Floating abrading platen configuration
First Claim
1. An at least three-point, fixed-spindle floating-platen abrading machine comprising:
- a) at least three rotary spindles having rotatable flat-surfaced spindle-tops, each of the spindle-tops having a respective spindle-top axis of rotation at the center of a respective rotatable flat-surfaced spindle-top for each respective rotary spindles;
b) wherein a respective axis of rotation for each of the at least three spindle-tops'"'"' is perpendicular to the respective spindle-tops'"'"' flat surface;
c) an abrading machine base having a horizontal, nominally-flat top surface and a spindle-circle where the spindle-circle is coincident with the machine base nominally-flat top surface;
d) the at least three rotary spindles are located with near-equal spacing between the respective at least three rotary spindles where the respective at least three spindle-tops'"'"' axes of rotation intersect the machine base spindle-circle and where the respective at least three rotary spindles are mechanically attached to the machine base;
e) the at least three spindle-tops'"'"' flat surfaces are configured to be adjustably alignable to be co-planar with each other;
f) a rotatable floating abrading platen having a flat annular abrading surface where the rotatable floating abrading platen is supported by and is rotationally driven about a rotatable floating abrading platen cylindrical-rotation axis located at i) a cylindrical-rotation center of the rotatable floating abrading platen and ii) perpendicular to the rotatable floating abrading platen flat annular abrading surface by a spherical-action rotation device located coincident with the cylindrical-rotation axis of the rotatable floating abrading platen;
g) the rotatable floating abrading platen spherical-action rotation device restrains the rotatable floating abrading platen in a radial direction relative to the rotatable floating abrading platen cylindrical-rotation axis and the rotatable floating abrading platen cylindrical-rotation axis is nominally concentric with and perpendicular to the machine base spindle-circle, and the rotatable floating abrading platen spherical-action rotation device has a spherical center of rotation that is coincident with the rotatable floating abrading platen cylindrical-rotation axis where the rotatable floating abrading platen has a center of mass that is coincident with the rotatable floating abrading platen cylindrical-rotation axis;
h) the rotatable floating abrading platen is comprised of rotatable floating abrading platen components attached together and the rotatable floating abrading platen flat annular abrading surface is partially or fully coated with a wear-resistant coating;
i) the rotatable floating abrading platen has rotatable floating abrading platen internal vacuum passageways and the rotatable floating abrading platen flat annular abrading surface has vacuum port holes that are interconnected with internal vacuum passageways in the rotatable floating abrading platen and wherein the rotatable floating abrading platen flat annular abrading surface vacuum port holes can provide vacuum to the rotatable floating abrading platen flat annular abrading surface;
j) the rotatable floating abrading platen spherical-action rotation device allows spherical motion of the rotatable floating abrading platen about the rotatable floating abrading platen spherical-action rotation device spherical center of rotation where the flat annular abrading surface of the rotatable floating abrading platen that is supported by the rotatable floating abrading platen spherical-action rotation device is nominally horizontal; and
k) flexible abrasive disk articles having annular bands of abrasive coated surfaces where a selected flexible abrasive disk is attached in flat conformal contact with the rotatable floating abrading platen flat annular abrading surface such that the attached abrasive disk is concentric with the rotatable floating abrading platen flat annular abrading surface;
l) equal-thickness workpieces having parallel opposed flat workpiece top surfaces and flat workpiece bottom surfaces are attached to the respective at least three spindle-tops where the flat workpiece bottom surfaces are in flat-surfaced contact with the flat surfaces of the respective at least three spindle-tops;
m) the rotatable floating abrading platen are configured to be moved to allow the abrasive surface of the flexible abrasive disk that is attached to the rotatable floating abrading platen flat annular abrading surface to contact the top surfaces of the workpieces that are attached to the flat surfaces of the respective at least three spindle-tops wherein the at least three rotary spindles provide at least three-point support of the rotatable floating abrading platen and wherein the rotatable floating abrading platen spherical-action rotation device allows spherical motion of the rotatable floating abrading platen about the rotatable floating abrading platen spherical-action rotation device spherical center of rotation to provide uniform abrading contact of the abrasive surface of the flexible abrasive disk with the respective workpieces;
n) an abrading contact force component that can apply an abrading contact force to the rotatable floating abrading platen spherical-action rotation device, wherein the applied abrading contact force is applied to the rotatable floating abrading platen by the rotatable floating abrading platen spherical-action rotation device and the applied abrading contact force is applied to the workpieces by the rotatable floating abrading platen;
o) wherein the total rotatable floating abrading platen abrading contact force applied to workpieces that are attached to the respective at least three spindle-top flat surfaces by contact of the abrasive surface of the flexible abrasive disk that is attached to the rotatable floating abrading platen flat annular abrading surface with the top surfaces of the workpieces is controlled through the rotatable floating abrading platen spherical-action rotatable floating abrading platen rotation device to allow the total rotatable floating abrading platen abrading contact force to be evenly distributed to the workpieces attached to the respective at least three spindle-tops; and
p) the at least three spindle-tops having attached equal-thickness workpieces are configured to be rotated about the respective spindle-tops'"'"' rotation axes, and the rotatable floating abrading platen having the attached flexible abrasive disk are configured to be rotated about the rotatable floating abrading platen cylindrical-rotation axis to single-side abrade the workpieces that are attached to the flat surfaces of the at least three spindle-tops while the moving abrasive surface of the flexible abrasive disk that is attached to the moving rotatable floating abrading platen flat annular abrading surface is in force-controlled abrading contact with the top surfaces of the workpieces that are attached to the respective at least three spindle-tops.
