Surface finishing apparatus and related method

A surface finishing apparatus for surface finishing a workpiece, comprising:

• workpiece supporting means for supporting a workpiece having a target shaped periphery to be surface finished;
• a surface finish tool adapted to be in abutting contact with the target shaped periphery of the workpiece;
• pressure applying means for applying a pressure force to the surface finish tool to cause the surface finish tool to be held in pressured contact with the target shaped periphery of the workpiece, with the pressure force exhibiting a distribution pattern depending upon an axial direction of the workpiece;
• and
• rotating means for rotating the workpiece about the axial direction during operation of the pressure applying means to allow the surface finish tool to surface finish the target shaped periphery of the workpiece into a given geometrical profile, while exhibiting the distribution pattern of the pressure force of the surface finish tool.

A method of surface finishing a workpiece, the method comprising:

• supporting a workpiece having a target shaped periphery to be surface finished;
• holding a surface finish tool in abutting contact with the target shaped periphery of the workpiece;
• applying a pressure force to the surface finish tool to cause the surface finish tool to be held in pressured contact with the target shaped periphery of the workpiece, with the pressure force exhibiting a distribution pattern depending upon an axial direction of the workpiece;
• and
• rotating the workpiece about the axial direction to allow the surface finish tool to surface finish the target shaped periphery of the workpiece into a given geometrical profile, while exhibiting the distribution pattern of the pressure force of the surface finish tool.