Investigation on form-preserving polishing of side-wall surfaces via an active fluid jet

In recent years, extensive research and development have been conducted on an active fluid jet (AFJ) polishing-based post-polishing process aimed at removing periodic marks from diamond-turned surfaces. This cost-effective method demonstrates its machining capability across a wide range of materials. Notably, it excels in preserving the form accuracy during the post-polishing process for traditional optics, allowing for the attainment of high-precision shape and an ultra-smooth texture. However, the challenge arises when attempting to maintain form preservation on diamond-cut surfaces located on the side-walls of structures due to non-uniform material removal. This limitation significantly restricts its application in advanced opto-mechanical systems, including monolithic multi-surface workpieces. Therefore, this paper systematically investigates the form-preserving capability of AFJ polishing for side-wall surfaces through multi-scale analysis. The micromachining characteristics of the diamond-cut surface are elaborated upon using elastic-plastic theory, and the impact of polishing parameters on form preservation is studied at the microscopic scale. Furthermore, at the macroscopic scale, a simulation model of the AFJ polishing process is established based on fluid-structure interaction (FSI) analysis and rigid dynamic analysis. To validate the proposed theory, a series of tests are conducted. Theoretical and experimental results indicate that non-uniform material removal occurs in the contact area between the tool and the workpiece due to the influence of gravity, thereby hindering the form-preservation polishing process. Building upon the simulation model, a new AFJ tool is designed and optimized to enhance the form-preserving capability of AFJ post-polishing for side-wall surfaces. Experimental results confirm that the innovative AFJ tool uniformly eliminates the periodic marks on diamond-cut surfaces. The theory and methodology presented in this work have broad applicability to various form-preservation post-polishing processes on diamond-cut surfaces.