Study on Material Removal Model by Reciprocating Magnetorheological Polishing.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science and Engineering
• Manufacturing Processes
• Surface Metrology

Background:

• Precision optics require advanced finishing techniques.
• Magnetorheological (MR) fluids offer unique polishing properties.
• Existing methods may lack efficiency or control for specific applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and validate a novel reciprocating magnetorheological polishing (RMRP) method for flat workpieces.
• To develop material removal rate (MRR) and polishing pressure models for RMRP.
• To investigate the influence of key process parameters on polishing performance.

Main Methods:

• Development of an RMRP setup based on established principles and the Preston equation.
• Mathematical modeling of MRR and normal polishing pressure.
• Experimental polishing of K9 optical flat glass using the RMRP setup.
• Systematic variation of workpiece rotation speed, eccentric wheel rotation speed, and eccentricity.

Main Results:

• The workpiece rotation speed significantly impacts MRR more than other parameters.
• MRR increased from 0.0115 ± 0.0012 to 0.0443 ± 0.0015 μm/min with higher workpiece rotation speed.
• Optimum parameters achieved a surface roughness reduction to Ra 50.8 ± 1.2 nm from Ra 330.3 ± 1.6 nm.
• Average relative errors between theoretical and experimental MRR values were below 17%.

Conclusions:

• The proposed RMRP method is effective for precision polishing of flat optical components.
• The developed MRR and pressure models provide a reliable basis for process optimization.
• Workpiece rotation speed is a critical parameter for controlling MRR in RMRP.