Prediction of Material Removal in Polishing Free-Form Surfaces with Fixed Abrasives

This paper proposes an approach to predict the removal of material from a free-form surface during polishing with fixed abrasives. The material removal profile is defined for the description of the amount of material removed from the surface along a direction orthogonal to the tool path as a polishing tool is moved along a surface. A model is presented for the calculation of material removal profile. The proposed model assumes the pressure distribution is Hertzian at the contact between the tool and the surface and the abrading rate follows Archard wear law. According to the model, the profile of material removal is parabolic, and the depth and width of the profile may depend on the tool/surface geometry, process parameters, tool orientation, and tool path curvature. Examples are given to illustrate the applications of the model. © 2004 Trans Tech Publications Ltd. All Rights Reserved