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Abstract
The rotary platens used here for high speed lapping are light in weight and low in mass inertia to allow fast acceleration and deceleration of the platens. The use of cast aluminum materials that are adhesively bonded together provides very rigid platens that have precision-flat surfaces that are dimensionally stable over long periods of time. Use of hardened spherical bead coatings on the surfaces of the platens provides wear-resistant coatings that are easy to apply and to maintain. The platens are constructed using ribs that provide very substantial stiffness and yet are light in weight which allows relatively small motors to be used to drive the platens. Platens are also constructed where the platen mass center is offset a very small distance from the center of rotation of the spherical-action bearings that support the platens to prevent dynamic distortion of the platen abrasive surface due to platen out-of-balance forces.
82 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An at least three-point, fixed-spindle floating-platen abrading machine comprising:
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a) at least three rotary spindles having rotatable flat-surfaced spindle-tops, each of the spindle-tops having a respective spindle-top axis of rotation at the center of a respective rotatable flat-surfaced spindle-top for each respective rotary spindles; b) wherein a respective axis of rotation for each of the at least three spindle-tops'"'"' is perpendicular to the respective spindle-tops'"'"' flat surface; c) an abrading machine base having a horizontal, nominally-flat top surface and a spindle-circle where the spindle-circle is coincident with the machine base nominally-flat top surface; d) the at least three rotary spindles are located with near-equal spacing between the respective at least three rotary spindles where the respective at least three spindle-tops'"'"' axes of rotation intersect the machine base spindle-circle and where the respective at least three rotary spindles are mechanically attached to the machine base; e) the at least three spindle-tops'"'"' flat surfaces are configured to be adjustably alignable to be co-planar with each other; f) a rotatable floating abrading platen having a flat annular abrading surface where the rotatable floating abrading platen is supported by and is rotationally driven about a rotatable floating abrading platen cylindrical-rotation axis located at i) a cylindrical-rotation center of the rotatable floating abrading platen and ii) perpendicular to the rotatable floating abrading platen flat annular abrading surface by a spherical-action rotation device located coincident with the cylindrical-rotation axis of the rotatable floating abrading platen; g) the rotatable floating abrading platen spherical-action rotation device restrains the rotatable floating abrading platen in a radial direction relative to the rotatable floating abrading platen cylindrical-rotation axis and the rotatable floating abrading platen cylindrical-rotation axis is nominally concentric with and perpendicular to the machine base spindle-circle, and the rotatable floating abrading platen spherical-action rotation device has a spherical center of rotation that is coincident with the rotatable floating abrading platen cylindrical-rotation axis where the rotatable floating abrading platen has a center of mass that is coincident with the rotatable floating abrading platen cylindrical-rotation axis; h) the rotatable floating abrading platen is comprised of rotatable floating abrading platen components attached together and the rotatable floating abrading platen flat annular abrading surface is partially or fully coated with a wear-resistant coating; i) the rotatable floating abrading platen has rotatable floating abrading platen internal vacuum passageways and the rotatable floating abrading platen flat annular abrading surface has vacuum port holes that are interconnected with internal vacuum passageways in the rotatable floating abrading platen and wherein the rotatable floating abrading platen flat annular abrading surface vacuum port holes can provide vacuum to the rotatable floating abrading platen flat annular abrading surface; j) the rotatable floating abrading platen spherical-action rotation device allows spherical motion of the rotatable floating abrading platen about the rotatable floating abrading platen spherical-action rotation device spherical center of rotation where the flat annular abrading surface of the rotatable floating abrading platen that is supported by the rotatable floating abrading platen spherical-action rotation device is nominally horizontal; and k) flexible abrasive disk articles having annular bands of abrasive coated surfaces where a selected flexible abrasive disk is attached in flat conformal contact with the rotatable floating abrading platen flat annular abrading surface such that the attached abrasive disk is concentric with the rotatable floating abrading platen flat annular abrading surface; l) equal-thickness workpieces having parallel opposed flat