Force servo nano-precision diamond cutting of freeform surfaces on a micro-precision machine

This paper presents force servo single point diamond cutting of freeform surfaces with nano-precision on a microprecision machine. For nanometric machining accuracy, traditional diamond cutting based on position servo, requires accurate machine axial motions by ultra-precision machine with high cost, or utilizes a fast tool servo to compensate for machine slide vibration and motion error of common machines that is a complicated procedure. In this paper, nanometric machining accuracy was achieved on a micro-precision machine by force servo diamond cutting, in which the tool can be driven to trace the workpiece surface to compensate for the machine slide vibration, machine motion errors and workpiece incline errors accurately and automatically. For highly sensitive and stable force controlling, force servo nanocutting mechanism (FSNM) based on flexible structures was designed with force sensing resolution down to submillinewton level, and a damping controller was developed to suppress the resonant vibration of the FSNM. For extending application of force servo cutting from fabrication of only discontinuous microstructures to continuous freeform surfaces, referring force maps were developed by considering the real material removal volume of each cutting point. Force servo cutting was then validated by fabricating freeform surfaces with surface form errors of less than 10 nm on silicon spherical surfaces based on the micro-precision machine. The works discussed in this paper provide an effective technique for the fabrication of complex and continuous microstructured and freeform surfaces with nano-precision by common machines only with micron even tens of microns precision.