Abstract
Characteristics of the shape generation process are investigated in polyurethane-polishing. Polishings are carried out in two cases: one is for crude polisher by using cast iron, the other for optical glass by the polished polisher. The applied machine has the same mechanism as is usually used in fabricating optical lenses and optical flats. Experimental results show that fundamental characteristics are almost the same as is found in the rotation/reciprocation lapping. Especially, in the latter polishing, the following facts are revealed. (1) The stock removal ratio of the polisher to the glass changes as the polishing proceeds or surface finish of the glass is improved. (2) The process is analogous to that in a hypothetical lapping where a time variant stock removal ratio is assumed to be. (3) The behavior of the process is represented by a linear differential equation whose parameters vary with the time depending upon the stock removal ratio.
