In electrolytic in-process dressing (ELID), a metal-bonded grinding wheel is dressed as a result of anodic dissolution. In this paper we describe experiments to evaluate the potential for ELID on bronze wheels in fixed-load grinding applications. A constant-force grinding apparatus was used to determine appropriate ELID conditions for a 10–20 μm bronze bonded diamond grinding wheel used to machine silicon carbide. A practical implementation of ELID was demonstrated using a low speed bronze bonded diamond wafering saw. Optimum ELID current was determine for different workpiece materials, and the wear rate of the saw blade using ELID was found to be of the same order as the wear rate of the saw blade using intermittent dressing with a porous ceramic stick. Some of the important factors controlling the rate of dressing by ELID (rate of film growth, rate of film wear and rate of diamond wear) and their combined effects are discussed. Successful use of ELID on bronzebonded wheels in other applications will be facilitated by understanding these phenomena, developing a general process model based on them and being able to predict useful ELID parameters.
A new class of silicon-based deformable mirror for use in optical applications such as adaptive optical systems and optical correlators is being built. The mirror will be a massively parallel system of electrostatically-controlled, interconnected microactuators that can be coordinated to achieve precise actuation and control at a macroscopic level. The deformable mirror system described here will be made up of a planar array of 400 electrostatically actuated actuators, which actuate a laterally continuous mirror at discrete points, resulting in surface-normal deflection of upto 4 rim. Several generations of single actuators as well as arrays of actuators with a mirror sheet over them have been designed, fabricated and tested. Deflection characteristics and pull-in behavior of the actuators have been closely studied. Tests for yield, reliability, resolution and frequency response have given optimistic results. Numerical models of the system have been developed and results from the numerical simulations agree well with experimental results.
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