The polishing of molds and dies using a compliance tool holder mechanism

Experiments based on Taguchi's method are performed to determine the effects of the following factors: horizontal feed rate, spring constant, rotation speed of the hand grinder, abrasive particle size, and type of polishing rings (plastic or brass). These effects may be explained by utilizing a simplified rolling/sliding model, and a two-degree-of-freedom dynamic model. Experimental results show that imposing compliance in the tool holder can reduce surface roughness, and up to certain limits, both force variation and surface roughness reduce with increasing spring constants.