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Diamond turning uses diamond-tipped lathes to create precise features on materials like plastic, copper, and silicon. The process involves multiple computer-controlled stages and requires manual inspection to ensure accuracy. However, the high level of defective parts produced makes it expensive compared to other methods.
Diamond turning involves the use of diamond tipped lathes or other machine tools to create precision features. Several computer controlled lathes are used and with the machine parts placed on a granite base. Diamond tipped tools cannot be used on metals such as steel, and regular inspections are required during the cutting process to ensure accuracy. The precise nature of diamond turning is its biggest problem because a high percentage of defective parts are created.
Diamond turning creates aspherical optical elements from materials such as metal and crystal. This results in products such as telescopes, scientific research instruments and missile guidance systems. Most diamond turning is done by tools such as lathes which are computer controlled.
There are several stages in the diamond turning process. Typically, multiple CNC lathes are part of the process, each more accurate than the next. The final stage of this process involves a diamond tipped lathe to ensure a high level of accuracy. Each stadium is monitored by laser equipment and electron microscopes.
The diamond lathe is placed on a granite base which has an incredibly accurate surface finish. This base is then placed over the air suspension which ensures that the work surface remains horizontal. Machine parts are placed on the granite base with hydraulic suspension to ensure accuracy. Negative air pressure connects the workpiece to an air chuck. Another air suspension ensures that the spindle is kept away from the electric motor which turns it.
Electric motors are used to move the cutting tool. A computer controls the coordinates of the instrument. The depth of the cutting passes increases until the final surface is completed.
Diamond turning can only be used on certain materials. This includes plastics like nylon, metals like copper, and infrared crystals like silicon. This process cannot be done on steel or iron, however, because the carbon in the utensil reacts poorly with the materials, causing damage and dulling the utensil.
Although it appears that the entire process is computer controlled, a manual operator is still important. Maintaining the highest quality is the main purpose of this method and that is why checks must be carried out at the end of each cut. All it takes is a tiny mistake for the created part to become defective.
One of the major problems with diamond turning is the high level of defective parts produced. This means that production costs are extremely high compared to other polishing methods. There is a lot of manual labor involved in the process which doesn’t produce as many parts as other methods.
