Limits to the Precision of Abrasive Jet Cutting
The market size for abrasive jet cutting is dependent on both the speed of the machine and the precision of the resultant part. Early abrasiive jets were crude, slow cutting devices that were used only as the process of last resort where all other fabrication methods failed usually because of the difficult properties of the materlia being cut. Today, abrasive jet machining is approaching the precision of wire EDM. One of the most commone materilas machined with abrasive jets is aluminum, a material easily machined with alternate processes, Yet, abrasive jet machining is chosen because of its preciosn and speed. This paper describes the technologies that permitted the evolutionof abrasive jets rom crude severanve tools to precision machine tools and the areas of current research.