Modeling and optimization of material removal influenced by sliding velocity in polishing

The high-precision part surfaces are usually finished by the corrective polishing to improve the surface form accuracy. This article proposes a new method to model and optimize the material removal in the polishing process. This method assumes that the material removal rate in polishing follows the Preston’s equation, and the material removal profile is obtained by integrating the material removal index along the tool path at each unit area of the tool/workpiece contact. The focus is on the effect of the sliding velocity on the material removal profile. Results indicate that the shape of the removal profile is affected by the angular spindle velocity, angular feed velocity and tool path radius. A series of simulation and practical polishing experiments were conducted to verify the proposed model. The tending gene of the removal profile is defined and derived. By using the principle of maximum tending gene, the material removal profile is optimized, which is helpful to plan the process parameter properly in polishing.