About Abrasivejet Machining

Overview

Abrasivejet machining first started in 1982. Before abrasivejets, there were waterjets which have been in use since 1970.

Abrasivejet machining is widely popular in industries such as the automobile, aerospace, and glass 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 long composite carbide mixing tube. A stream of abrasive-laden water moving at 1000 feet per second (305 meters/sec) exits the ceramic 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. Abrasivejet machinings' 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.