Abstract
The tool influence function (TIF) during sub-aperture belt-on-wheel polishing has been evaluated as a function of various process conditions (belt use/wear, dwell time, displacement, belt velocity, and wheel modulus and diameter) on fused silica glass workpieces using ${{\rm CeO}_2}$ polishing media. TIF spots are circular or elliptical in shape with a largely flat bottom character. The volumetric removal rate varies significantly with belt use (or wear), stabilizing after ${\sim}{15}\;{\rm min}$ of use. A modified Preston model, where the pressure dependence is adjusted using a different scaling of the wheel modulus ($E_w^{0.5}$), largely predicts the volumetric removal rate over the range of process conditions evaluated. The relatively high volumetric removal rate of ${30 - 60}\;{{\rm mm}^3}/{\rm h}$ using a fixed ${{\rm CeO}_2}$-in-resin-host belt offers a rapid, and hence, more economical, initial polish of aspheric and freeform optics.
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