DESIGN AND FABRICATION

OF
ABRASIVE JET MACHINE

A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF

Bachelor of Technology
In
Mechanical Engineering

KRUSHNA PRASAD PRADHAN

Roll 10503048

Department of Mechanical Engineering

National Institute of Technology
Rourkela
2009

DESIGN AND FABRICATION

OF
ABRASIVE JET MACHINE
A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF
Bachelor of Technology
In
Mechanical Engineering

By
KRUSHNA PRASAD PRADHAN
Roll 10503048

Under the guidance of

Dr. C. K. BISWAS

Department of Mechanical Engineering

National Institute of Technology
Rourkela
2009

National Institute of Technology

Rourkela

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the thesis entitled DESIGN AND FABRICATION OF

ABRASIVE JET MACHINE Submitted by MR. KRUSHNA PRASAD
PRADHAN in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of Bachelor
of technology Degree in Mechanical Engineering at the National Institute of
Technology, Rourkela (Deemed University) is an authentic work carried out by
him under my supervision and guidance. To the best of my knowledge, the
matter embodied in the thesis has not been submitted to any other University /
Institute for the award of any Degree or Diploma.

Dr. C. K. BISWAS

DATE:

NATIONALINSTITUTEOFTECHNOLOGY
ROURKELA,769008

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

IdeemitaprivilegetohavebeenastudentofMechanicalEngineeringstreeminNational
InstituteofTechnology,Rourkela.Itakethisopportunitytoexpressmygratitudetoallthose
who motivated, encouraged and helped me in the project work. Im grateful to my
supervisor,Prof.C.K.Biswas,forhiskindsupport,guidanceandencouragementthroughout
theprojectwork,alsoforintroducingtomethistopic,whichhasbeenveryinterestingand
hasgivenusgreatinsighttothefutureworkonthisarea.Wewouldliketotakethechance
toexpressourappreciationtoourfamilymembers.Theircontinuousloveandsupportgave
usthestrengthforpursuingourdream.Specialthankstoourfriendsandothermembersof
thedepartmentforbeingsosupportiveandhelpfulineverypossibleway.

NITRourkela

KrushnaPrasadPradhan

May11,2009

RollNo10503048

DepartmentofMechanicalEngineering
NationalInstituteofTechnology,Rourkela

CONTENTS
TITLE

PAGENO.

PARTONE

1. Introduction

2. Equipment

3. VariablesinAbrasiveJetMachine

4. CharacteristicsofdifferentVariables

5. Advantages

6. Disadvantages

7. Application:

PARTTWO

10

1. Literaturesurvey:
PARTTHREE
1. DESIGNOFCOMPONENTS

11
17
18

1. XYTable:

18

2. BallScrew:

22

3. LMGuideorLinearMotionGuideWay:

25

4. SupportUnit:

30

5. NutBracket:

31

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2. ZAxisAssemblyorVerticalMotionModule:

32

1. LMguideway:

33

2. BallScrew&SupportUnit

34

3. Nozzle

35

4. LimitationsofAbrasiveJetnozzles:

37

3. TOTALASSEMBLY

38

4. OtherComponents

42

i.

FRLunit

ii. Vibratingunit
a. Abrasivecontainer
b. Cam
5. CostEstimation
PARTFOUR

42
43
44
45
46
47

1. Nozzle

48

2. Cam

49

3. Abrasivecontainer

49

4. Vibratingassembly

50

CONCLUSION

51

BIBLIOGRAPHY&REFERENCES

52

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ABSTRACT
AbrasiveJetMachining(AJM)istheprocessofmaterialremovalfromaworkpiecebythe
applicationofahighspeedstreamofabrasiveparticlescarriedinagasmediumfroma
nozzle.Thematerialremovalprocessismainlybyerosion.TheAJMwillchieflybeusedto
cutshapesinhardandbrittlematerialslikeglass,ceramicsetc.themachinewillbe
automatedtohave3axestravel.ThedifferentcomponentsofAJMareHorizontalmotion
module(XYTable),Verticalmotionmodule(Zmotion),Vibrator,dehumidifier,Pressure
Regulator,andDustfilteretc.Thedifferentcomponentsareselectedafterappropriate
designcalculations.
Inthisproject,amodeloftheAbrasiveJetMachineisdesignedusingCADpackageslike
AutoCAD,CATIAetctakingintoconsiderationofcommerciallyavailablecomponents.Care
hasbeentakentouselessfabricatedcomponentsratherthandirectlyprocuringthem,
because,thelackofaccuracyinfabricatedcomponentswouldleadtoadiminished
performanceofthemachine.

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Part

One

INTRODUCTION

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1.1Introduction
AbrasiveJetMachining(AJM)istheremovalofmaterialfromaworkpiecebytheapplication
ofahighspeedstreamofabrasiveparticlescarriedingasmediumfromanozzle.TheAJM
processdiffersfromconventionalsandblastinginthattheabrasiveismuchfinerandthe
processparametersandcuttingactionarecarefullycontrolled.
Theprocessisusedchieflytocutintricateshapesinhardandbrittlematerialswhichare
sensitivetoheatandhaveatendencytochipeasily.Theprocessisalsousedfordeburring
andcleaningoperations.AJMisinherentlyfreefromchatterandvibrationproblems.The
cuttingactioniscoolbecausethecarriergasservesasacoolant.

