Pad polishing for rapid production of large flats
Pad polishing is an efficient technique for polishing-out a ground surface and reaching a figure better than one wave, ready for completion with less than an hour on a planetary polisher. For the 350 mm square piece of BK-7, removal was one micrometer every 10 minutes. Polishing-out from a 5 micrometer grind took less than 3 hours, to a surface smoothness of one nm rms. Other tests verified that the pad leaves no unusual subsurface damage. Following completion on a pitch planetary polisher, surface finish is the same as obtained for conventional processing. Unlike pitch, the pad retains its surface figure, producing a uniform result when used on a production basis. Coupled with the speed of production and low capital cost of overarm machines, it provides a cost-effective approach.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 544685
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-97-3036; CONF-970706-; ON: DE98000970; TRN: 97:005799
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Annual meeting of the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers, San Diego, CA (United States), 27 Jul - 1 Aug 1997; Other Information: PBD: 1997
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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