This award is intended to enable a major improvement in contour accuracy and surface finish in diamond turning. This will be carried out by researching and developing a force-tool-surface finish relationship in diamond turning and supplementing the existing position feedback system of a diamond turning machine with force feedback. The implementation of a fast tool servo system on the diamond turning machine will enable the system to correct for high-speed spindle vibration. Further, the fast tool servo system, in combination with the dynamic and static force feedback, will be used to control and improve deterioration in surface finish as the cutting tool wears or vibrates during the turning process. Diamond turning is an operation that has a very significant impact on a variety of critical industries including the manufacture of optical components. The enhancement of accuracies in the manufacture of optics had reached a plateau and this research is necessary to achieve accuracies beyond those currently feasible.