1.2Equipment
AschematiclayoutofAJMisshowninFig1.Thefilteredgas,suppliedunderpressuretothe
mixingchambercontainingtheabrasivepowderandvibratingat50c/s,entrainsthe
abrasiveparticleandisthepassedintoaconnectinghose.Thisabrasiveandgasmixture
emergesfromasmallnozzleathighvelocity.Theabrasivepowderfeedrateiscontrolledby
theamplitudeofvibrationofthemixingchamber.Apressureregulatorcontrolsthegasflow
andpressure.
Thenozzleismountedonafixture.Eithertheworkpieceorthenozzleismovedbycams
pantographorothersuitablemechanismstocontrolthesizeandshapeofthecut.Hand
operationissometimesadequatetoremovesurfacecontaminationsorincuttingwhere
accuracyisnotverycritical.Dustremovalequipmentisnecessarytoprotectthe
environment.Commercialbenchmountedunitsincludingallcontrols,motionproducing
devices,anddustcontrolequipmentareavailable.
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FIG1:SCHEMATICLAYOUTOFABRASIVEJETMACHINE

Themajorcomponentsare:
1. Aircompressor.

2. Airfilter.

3. Dehumidifier.

4. PressureGauge.

5. PressureRegulator.

6. VibratororMixer.

7. Nozzle.

8. HorizontalandVerticalmotionmodule(forxyzmotion).

9. Arrangementtoholdtheworkpiece.

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1.3VariablesinAbrasiveJetMachine:
Thevariablesthatinfluencetherateofmetalremovalandaccuracyofmachininginthis
processis:

1. Carriergas

2. Typesofabrasive

3. Sizeofabrasivegrain

4. Velocityofabrasivejet

5. Flowrateofabrasive

6. Workmaterial

7. Geometry,compositionandmaterialofnozzle

8. Nozzleworkdistance(standoffdistance)

9. Shapeofcutandoperationtype

1.3.1CharacteristicsofdifferentVariables:

Medium

Air,CO2,N2

Abrasive

SiC,Al2O3(ofsize20to50)

Flowrateofabrasive

3to20gram/min

Velocity

150to300m/min

Pressure

2to8kg/cm2

Nozzlesize

0.07to0.40mm

Materialofnozzle

WC,Sapphire

Nozzlelife

12to300hr

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Standoffdistance

0.25to15mm(8mmgenerally)

Workmaterial

NonMetalslikeglass,ceramics,andgranites.
Metalsandalloysofhardmaterialslike
germanium,siliconetc

partapplication

Drilling,cutting,deburring,cleaning

TABLE1

1.4Advantages:
1. Abilitytocutintricateholesshapeinmaterialsofanyhardnessandbrittleness.
2. Abilitytocutfragileandheatsensitivematerialwithoutdamage.
3. Nochangeinmicrostructureasnoheatisgeneratedintheprocess.
4. Lowcapitalcost.

1.5Disadvantages:
1. Materialremovalrateislowandhenceitsapplicationislimited.
2. Straystringscanoccurandhenceitsapplicationislimited.
3. Embeddingoftheabrasiveintheworkpiecesurfacemayoccurwhilemachiningsofter
material.
4. Theabrasivematerialmayaccumulateatnozzleandfailtheprocessifmoistureispresentin
theair.
5. Itcannotbeusedtodrillblindholes.

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1.6Application:
ThemajorfieldofapplicationofAJMprocessisinthemachiningofessentiallybrittlematerialsand
heatsensitivematerialslikeglass,quartz,sapphire,semiconductormaterials,micaandceramics.Itis
alsousedincuttingslot,thinsections,countering,drilling,deburring,forproducingintegrateshapes
inhardandbrittlematerials.ItisoftenusedforcleaningandpolishingofplasticsnylonandTeflon
components.Delicatecleaning,suchasremovalofsmudgesfromantiquedocuments,isalso
possiblewithAJM.

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PART TWO

LITERATURE SURVEY

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2.1Literaturesurvey:

TheliteraturestudyofAbrasiveJetMachinerevealsthattheMachiningprocesswas
startedafewdecadesago.Tilldatetherehasbeenathroughanddetailedexperimentand
theoreticalstudyontheprocess.Mostofthestudiesargueoverthehydrodynamic
characteristicsofabrasivejets,henceascertainingtheinfluenceofalloperationalvariables
ontheprocesseffectivenessincludingabrasivetype,sizeandconcentration,impactspeed
andangleofimpingement.Otherpapersfoundnewproblemsconcerningcarriergas
typologies,nozzleshape,sizeandwear,jetvelocityandpressure,standoffdistance(SOD),
ornozzletipdistance(NTD).Thesepapersexpresstheoverallprocessperformanceinterms
ofmaterialremovalrate,geometricaltolerancesandsurfacefinishingofworkpieces,as
wellasintermsofnozzlewearrate.Finally,thereareseveralsignificantandimportant
paperswhichfocusoneitherleadingprocessmechanismsinmachiningofbothductileand
brittlematerials,oronthedevelopmentofsystematicexperimentalstatisticalapproaches
andartificialneuralnetworkstopredicttherelationshipbetweenthesettingsof
operationalvariablesandthemachiningrateandaccuracyinsurfacefinishing.
(Ref17)

