Patent ID: 7273409

Claim:
A process for forming a spherical component comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of ceramic components each having an initial shape with a spherical portion and non-spherical portion; providing a centrifugal processor with at least one processing container; placing the components into the container; adding a first stage abrasive media into the container; rotating the container at a first speed so as to produce centrifugal and rotational motion of the first stage abrasive media within the container; causing each component's shape to change from its initial shape, including the non-spherical portion, to a substantially spherical shape through the repeated contacting of the component's surface by the first stage abrasive media; changing the media from the first stage media to a second stage media; rotating the container at a second speed so as to produce centrifugal and rotational motion of the second stage media within the container; causing repeated contacting of the component's surface by the second stage media so as to produce polishing of the component's surface by the second stage media; and removing the processed spherical component from the container; wherein the first stage media is substantially spherical in shape.