Thermal characterization of a micro polishing machine and effect on path strategy compensation

Micro polishing is an important process when fine surface quality and low form error are required in the micro scale domain. This process has several differences from conventional polishing and some of the factors can not be neglected any longer. In this work, a study on the thermal behaviour of a micro hexapod-based machine is conducted. The main causes of thermal deformations are addressed and analysed. The contributions are then evaluated and compensation path strategies are discussed. The main criticalities when dealing with micro polishing are due to the small tools used. Micro tools require higher speeds than conventional polishing. High spindle speeds generate heat and therefore thermal deformations. This adds up to the movement of the Hexapod while performing polishing. The observed total deformation in the polishing tool axial direction reached 8.2 μm. Such a large deformation can introduce a potential error in the final material removal up to 50% if not adequately compensated.