Computationalfluiddynamics(CFD)simulationoftheformationanddischarge

processofanairwaterflowinanabrasivewaterjet(AWJ)headispresentedbyUmberto
Prisco&MariaCarminaD'Onofrio.Numericalsimulationshavebeenconductedusingthe
commercialcodeFluent6.3byAnsys.DynamiccharacteristicsoftheflowinsidetheAWJ
headanddownstreamfromthenozzlehasbeensimulatedundersteadystate,turbulent,
twophaseflowconditions.Thefinalaimistogainfundamentalknowledgeoftheultrahigh
velocityflowdynamicfeaturesthatcouldaffectthequalityofthejet,suchasthevelocity
andpressuredistributionsindifferentpartsoftheAWJheadandattheoutlet.
11|P a g e

(Ref20)

Experimentshavebeenperformedoneffectofjetpressure,abrasiveflowrate

andworkfeedrateonsmoothnessofthesurfaceproducedbyabrasivewaterjetmachining
ofcarbideofgradeP25.CarbideofgradeP25isveryhardandcannotbemachinedby
conventionaltechniques.Theabrasiveusedininvestigationswasgarnetofmeshsize80.It
wastriedtocutcarbidewithlowandmediumlevelofabrasiveflowrate,butthejetfailed
tocutcarbidesinceitistoohardandveryhighlevelofenergyisrequired.Minimumrateof
abrasiveflowthatmadeitpossibletocutcarbideefficientlywas135gmin1.Withincrease
injetpressurethesurfacebecomessmootherduetohigherkineticenergyoftheabrasives.
Butthesurfacenearthejetentranceissmootherandthesurfacegraduallybecomes
rougherdownwardsandistheroughestnearthejetexit.Increaseinabrasiveflowratealso
makesthesurfacesmootherwhichisduetotheavailabilityofhighernumberofcutting
edgesperunitareaperunittime.Feedratedidntshowsignificantinfluenceonthe
machinedsurface,butitwasfoundthatthesurfaceroughnessincreasesdrasticallynearthe
jetentrance.

Thestudyoftheresultsofmachiningundervariousconditionsapprovesthata
commercialAJMmachinewasused,withnozzlesofdiameterrangingfrom0.45to0.65mm,
thenozzlematerialsbeingeithertungstencarbideorsapphire,bothofwhichhavehightool
lives.Siliconcarbideandaluminumoxidewerethetwoabrasivesused.Otherparameters
studiedwerenozzletipdistances(510mm),sprayangles(60and90)andpressures(5
and7bars)formaterialslikeglass,ceramics,andelectrodischargemachined(EDM)die
steel.TheholesdrilledbyAJMmaynotbecircularandcylindricalbutalmostellipticaland

12|P a g e

bellmouthed.Highmaterialremovalrateconditionsdonotnecessarilyyieldsmallnarrow
cleancutmachinedareas.
(Ref16)

StudiesrevealthatAJMisanattractivemicromachiningmethodforceramic

materials.ThemachinabilityduringtheAJMprocesscanbecomparedtothatgivenbythe
establishedmodelsofsolidparticleerosion,inwhichthematerialremovalisassumedto
originateintheidealcrackformationsystem.However,itwasclarifiedthattheerosion
modelsarenotnecessarilyapplicabletotheAJMtestresults,becausetherelativehardness
oftheabrasiveagainstthetargetmaterial,whichisnottakenintoaccountinthemodels,is
criticalinthemicromachiningprocess.NostrengthdegradationtookplacefortheAJM
ceramicsurfaces.Thisisattributedtothefactthatradialcracksdidnotpropagate
downwardsbyparticleimpactsduringthemachiningprocess.
(Ref14)

AbrasiveWaterJet(AWJ)turningisatechnologythatstilltriestofinditsniche

fieldofapplicationwhereitcanbeeconomicallyviable.ButaparticularapplicationofAWJ
turninghasproveditstechnologicalandeconomicalcapability,i.e.profilinganddressingof
grindingwheels.Startingfromthetheoreticalconsiderations,thekeyoperatingparameters
ofAWJturningareidentifiedandincludedinamethodologytogeneratevariousprofilesof
grindingwheelsbymeansoftangentialmovementofthejetplume.Roughinginsinglepass
toconcave/convexgeometries(experimenteddepthofcuts<30mm),generationofthin
walls/slots(thickness<2mm,depth>430mm)andintricateprofile(e.g.successionoftight
radii)onavarietyofgrindingwheelsshowthecapabilityofAWJturningtofulfillthe
requirementsofthisnicheapplication.

Themachiningprocessproducesnoheatandhencechangesinmicrostructureor
strengthofthesurfaceisunlikely.TheairactsasacoolantandhenceAJMprocesshasa
13|P a g e

highpotentialasdamagefreemicromachiningmethod.Thefracturetoughnessand
hardnessofthetargetmaterialsarecriticalparametersaffectingthematerialremovalrate
inAJM.However,theirinfluenceonthemachinabilityvariedgreatlywiththeemployed
abrasives.

