyzed. The physical model of the LRFTS is identified. A series of experiments have been conducted to verify the performance of the designed LRFTS. Micro-lens array fabrication experiments on an aluminum part are conducted using the designed LRFTS. The factors influencing the surface roughness have been analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optical freeform surfaces have been applied in optoelectronic systems more and more widely, but it is difficult to fabricate this kind of freeform surface optics with high quality and high efficiency. Ultra-precision diamond turning machining technology based on a fast tool servo system is an effective and precise process for fabricating optical freeform surfaces. This paper develops a novel fast tool servo system, which has a total stroke of 30 mm and a maximum acceleration of 920 m/s. In this paper, we develop a theoretical and experimental investigation on the 3D surface generation of a rear-view mirror which is a typical optical freeform surface in single-point diamond tuning using a fast tool servo system. The experimental results are tested and analyzed, which indicate that the performances are satisfied. The field of view obtained by the designed rear-view mirror is much larger than the flat mirror, while the distortion is minimal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]