Mechanism of shape evolution of removal function by biaxial wheel polishing

Abstract Biaxial wheel polishing has the advantages of high processing flexibility, high removal rate, and excellent surface quality. As a sub-aperture polishing method, the shape stability of the removal function plays a crucial role in both computational convergence and accuracy preservation for subsequent applications to computer-controlled optical surfacing (CCOS). However, the anomalous removal function due to improper selection of process parameters during machining hinders the further application of the process. Therefore, this paper investigates the mechanism of shape evolution of the removal function by biaxial wheel polishing. Single-point material removal experiments were carried out based on a biaxial wheel polishing device. The results show that an increase in compression amounts causes the shape of the removal function to evolve from the Gaussian shape to the plateau and w-shape and that different particle sizes and concentrations of the polishing solution affect the trend of this shape evolution. This study explains this evolution mechanism based on the abrasive grain loading characteristics, and the experimental results are of guiding significance for the selection of process parameters for biaxial wheel polishing.