Inrecentyearsabrasivejetmachininghasbeengainingincreasingacceptabilityfor
deburringapplications.Theinfluenceofabrasivejetdeburringprocessparametersisnot
knownclearly.AJMdeburringhastheadvantageovermanualdeburringmethodthat
generatesedgeradiusautomatically.Thisincreasesthequalityofthedeburred
components.Theprocessofremovalofburrandthegenerationofaconvexedgewere
foundtovaryasafunctionoftheparametersjetheightandimpingementangle,withafixed
SOD.Theinfluenceofotherparameters,viz.nozzlepressure,mixingratioandabrasivesize
areinsignificant.TheSODwasfoundtobethemostinfluentialfactoronthesizeofthe
radiusgeneratedattheedges.Thesizeoftheedgeradiusgeneratedwasfoundtobe
limitedtotheburrrootthickness.
(Ref15)

Abrasivejetfinishingcombinedwithgrindinggivesrisetoaprecisionfinishing

processcalledtheintegrationmanufacturingtechnology,inwhichslurryofabrasiveand
liquidsolventisinjectedtogrindingzonebetweengrindingwheelandworksurfaceunder
noradialfeedcondition.Theabrasiveparticlesaredrivenandenergizedbytherotating
grindingwheelandliquidhydrodynamicpressureandincreasedslurryspeedbetween
grindingwheelandworksurfaceachievesmicroremovalfinishing.

Abrasivewaterjetmachinesarebecomingmorewidelyusedinmechanical
machining.Thesemachinesoffergreatadvantagesinmachiningcomplexgeometricalparts

14|P a g e

inalmostanymaterial.Thisabilitytomachinehardtomachinematerials,combinedwith
advancementsinboththehardwareandsoftwareusedinwaterjetmachining,hascaused
thetechnologytospreadandbecomemorewidelyusedinindustry.Newdevelopmentsin
highpressurepumpsprovidemorehydraulicpoweratthecuttinghead,significantly
increasingthecuttingperformanceofthemachine.Analysisoftheeconomicandtechnical
hasbeendonebyresearchers.Thosetechnologyadvancementsinapplyinghigherpower
machiningandintelligentsoftwarecontrolhaveproventosignificantlyimprovetheoverall
performanceoftheabrasivewaterjetmachiningoperation,thuswideningthescopeof
possibleapplicationsofthisinnovativeandpromisingtechnology.
(Ref21)

Qualityofthesurfaceproducedduringabrasivewaterjetmachiningof

aluminumhasbeeninvestigatedinrecentyears.Thetypeofabrasiveusedwasgarnetof
meshsize80.Thecuttingvariableswerestandoffdistanceofthenozzlefromthework
surface,workfeedrateandjetpressure.Theevaluatingcriteriaofthesurfaceproduced
werewidthofcut,taperofthecutslotandworksurfaceroughness.Itwasfoundthatin
ordertominimizethewidthofcut;thenozzleshouldbeplacedclosetotheworksurface.
Increaseinjetpressureresultsinwideningofthecutslotbothatthetopandatexitofthe
jetfromthework.However,thewidthofcutatthebottom(exit)wasalwaysfoundtobe
largerthanthatatthetop(atastandoffdistanceof3mmandtheworkfeedrateof15mm
min1).Itwasfoundthatthetaperofcutgraduallyreduceswithincreaseinstandoff
distanceandwasclosetozeroatthestandoffdistanceof4mm(atajetpressureof30ksi
andaworkfeedrateof15mmmin1).Thefeedrateoftheworkshouldbekeptwithin40
mmmin1(atthejetpressureof30ksiandthestandoffdistanceof3mm),becauseafeed
ratebeyond40mmmin1resultsinsharpincreaseintaperangle.Thejetpressuredoesnot

15|P a g e

showsignificantinfluenceonthetaperanglewithintherangeofworkfeedandthestand
offdistanceconsidered.Bothstandoffdistanceandtheworkfeedrateshowstrong
influenceontheroughnessofthemachinedsurface.Hencestandoffdistanceshouldbe
keptwithin3mm(atajetpressureof30ksiandaworkfeedrateof15mmmin1)andthe
workfeedrateshouldbekeptwithin30mmmin1(atajetpressureof30ksiandastand
offdistanceof3mm)inordertohaveagoodsurfacefinish,sincebeyondthosevaluesof
theparameterstheroughnessofthemachinedsurfacerisessharply.Increaseinjetpressure
showspositiveeffectintermsofsmoothnessofthemachinedsurface.Withincreaseinjet
pressure,thesurfaceroughnessdecreases(atastandoffdistanceof3mmandworkfeedof
15mmmin1).Thisisduetofragmentationoftheabrasiveparticlesintosmallersizesata
higherpressureandduetothefactthatsmallerparticlesproducesmoothersurface.So
withinthejetpressureconsidered,theworksurfaceissmoothernearthetopsurfaceand
graduallyitbecomesrougherathigherdepths.

