MFET 3451

1. Basic Principles 2. Hardware 3. Abrasives 4. Parameters 5. Capabilities 6. Advantages 7. Disadvantages

How does it work?

High pressure water with abrasive eroding material Small diameter orifice or jewel to focus energy Erosion of material Jet of abrasive and water
20,000 90,000 psi Up to 600 mph

Intensifier Pump Nozzle Abrasive Delivery System Catcher CNC Control

Intensifier Pump Components

Hydraulic Pump Pistons Cylinders Check valves Attenuator

Nozzle

Jewel Abrasive inlet Guard Mixing Tube

Nozzle

Jewel
Diameter ranges from .005

- .020 Usually sapphire, sometimes ruby or diamond

Nozzle

Abrasive Inlet
Feeds from abrasive feed

system Venturi pulls in abrasive

Nozzle

Mixing Tube
Abrasive and water mix

evenly Must be exactly in line Composite carbide

Abrasive Delivery System

Provide fixed delivery rate Gravity or air fed

Catcher

Slows jet of water down Reduces noise and dust Catches dust

CNC Controllers

Traditional control Cheaper Easier to update to newer and faster software

PCs

Usage

to 2 pounds per minute $0.15 to $0.40 per pound Garnet Olivine

Types

Garnet Most common at 80 mesh Naturally occurring mineral Less dusting Typical to reuse 2 or 3 times

Olivine Cheaper than garnet Softer than garnet

Pressure Nozzle or jewel diameter Feed or traverse rate Nozzle standoff distance

Pressure

Ranges from 20-90,000 psi Less than 60,000 psi most common Higher pressure for harder materials and thicker cuts
Harder on equipment

Nozzle Diameter

Large range depending on application Jet usually .020-.050

Horsepower = 0.58*P*Q

P = pressure in ksi Q = flow rate in gpm

Feed Rate

Varies greatly depending on

Type of material Thickness Hardness Quality of cut needed

Standoff

Usually .010 to 0.200, up to 1 Higher distance causes frosting

Eliminated by cutting underwater

Tolerances Materials Geometries Examples of use

Tolerances

+-.004 to +-.008 Vast majority of industry cuts at +-.010 or more

Materials
Cuts basically anything Diamond, some ceramics

6.5 Ti

Geometry

Stacking parts 5-axis milling

Geometry

Very thin to very thick cuts Flat sheets of material

10.25 Tool Steel

No HAZ

Temp may rise to 120 degrees F Catch tank and water absorb heat .020-.050

Very small kerf

Minimal cutting forces

5 pounds max down force Very low side forces Clamping forces are very low
Brittle or fragile work pieces

Fast and accurate Minimal fixturing Omni-directional Cuts any type of materials

Nonhomogeneous

No tools to sharpen, only tool is the nozzle Environmentally friendly

Garnet can be dumped in landfill Water can be filtered and reused

Lag

Only a factor if finish is important Very similar to cutting torch lag lines

Taper
Parts cut with taper Can be compensated for by software Increases with nozzle wear

Less accurate than traditional machining Very hard materials not very practical application

Traverse rate is so slow, costs add up

Can delaminate some materials

Fiberglass, some composites Preventable with pilot hole from drill Setup ranges from $20,000-$300,000
Average machine runs $150,000

Cost

Thickness of cut

Price increases dramatically for >2 metal cuts

Nozzle wear

Consumable nozzle wears Causes stray cutting Increases kerf Decreases finish quality

Very loud

Reduced if cut underwater

Machine shops Artists

Stone, glass, marble Titanium, Inconel, composites

Aerospace

Rapid prototyping Universities Automotive industry Custom flooring work

Tiles

Very versatile, powerful technology Growing use and applications Constantly getting better and more capable

Nontraditional Machining Processes, E. J. Weller http://www.jetedge.com http://waterjets.org/ http://www.h2ocut.com/ http://www.universalminerals.com/ http://www.flowcorp.com/