Research on the normal error of large aspheric mirror employed in bonnet polishing

The influence function's action orientation of the Bonnet Polishing (BP) process is perpendicular to the contact zone. So the normal error of the aspheric surface should be used as the residual error to calculate the dwell time. But the Z axis direction error is generally adopted as the residual error and few papers on the normal error have been reported hitherto. It's necessary to pay attention to this issue. In this paper, two algorithms which are Asphericity Subtraction (AS) algorithm and Z Axis Direction Error Transformation (ZADET) algorithm are presented to calculate the normal error of the large aspheric surface. Simulations in three different cases are organized to utilize these two algorithms, together with the comparison of them. And the comparison of the normal error and the Z axis direction error is also organized. It's found that there exists difference between AS algorithm and ZADET algorithm. Both of them can be used to calculate the normal error of the aspheric surface when the ratio value of the width to radius is small. And the difference between the normal error and Z axis direction error is considerable. So the normal error should be used as the residual error to calculate the dwell time in BP process.