16|P a g e

Part

Three

DESIGNOFCOMPONENTS

17|P a g e

3.1DESIGNOFCOMPONENTS
3.1.1XYTable:
XYtableisthemostimportantpartoftheAJMoverwhichtheworkpiecehastobekeptand
machined.ThetravelofXYtablehasbeendecidedtobe400x350mm.
ThedifferentcomponentsoftheXYtableare:
1. LMguideway(2pairs4nos.)
2. Ballscrew(2nos.)
3. Supportunit(2fixed&2supported)
4. Nutbracket(2nos.)
5. Couplings(2nos.)
6. Standardnutsandbolts.
7. Othercomponents(tobemanufacturedinthelab).
TheXYtableconsistsoftwoparts:(a)Uppertable,(b)Lowertable.Theuppertableisresponsible
forxmovementandhasatravelof400mm.Thelowertablehasatravelof350mmandis
responsiblefortheymotionoftheworkpiece.
Thedifferentdiagramsoftheassembledviewsalongwithdimensionshavebeenshownbelow.

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FIG2:XYTABLEASSEMBLY(ISOMETRICVIEW)

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FIG3:XYTABLEASSEMBLY(2DVIEWS)

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FIG4:XYTABLE(TOPVIEW)

FIG5:XYTABLE(SIDEVIEW)
21|P a g e

3.1.2BallScrew:
Ballscrewissimilartoleadscrewsuperficiallybutthefrictionisgreatlyreducedincaseofball
screwsbyinsertingrecirculatingballsinbetweenthescrewthreadandthenut.Thethreadprofileis
madecircularandthenutthreadhasgotareverseshapewhichformsaspiralcavityinsidewhichthe
ballsmovewhenthenutisrotated.Oncetheballsreachtheendofthenuttheyareagain
recirculatedbymeansofareturnpipe.Ballscrewscanpreloadedornonpreloaded.Theaccuracy
increasesincaseofpreloadedtypeofballscrewastwosetsofballsarepressedtowardeachother
therebymakingtheradialclearanceclosetozero.

FIG6:RECIRCULATINGBALLSCREW

22|P a g e

Screwlengthcalculation:
TravelofXYtablehasbeendecidedtobe400x350mm.
Soscrewofxaxisballscrew:
=

400mm

(Travel)
=

200mm+

100mm

(Uppertablebreadth)

(Allowanceforbellowscover)

700mm.

Screwlengthyaxisballscrew:

350mm

200mm

(Travel)

(Upperarrangement)

100mm

(Bellowscoverallowance)

650mm.

CommercialBallscrewsareavailablefromcompanieslike(1)THK,(2)GrampusImpexLtd.,(3)
PrecisionBearingHouse,and(4)ABBAetc.

Thespecificationsbycompaniesthatsatisfyourrequirementare:
BNF20055RRG2850L700C7
BNF

modelno.

20

screwshaftdiameter

05

lead

RR

labyrinthsealattached

G2

axialclearancegrade

(byTHKCompany)

850L

overallshaftlength(inmm)

700

screwlength

C7

accuracysymbol
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SFI2005C7800650P0
SFI

modelno.(Singlenut)

20

screwshaftdiameter

05

lead

C7

accuracygrade

800

totallength

650

screwlength

P0

precisionlevel

FIG7:SCREWTHREAD

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FIG8:BALLSCREWASSEMBLY(SHOWINGDIMESIONSANDMACHINEDENDS)

3.1.3LMGuideorLinearMotionGuideWay:
LMGuideasthenamesuggestsisusedforhighlypreciselinearmotion.Itcansustainhighloadsin
anydirectionandhencecanbemountedinanydirection.Theassemblycontainsarailwhichguides
ablockonit.Insidetheblock,ballorrollerarepresentwhichdrasticallyreducesthefrictionallosses.
SoLMGuideispreferredinbothindustriesandroboticstoachievespecificfunctions.

FIG9:LMGUIDEASSEMBLY

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StructureandFeatures:
BallsrollinfourrowsofracewaysprecisiongroundonanLMrailandanLMblock,andendplates
incorporatedintheLMblockallowtheballstocirculate.Sinceretainerplatesholdtheballs,theydo
notfalloffeveniftheLMrailispulledout(exceptmodelsHSR8,10and12).Eachrowofballsis
placedatacontactangleof45sothattheratedloadsappliedtotheLMblockareuniforminthe
fourdirections(radial,reverseradialandlateraldirections),enablingtheLMGuidetobeusedinall
orientations.Inaddition,theLMblockcanreceiveawellbalancedpreload,increasingtherigidityin
the four directions while maintaining a constant, low friction coefficient. With the low sectional
heightandthehighrigiditydesignoftheLMblock,thismodelachieveshighlyaccurateandstable
linearmotion.
4wayequalload

FIG10:LOADONLMBLOCK
Eachrowofballsisplacedatacontactangleof45sothattheratedloadsappliedtotheLMblock
are uniform in the four directions (radial, reverseradial and lateral directions), enabling the LM
Guidetobeusedinallorientationsandinextensiveapplications
Highrigiditytype
Sinceballsarearrangedinfourrowsinawellbalancedmanner,alargepreloadcanbeappliedand
therigidityinfourdirectionscaneasilybeincreased

26|P a g e

Highdurability
Even under a preload or biased load, differential slip of balls does not occur. As a result, smooth
motion,highwearresistance,andlongtermmaintenanceofaccuracyareachieved.

RatedLoadsinAllDirections

ModelHSRiscapableofreceivingloadsinallfourdirections:radial,reverseradialandlateral
directions.Thebasicloadratingsareuniforminthefourdirections(radial,reverseradialandlateral
directions),andtheiractualvaluesareprovidedinthedimensionaltableforHSR.

EquivalentLoad

When the LM block of model HSR receives loads in the reverseradial and lateral directions
simultaneously,theequivalentloadisobtainedfromtheequationbelow

PEPRPLPT
Where
PE Equivalentload

(N)

Radialdirection

Reverseradialdirection

Lateraldirection

PR Radialload

(N)

27|P a g e

PL Reverseradialload

(N)

PT Lateralload

(N)

AdvantageofLMGuide
1. Smoothmovementwithnoclearance.
2. Highrunningprecisionwithease.
3. Highrigidityinalldirection.
4. Highpermissibleloadrating.
5. Highlongtermprecision.
6. Highspeedoperation.
Thesecombinetogiverise
1. Lowtotalcost.
2. HighprecisioninmachinesincorporatingtheLMguide.
3. Highproductivityinthesame.
4. Substantialenergysaving.
5. Highefficiencyinmachinedesign.
6. Simplemaintenance.

28|P a g e

Raillengthcalculation:
Lengthofrailshouldbeapproximately50mmlargerthanthatofcorrespondingballscrew.
HenceinXaxis:raillength=750mm.

Yaxis:raillength=700mm.

LMGuidesarecommerciallyavailablefromcompanieslike(1)THK,(2)GrampusImpexLtd.,(3)
PrecisionBearingHouse,and(4)ABBAetc.

Thespecificationbycompaniesthatsatisfyourrequirementis:
HSR30R2SSC5700LHII

HSR

modelno.

30R

sizespecification

2blocksperrail

SS

endseal+sideseal

C5

radialclearance

700L

standardlength

accuracygrade

II

2rails

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FIG11:DIMENSIONSOFLMGUIDE

3.1.4SupportUnit:

FIG12:SUPPORTUNIT
Supportunitsarerequiredforsupportingtheballscrewends.Thesearespecialkindofbearings
whichgiveslongerservicelifeandbetterperformance.Theyareof2types,
1. Fixedendsupportunit,
2. Supportedendsupportunit.
Infixedendthesupportunitactslikeathrustbearingandtakesallthethrustgivenbythework
load.Inthesupportedendthesupportunitjustactslikesimplebearing.
30|P a g e

Varioustypesofsupportedunitsareavailablecommercially.Theydiffermainlyinthemannerthey
needtobefixedorboltedtoawallorametalplate.Accordinglythefixingholesareprovidedonthe
faceorsidesofthesupportunit.
SupportunitsavailablecommerciallybyTHKaretypeEKforfixedsideandFKforsupportedside.

FIG13:SUPPORTUNIT(DESIGNEF)

3.1.5NutBracket:
Nutbracketisusedtobolttheballscrewnutwiththeworkloadplatform.Followingdiagramshows
anutbracketalongwithaballscrewnut.

FIG14:NUTBTACKET

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3.2ZAxisAssemblyorVerticalMotionModule:
Verticalmotionmoduleisrequiredforadjustingthenozzleheightorstandoffdistancefromthe
workpiece.Whendifferentoperationsaretobecarriedout,thesetuptimebetweenoperationscan
beeliminatedifthenozzletipisraisedtoaheightmorethan5cm.Atthisdistancetheabrasivejet
hasnegligibleerosioneffectontheworkpiece.HencethetotalZmotionhasbeendecidedtobe
100mm.
ThedifferentcomponentsoftheVerticalmotionmoduleare:
1. LMguideway(1no.)
2. Ballscrew(1no.)
3. Supportunit(1fixed&1supported)
4. Couplings(1no.)
5. Nozzle(1no.)
6. Standardnutsandbolts.
7. Othercomponents(tobemanufacturedinthelab).
Theassemblyviewisshowninthenextpage.

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Supportunit

Pipeholder

Ball screw
LMGuide

Nozzleholder

Nozzle

Supportunit

FIG15:VERTICALMOTIONMODULE

3.2.1LMguideway:
TheLMGuideselectedisofthetypeHSRYR.ThespecialfeatureofHSRYRisthatthetappedholes
arepresentonthesideoftheLMBlockandhencetheycanbeattachedtotheloadcomponentfrom
theside.

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FIG16:LMGuide(typeHSRYR)

3.2.2BallScrew&SupportUnit
TheballscrewselectedfortheZaxisassemblyisofthetypeBNT.ThesupportunitsareEKandFK
forfixedendandsupportedendrespectively.ThesmallerspaceintheZassemblydoesntallowfor
theuseofanutbracketfortheballscrewnut.SotheBNTtypeballscrewhasbeenselectedfrom
THKcatalogueasithastappedholesonthenutitselfwhichcanbescrewedtotheloaddirectly.

FIG17:BALLSCREWANDSUPPORTUNIT

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3.2.3Nozzle:
Theabrasiveparticlesaredirectedintotheworksurfaceathighvelocitythroughnozzles.Therefore,
thematerialofthenozzleissubjectedtogreatdegreeofabrasionwearandhencethesearemade
ofhardmaterialssuchastungstencarbideorsyntheticsapphire.Tungstencarbidenozzlesareused
forcircularcrosssectionsintherangeof0.120.8mmdiameter,forrectangularsectionsofsize0.08
x0.05to0.18x3.8mmandforsquaresectionsofsizeupto0.7mm.Sapphirenozzlesaremadeonly
forcircularcrosssections.Thesizevariesfrom0.2to0.7mmdiameter.Nozzlesaremadewithan
externaltapertominimizesecondaryeffectsduetoricochetingofabrasiveparticles.Nozzlesmade
oftungstencarbidehaveanaveragelifeof12to30hourswhilenozzlesofsapphirelastforabout
300hourofoperationwhenusedwith27mabrasivepowder.
Therateofmaterialremovalandthesizeofmachinedareaareinfluencedbythedistanceofthe
nozzlefromtheworkpiece.Theabrasiveparticlesfromthenozzlefollowaparallelpathonlyfora
shortdistanceandthenthejetflaresresultingintheoversizingofthehole.Itisobservedthatthejet
streamisinitiallyacylinderforabout1.6mmandthenitflaresintoaconeof7includedangle.The
materialremovalrateinitialincreaseswithincreaseinthedistanceofthenozzlefromtheworkpiece
becauseoftheaccelerationofparticlesleavingnozzle.Thisincreaseismaximumuptoadistance
about8mmandthenitsteadilydropsoffbecauseofincreaseinmachiningareaforthesame
amountofabrasiveanddecreaseinvelocityofabrasivestreamduetodrag.

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FIG18:NOZZLE

Nozzletip

Standoff
distance

Workpiece

FIG19:Abrasiveactionofparticles

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3.2.4LimitationsofAbrasiveJetnozzles:
Despitetheirsimpledesign,abrasivejetnozzlescanbetroublesomeattimes.Therearemanydesigns,but
theysharethesameproblems:

1. Shortlifeofanexpensivewearpart
2. Occasionalpluggingofmixingtube:Usuallycausedbydirtorlargeparticlesinabrasive.
3. Wear,misalignment,anddamagetothejewel.

37|P a g e

3.3TOTALASSEMBLY
Theassemblydrawingoftheabrasivejetmachinecanberepresentedasfollows.Itcanbenoted
thatthecomponentslikeaircompressor,vibrator,dehumidifier,bellowscoverandpipinghavenot
beenshowninthedrawing

FIG20:SIDEVIEWOFWHOLEASSEMBLY

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FIG21:AJMFRONTVIEW

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FIG22:AJMTOPVIEW

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FIG23:AJMISOMETRICVIEW

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3.4OtherComponents
3.4.1FRLUnit(Dehumidifier):
TheFRLUnit(AirFilterRegulatorLubricatorunit)whichisotherwisecalledthemoistureseparatoror
dehumidifierisrequiredforseparatingthemoisturefromair.Atmosphericairalwayscontainssome
watervapourinit.Astheairwithhighvelocityisblownfromthenozzlethereisanabruptrisein
pressurewhichconvertswatervapourintomoisture.Themoisturemakestheabrasiveparticlesto
agglomerateandthisclogstheoutletoftheNozzle.Toavoidthiscloggingmoistureseparatorshould
beusedbeforeabrasiveparticlesaremixedwithcompressedair.DifferentFRLUnitsareavailable
commercially.

Outlet

Inlet

CirculationofAir

Chemicals forseparatingmoisture

FIG24:FRLUnit

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3.4.2TheVibratingUnit:
VibratingUnitisusedformixingtheairwiththeabrasiveparticles(Al2O3).TheAbrasive
particlesarestoredinacontainerthroughwhichairisflown.Theparticlesareagitatedby
meansofacamandmotorarrangement.Therotationofcamresultsinvibrationinthe
abrasivecontainer.Theflowrateofabrasivematerialscanbecontrolledbymanipulating
therotationalspeedofthemotor.Theabrasivecontainerwillhaveoneinletandoneoutlet
forairpassageandwillbeverticallysuspendedfromahingedjoint.
SotheVibratingUnitconsistsoffollowingparts
1. Motor(Inductiontype)
2. Cam
3. Abrasivecontainer

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AbrasiveContainer:

FIG25:TheAbrasiveContainer.

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Cam:
Camisfixedwithshaftoftheinductionmotor.Theprofileofthecamistakentobeacircular
one.Thedistancebetweentwocentersasshowninfig26is3mm.Whenthemotorrotates;it
makesthecontainertovibrate.Widthofcamis25mm.

FIG26:Cam

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3.3.5ApproximateCostEstimation:
TABLE:2(Costestimation)
SLNO.

