Rigid Polishing Tool for Precision Optics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tools for polishing and fine-grinding optically active surfaces in precision optics face instability and undefined material removal due to tiltable machining disks, leading to undesirable results when increasing machining speed.
Innovation Solution
A tool with a rigidly connected main body and guide element, where the machining disk is fixed non-tiltably, ensuring precise positioning and engagement, and utilizing a spring force or compressed air for machining pressure, allowing adaptation to different machining machines.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the machining disk is made tiltable to increase relative machining speed, then material removal increases, but positioning precision deteriorates due to undefined material removal
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of allowing the machining disk to tilt relative to the guide element, the invention inverts the approach by rigidly fixing the machining disk to the guide element, eliminating tilting entirely. This inversion resolves the contradiction by sacrificing the ability to increase material removal through tilting while guaranteeing positioning precision through rigid fixation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention separates the guide element from the main body through axial displacement capability, allowing independent optimization of each component. The guide element can be displaced axially to control engagement depth, while the machining disk remains rigidly fixed to it, creating a modular system that maintains precision while enabling controlled material removal.
2Manufacturing precision
If the machining disk is rigidly fixed to maintain positioning precision, then manufacturing precision improves, but adaptability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces dynamic axial displacement capability to the guide element, allowing it to move along the tool rotation axis during operation. This dynamic adjustment enables the system to adapt to different machining speeds and workpiece requirements while maintaining rigid fixation between the machining disk and guide element, thus preserving positioning precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide element serves multiple functions: it provides rigid support for the machining disk, enables axial displacement for depth control, and maintains rotational fixation with the main body. This multi-functionality allows the rigidly fixed configuration to achieve both positioning precision and adaptability across different machining applications.
3Ease of operation
If the guide element is made axially displaceable to control engagement, then ease of operation improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the axial displacement function from the main body and concentrates it in the guide element alone. By isolating this function to a single component, the design achieves ease of operation through simple axial movement while minimizing the complexity spread across multiple components. The machining disk remains rigidly fixed to the guide element, simplifying the overall structure.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution provides a stable and definable polishing and fine-grinding process, ensuring precise material removal and adaptability to various machining setups, enhancing precision optics applications.
Implementation Method 1
by means of a spring force acting axially on the guide element, the guide element is displaced in the basic position of the tool until the stop pin comes into abutment against one end of the axial groove
Implementation Method 2
an elastic membrane which bears against the head section of the guide element and can be made to bulge outwards by supplying compressed air through the through-bore in order to displace the guide element
Data Source
AI summary
A tool for polishing and fine-grinding optically active surfaces in precision optics has a main body which can be attached in a rotationally fixed manner to a tool spindle of a machining machine. A guide element is arranged concentrically in the main body and is mounted such that it can be displaced axially therein. A machining disk is replaceably attached to the outer end of the guide element. The main body is rigidly connected in a rotationally fixed manner, over the full displacement travel, to the guide element mounted such that it can be displaced axially therein, and in that the machining disk is rigidly fixed in a non-tiltable manner on the guide element.