workpiece top surfaces and flat workpiece bottom surfaces are attached to the respective at least three spindle-tops where the flat workpiece bottom surfaces are in flat-surfaced contact with the flat surfaces of the respective at least three spindle-tops; m) the rotatable floating abrading platen are configured to be moved to allow the abrasive surface of the flexible abrasive disk that is attached to the rotatable floating abrading platen flat annular abrading surface to contact the top surfaces of the workpieces that are attached to the flat surfaces of the respective at least three spindle-tops wherein the at least three rotary spindles provide at least three-point support of the rotatable floating abrading platen and wherein the rotatable floating abrading platen spherical-action rotation device allows spherical motion of the rotatable floating abrading platen about the rotatable floating abrading platen spherical-action rotation device spherical center of rotation to provide uniform abrading contact of the abrasive surface of the flexible abrasive disk with the respective workpieces; n) an abrading contact force component that can apply an abrading contact force to the rotatable floating abrading platen spherical-action rotation device, wherein the applied abrading contact force is applied to the rotatable floating abrading platen by the rotatable floating abrading platen spherical-action rotation device and the applied abrading contact force is applied to the workpieces by the rotatable floating abrading platen; o) wherein the total rotatable floating abrading platen abrading contact force applied to workpieces that are attached to the respective at least three spindle-top flat surfaces by contact of the abrasive surface of the flexible abrasive disk that is attached to the rotatable floating abrading platen flat annular abrading surface with the top surfaces of the workpieces is controlled through the rotatable floating abrading platen spherical-action rotatable floating abrading platen rotation device to allow the total rotatable floating abrading platen abrading contact force to be evenly distributed to the workpieces attached to the respective at least three spindle-tops; and p) the at least three spindle-tops having attached equal-thickness workpieces are configured to be rotated about the respective spindle-tops'"'"' rotation axes, and the rotatable floating abrading platen having the attached flexible abrasive disk are configured to be rotated about the rotatable floating abrading platen cylindrical-rotation axis to single-side abrade the workpieces that are attached to the flat surfaces of the at least three spindle-tops while the moving abrasive surface of the flexible abrasive disk that is attached to the moving rotatable floating abrading platen flat annular abrading surface is in force-controlled abrading contact with the top surfaces of the workpieces that are attached to the respective at least three spindle-tops. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A process of providing abrasive flat lapping using an at least three-point, fixed-spindle floating-platen abrading machine comprising:
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a) providing at least three rotary spindles having rotatable flat-surfaced spindle-tops that each have a spindle-top axis of rotation at the center of a respective rotatable flat-surfaced spindle-top for each respective rotary spindles; b) providing that the at least three spindle-tops'"'"' axes of rotation are perpendicular to the respective spindle-tops'"'"' flat surfaces; c) providing an abrading machine base having a horizontal, nominally-flat top surface and a spindle-circle where the spindle-circle is coincident with the machine base nominally-flat top surface; d) positioning the at least three rotary spindles in locations with near-equal spacing between the respective at least three of the rotary spindles where the respective at least three spindle-tops'"'"' axes of rotation intersect the machine base spindle-circle and where the respective at least three rotary spindles are mechanically attached to the machine base; e) aligning the at least three spindle-tops'"'"' flat surfaces so that they are co-planar with each other; f) providing a rotatable floating abrading platen having a flat annular abrading surface where the rotatable floating abrading platen is supported by and rotationally driving the rotatable floating abrading platen about a rotatable floating abrading platen cylindrical-rotation axis located at a cylindrical-rotation center of the rotatable floating abrading platen and perpendicular to the rotatable floating abrading platen flat annular abrading surface by a spherical-action rotation device located coincident with the cylindrical-rotation axis of the rotatable floating abrading platen where the rotatable floating abrading platen spherical-action rotation device restrains the rotatable floating abrading platen in a radial direction relative to the rotatable floating abrading platen cylindrical-rotation axis where the rotatable floating abrading platen cylindrical-rotation axis is nominally