Direct WaterjetAbout Abrasivejet Machining:
Abrasivejets have been used in industry since 1982. Before abrasivejets, there were waterjets which have been in use since 1970.
Abrasivejets are used by industries such as the automobile, aerospace, and glass industries to create precision parts from virtually any material.
An abrasivejet pressurizes water up to 55,000 pounds per square inch (psi) [379,000 kilopascals (kPa)] and then forces it through a small sapphire or diamond orifice at 2500 feet (762 meters) per second, or about two and half times the speed of sound.
Garnet abrasive is then pulled into this high-speed stream of water, and mixed with the water in a carbide mixing tube. A stream of abrasive-laden water moving at 1000 feet per second (305 meters/sec) exits the tube. This jet of water and abrasive is then directed at the material to be machined. The jet drags the abrasive through the material in a curved path and the resulting centrifugal forces press the particles against the work piece. The abrasivejet's cutting action is a grinding process, but rather than using a solid grinding wheel, the forces and motions of the cutting action are provided by water.
Abrasivejets have many advantages over other machining methods:
- Wide range of materials
Abrasive waterjets can machine a wide range of thicknesses and materials, including metal, plastic, glass, ceramics, stone, and composites.
- Quality finish
Materials cut with an abrasivejet have a smooth, satin-like finish, similar to a fine sandblasted finish, reducing the need for secondary operations.
- No heat in machining process
Abrasivejets cut material at room temperatures. As a result, there are no heat-effected areas or structural changes in materials. Abrasivejets can also machine hardened metals and materials with low melting points.
- Environmentally friendly
Abrasivejets use garnet as an abrasive. Garnet is an environmentally - safe, naturally-occuring, hard crystal. No noxious gases or liquids are used in abrasivejet machining, nor are there any oils used in the machining process.
- No tool changing
A wide range of conventional processes can be performed with this single tool:- Drilling
- Sawing
- Gear cutting
- Profile milling
- Punching
- Slitting
- Spline cutting
- Blanking
- Piercing
- Minimal burr
No heavy burrs are produced by the abrasivejet process. Parts can often be used directly without the need for deburring.