Bidirectional long-short term memory predictor for material removal rate in computer-controlled optical surfacing

In Computer-Controlled Optical Surfacing technology, the precision of the removal function directly affects the accuracy of computer-aided processing software predictions, which in turn influences subsequent polishing machine processing. A key parameter for constructing the removal function is the material removal rate, which is often challenging to obtain accurately. Currently, the Preston equation is widely used to describe the principles of material removal. However, as a linear equation that omits many factors, it struggles to accurately model the removal function in complex machining scenarios. Therefore, this paper proposes a hybrid neural network model combining Convolutional Neural Networks and Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory to predict the material removal rate. The model's parameters are optimized using an improved Grey Wolf Optimization algorithm, ultimately establishing a removal function closely consistent with an actual removal function. We first tested our method on the PHM2016 Data Challenge dataset, achieving a mean squared error of 6.19 and an R² of 0.9949, outperforming other mainstream neural network prediction models developed in recent years. Additionally, we further validated the performance of the neural network using a small grinding head polishing dataset, achieving MSE and R² values of 1.9035 and 0.99902, respectively. Finally, we applied this method to construct the removal function on an actual small grinding head production line. Compared to the traditional Preston equation-based removal function, the predicted residual surface's PV and RMS errors were reduced from 28.24 % to 35.58 %–4.563 % and 4.86 %, respectively. These validation results demonstrate that the proposed method not only facilitates easier acquisition of the removal function model but also significantly enhances the accuracy of computer-aided processing software predictions, thereby better guiding ultra-precision machining processes.