concentric with and perpendicular to the machine base spindle-circle where the rotatable floating abrading platen spherical-action rotation device has a spherical center of rotation that is coincident with the rotatable floating abrading platen cylindrical-rotation axis where the rotatable floating abrading platen has a center of mass that is coincident with the rotatable floating abrading platen cylindrical-rotation axis; g) providing the rotatable floating abrading platen as comprised of rotatable floating abrading platen components attached together and wherein the rotatable floating abrading platen flat annular abrading surface has been partially or fully coated with a wear-resistant coating; h) providing that the rotatable floating abrading platen has rotatable floating abrading platen internal vacuum passageways and wherein the rotatable floating abrading platen flat annular abrading surface has vacuum port holes that are interconnected with the rotatable floating abrading platen internal vacuum passageways and wherein the rotatable floating abrading platen flat annular abrading surface vacuum port holes provide vacuum to the rotatable floating abrading platen flat annular abrading surface; i) the rotatable floating abrading platen spherical-action rotation device allowing spherical motion of the rotatable floating abrading platen about the rotatable floating abrading platen spherical-action rotation device spherical center of rotation where the flat annular abrading surface of the rotatable floating abrading platen that is supported by the rotatable floating abrading platen spherical-action rotation device is nominally horizontal; and j) providing flexible abrasive disk articles having annular bands of abrasive coated surfaces where a selected flexible abrasive disk is attached in flat conformal contact with the rotatable floating abrading platen flat annular abrading surface such that the attached abrasive disk is concentric with the rotatable floating abrading platen flat annular abrading surface; k) attaching equal-thickness workpieces having parallel opposed flat workpiece top surfaces and flat workpiece bottom surfaces to the respective at least three spindle-tops where the flat workpiece bottom surfaces are in flat-surfaced contact with the flat surfaces of the respective at least three spindle-tops; l) moving the rotatable floating abrading platen to allow the abrasive surface of the flexible abrasive disk that is attached to the rotatable floating abrading platen flat annular abrading surface to contact the top surfaces of the workpieces that are attached to the flat surfaces of the respective at least three spindle-tops wherein the at least three rotary spindles provide at least three-point support of the rotatable floating abrading platen and wherein the rotatable floating abrading platen spherical-action rotation device allows spherical motion of the rotatable floating abrading platen about the rotatable floating abrading platen spherical-action rotation device spherical center of rotation to provide uniform abrading contact of the abrasive surface of the flexible abrasive disk with the respective workpieces; m) providing an abrading contact force component where the abrading contact force component applies an abrading contact force to the rotatable floating abrading platen spherical-action rotation device wherein the applied abrading contact force is applied to the rotatable floating abrading platen by the rotatable floating abrading platen spherical-action rotation device and the applied abrading contact force is applied to the workpieces by the rotatable floating abrading platen; n) applying the total rotatable floating abrading platen abrading contact force to workpieces that are attached to the respective at least three spindle-top flat surfaces by contact of the abrasive surface of the flexible abrasive disk attached to the rotatable floating abrading platen flat annular abrading surface with the top surfaces of the workpieces and controlling the rotatable floating abrading platen abrading contact force through the rotatable floating abrading platen spherical-action rotatable floating abrading platen rotation device to allow the total rotatable floating abrading platen abrading contact force to be evenly distributed to the workpieces attached to the respective at least three spindle-tops; and o) rotating the at least three spindle-tops having attached equal-thickness workpieces about the respective spindle-tops'"'"' rotation axes and rotating the rotatable floating abrading platen having the attached flexible abrasive disk about the rotatable floating abrading platen cylindrical-rotation axis to single-side abrade the workpieces that are attached to the flat surfaces of the at least three spindle-tops while the moving abrasive surface of the flexible abrasive disk that is attached to the moving rotatable floating abrading platen flat annular abrading surface is in force-controlled abrading contact with the top surfaces of the workpieces that are attached to the respective at least three spindle-tops. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification