Method for machining surfaces

Abstract

A method for abrasive machining of surfaces of components is provided. The method is effectuated by the device including a tool ( 1 ) having an inlet ( 11 ) and an outlet ( 12 ); a supply unit for conveying to the inlet ( 11 ) a liquid in which abrasive agents are dissolved and which emerges from the outlet ( 12 ); and a positioning means which guides the tool across a surface to be machined and simultaneously positions the tool in such manner that the outlet faces the surface to be machined, an area of an annular gap ( 3 ) defined by boundary walls ( 13 ) of the outlet ( 12 ) and the surface ( 2 ) to be machined being smaller than a cross-sectional area of the inlet ( 11 ).

1 . A method for machining surfaces with a tool having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet having boundary walls, the method comprising the steps of:
 conveying a liquid with abrasives agents to the fluid inlet by means of a supply unit having a supply pressure;   allowing the liquid to flow through the tool to the fluid outlet from which the liquid emerges from the tool;   positioning the tool such that the fluid outlet from which the liquid emerges faces the surface to be machined and such that the area of an annular gap defined between the boundary walls and the surface to be machined is smaller than a cross sectional area of the fluid inlet;   allowing the liquid to emerge from the annual gap along a radial direction thereby machining the surface in accordance with the kind of abrasive agents in the liquid; and   changing the processing pressure under which the liquid machines the surface by adjusting the height of the annular gap without changing the supply pressure.   
   
   
       2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the supply pressure is less than 20 bar. 
   
   
       3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the supply pressure is less than 5 bar. 
   
   
       4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the cross sectional area of the inlet is greater than the cross sectional area of said gap by a factor of at least 5. 
   
   
       5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein a height of said gap is smaller than 3 millimeters. 
   
   
       6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein a height of said gap is approximately 1 millimeter. 
   
   
       7 . The method according to  claim 1 , comprising the further step of rotating a compound to be machined around an axis by means of a rotary unit. 
   
   
       8 . The method according to  claim 1 , comprising the further step of guiding said tool across a surface to be machined by means of a positioning means. 
   
   
       9 . The method according to  claim 1 , comprising the further step of conforming an outer diameter of the tool in a region of the fluid outlet to one half of an aperture of an optical component for machining plane surfaces. 
   
   
       10 . The method according to  claim 1 , comprising the further step of conforming an outer diameter of said tool to a smallest radius of the surface for machining curved surfaces. 
   
   
       11 . The method according to  claim 1 , comprising the further step of controlling the positioning of the tool according to surface data of the surface to be machined. 
   
   
       12 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the height of said gap is kept constant during a shift along respective tracks. 
   
   
       13 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said tool and a component of which the surface is to be machined are simultaneously shifted. 
   
   
       14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein in the case of rotationally symmetrical surfaces, said tool is moved along tracks extending through a surface apex and said component is rotated around an axis by a rotary unit. 
   
   
       15 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the surface is an optical surface and wherein the method further comprises the additional step of polishing the optical surface. 
   
   
       16 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the surface is an optical surface and wherein the method further comprises the additional step of grinding the optical surface. 
   
   
       17 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the liquid may grind, fine grind and polish the surface to be machined and wherein a change between the grinding, fine grinding and polishing of the surface to be machined is made by changing the liquid.