Spiral-structured fixed-abrasive pads for glass finishing

Loose-abrasive machining with cerium oxide (ceria) slurry is traditionally employed for finishing glass. However, the use of slurries can have a detrimental impact on the environment. Fixed-abrasive machining has received attention as an alternative technology; however, conventional fixed-abrasive tools are inefficient. In this study, spiral-structured pads with fixed-abrasive layers and abrasive holding layers are introduced to increase the quality and efficiency of fixed-abrasive tools. The finishing experiments revealed a much higher finishing efficiency and good surface quality compared to those obtained in conventional polishing with ceria slurry.