Cutter Marks as Vibration-Induced Errors in Deterministic Microgrinding

Cutter marks, often referred to as mid-spatial frequency errors during deterministic microgrinding, have been observed on the surface of ground spherical components in a series of experiments at the Center for Optics Manufacturing (COM) at the University of Rochester. A simple model is presented to explain the recent observation that the number of cutter marks N during deterministic microgrinding of spherical components is approximately equal to the ratio of tool rotational rate fT (rpm) to work rotational rate fW for a wide range of these parameters. The model is based on the fundamental assumption that both the tool and the work execute steady-state, forced harmonic oscillations, each at its respective driving frequency, and on the observation that for each revolution of the work, the tool executes fT/fW revolutions.