Method and apparatus for fluid polishing

Abstract

In a fluid polishing method for processing a fine aperture by slurry 7 , the slurry is supplied from a cylinder 2 a in a slurry flow rate target process until the flow rate increases to a target value of a slurry feed flow rate. When the flow rate reaches the target flow rate, the cylinder is stopped and switched to another cylinder 2 b and the operation fluid flow rate of the fine aperture is thereafter measured. In a metering process, to be executed next, a necessary processing time is calculated on the basis of the operation fluid flow rate and polishing is carried out for a necessary processing time by another cylinder 2 b . Another cylinder is then stopped and switched and the operation fluid flow rate is measured. In this way, the metering process is repeated until the operation fluid flow rate reaches a predetermined value. In each process, the supply of the slurry is not interrupted.

1 . A fluid polishing method for polishing and processing a fine aperture in a work by supplying a slurry as a polishing fluid to said work, comprising at least one process, wherein said at least one process includes the steps of: 
 measuring an operation fluid flow rate (Q 1 ) before processing;    causing said slurry to flow to said work for a predetermined processing time (T); and    measuring an operation fluid flow rate (Q 2 ) after processing; and wherein:    a processing capacity coefficient (K) is determined on the basis of past data about a ratio (dQ/T) of an increment amount (dQ=Q 2 −Q 1 ) of the operation fluid flow rates before and after processing to said processing time (T); and    when said processing capacity coefficient (K) becomes less than a predetermined threshold value (a), a measure for improving the fluid polishing processing performance is taken.    
   
   
       2 . A fluid polishing method according to  claim 1 , wherein said operation fluid is any of a slurry, an oil and air.  
   
   
       3 . A fluid polishing method according to  claim 1 , wherein said measure for improving said fluid polishing processing performance is a method that elevates a feed pressure of said slurry from said feeding apparatus.  
   
   
       4 . A fluid polishing method according to  claim 1 , wherein said measure for improving said fluid polishing processing performance is the addition of new slurry.  
   
   
       5 . A fluid polishing method according to  claim 1 , wherein said processing capacity coefficient (K) is determined as a moving average (ΣKj/N) of a plurality of works, and a processing capacity coefficient (Kj) of each work is an average (ΣKi/M) of a processing capacity coefficient (Ki) of each process of said work.  
   
   
       6 . A fluid polishing method according to  claim 1 , wherein said processing capacity coefficient (K) is determined as a moving average (ΣKj/N) of a plurality of works, and a processing capacity coefficient (Kj) of each work is calculated by a mathematical extrapolation method using an operation fluid flow rate of each step of said work and three or more operation fluid flow rates formed by processing time corresponding to said operation fluid flow rate.  
   
   
       7 . A fluid polishing method according to  claim 6 , wherein said mathematical extrapolation method is the method of least squares.  
   
   
       8 . A fluid polishing method according to  claim 1 , wherein the feed pressure of said slurry from said feeding apparatus is kept constant during processing of one work.  
   
   
       9 . A fluid polishing method according to  claim 1 , wherein said work is a fine aperture of a fuel injector for a diesel engine.