Investigation of the material removal process in fluid line-jet polishing by CFD simulation

Fluid jet polishing has been extensively utilized in the ultra-precision manufacturing of optical components and molds. Different shapes of nozzles are designed to improve the polishing performance. Among them, the nozzle with a line shape can enhance the polishing efficiency greatly and has the potential to obtain better performance in uniform polishing. However, our scientific understanding of the material removal process in fluid line-jet polishing (FLJP) is far from complete at present, which makes it difficult to predict the surface generation and optimize the polishing process. In this paper, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation was conducted to characterize the material removal process and model the tool influence function in FLJP. The abrasive impact information, fluid flow field, and abrasive trajectory were also analyzed. The study can not only provide a better understanding of the material removal characteristics but also provide theoretical basis for the prediction of surface generation in FLJP.