Research on anhydrous polishing technology of fused silica using microtexture wheels

The final cold step in the production of precision optical components is polishing. The free abrasive polishing technology used currently has a lot of unpredictable variables, which results in a hydrated layer on the component’s surface in addition to abrasive waste and other issues. Because of its special benefits, fixed abrasive polishing technology in an anhydrous environment has been extensively utilized to provide controlled green polishing and guarantee that the optical components fulfill the necessary surface quality standards. Nevertheless, fixed abrasive polishing wheels suffer from significant processing wear, poor durability, and poor heat dissipation. To determine the ideal polishing process parameters, a spiral microtexture pattern is created on the polishing wheel. Then, orthogonal experiments are designed, taking into account the pressure, rotational speed ratio, curvature, and number of microtexture strips. According to the research, a spiral microtexture polishing wheel may assure a convergence of surface roughness and fused silica material removal rate during processing by considerably enhancing the wheel’s wear performance when compared to a regular polishing wheel.