NAMEOFTHEITEM

COSTPERSINGLE NO.OFITEMS

Recirculatingballscrew

TOTALCOST

PIECE

REQUIRED

FORTHEITEM

Xaxis

Rs.10,000.00

Yaxis

Rs.7,000.00

Rs.22,00.00

Zaxis

Rs.5,000.00

LinearMotionguideways

Xaxis

Rs.17,000.00

1pair

Yaxis

Rs.14,000.00

1pair

Zaxis

Rs.6,000.00

SupportUnit

Xaxisballscrew

Rs.3,000.00

Yaxisballscrew

Rs.2,500.00

Zaxisballscrew

Rs.2,500.00

FRLUnit

Rs.2,500.00

Rs.2500.00

Vice

Rs.2,000.00

Rs.2,000.00

Angles

Rs.1000.00

Rs.1000.00

Otheraccessories

Rs.7,500.00

TOTAL

Rs.88,000.00

Rs.37,000.00

Rs.16,000.00

46|P a g e

Part

Four

FABRICATION AND ASEMBLING

47|P a g e

4.1Nozzle:
A standard MS cylindrical rod was cut into required length by power hacksaw. The external
diameterwasthenbroughtto16mmbyturningitinlatheandthenthetipwasmadebytapering
oneendbythesamelathe.Ablindholeofapproximatedepth20mmwasmadeontheplannerface
oftherodbymeansofa12mmdrillbitinadrillingmachine.Theendoftheblindholeformsashape
of118degreetaperbecauseofthetooltipangle.Internalthreadingwasmadeby12mmtap.Then
the tip of the nozzle was made by drilling it by a 0.74mm diameter drill bit to get approximate
diameterof1mm.

FIG27:Nozzle

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4.2CAM:
Mildsteelofdiameter40mmwastakenasrawmaterialforthisoperation.Atfirstturningwasdone
inalathetobringdownthediameterto35mm.Thentherequiredwidth(25mm)wascutbypower
hacksawandboththecutfacesweremachinedinamillingmachine.Thenathroughholewasmade
bya16mmdrillbitinadrillingmachine.Thecenteroffsetwastakentobe3mm.

4.3ABRASIVECONTAINER:
Theabrasivecontainerwasmadeoutofahollowcylinder.Twoironplateswereweldedonboth
endsofthecontainer.Onthetopplatetwoholesweredrilledandironpipeswerefittedwiththese
holes.Theinletironpipeislongersoastomakemoreagitationoftheabrasiveparticles.Theoutlet
pipeisshorter.Boththepipesareclampedwithnylonpipeswhichcarriesairthroughthem.After
removalofmoisturebytheFRLunitthecompressedairgoestoabrasivecontainerthroughinlet,
mixeswithabrasiveparticleandthentheairwithabrasiveparticlesmovesthroughthenozzleto
performthemachiningaction.

49|P a g e

4.5THEVIBRATORASSEMBLY:
Theanglesectionwasweldedwithbaseplatebyarcwelding.Arodwasweldedwithangleorienting
itparallelwithbaseplate.Aninductionmotorwasplacedonthebaseplatebytightenwithnutbolt.
Camwasfixedwithmotorshaft.Thenabrasivecontainerwasconnectedtotherodbymeansofthe
holder.Thecontainerisfreetorotatearoundtherod.

FIG28:Thevibratorassembly

50|P a g e

CONCLUSION
InthisprojectacompletedesignoftheAbrasiveJetMachineisgiven.TheXYZmotion
modulesaredesignedtakinginaccountofcurrentlyavailablecomponentsinthemarket.
Thedesigningandassemblingofverylargenumberofcomponentswasatremendoustask
andwascompletedontime.Howeverbecauseofsomepartscouldntbepurchasedthe
wholeassemblywaslimitedtodrillingoperation.
Theprojectcangobeyonditscurrentpositionandcapabilitiesbyemployingautomation
intoit.ThiscanbedonebyusingsteppermotorsorDCservomotorsinterfacedwith
standardPCIcontrollersorstandalonecontrollers.2Dprofilescanbeconvertedinto
standardGcodesandMcodesandthatcanbesenttothemachinetoperformautomated
machining.

51|P a g e

Bibliography&References
BOOKS

1. Productiontechnology,HMTpublication.
2. Elementsofworkshoptechnology,SKHajraChoudhury,SKBose,AKHajra
choudhury,NiranjanRoy,VolII,Mediapromotersandmediapublications
3. Modernmachiningprocess,SPandeyandHNShah,S.Chandandco.

WEBSITES

4. www.scopus.com
5. www.sciencedirect.com.
6. www.maharashtradirectory.com
7. www.grampusimpex.com
8. www.thk.co.in
9. www.apex.com
10. www.elgi.com
11. www.indiamart.com

JOURNALS

12. Residualstressandtribologicalcharacteristicsofgroundsurfaceafterabrasivejet
restrictedbygrindingwheel
Authors:Liu,F.,Gong,Y.D.,Shan,Y.Q.,Cai,G.Q.
Publication:JournalofNortheasternUniversity,Volume30,Issue3,Pages422425
March2009.
13. Simulationandanalysisofabrasivejetmachiningwithwheelrestrictioningrinding
Authors:Wang,W.S.,Zhu,L.D.,Yu,T.B.,Yang,J.Y.,Tang,L.
Publication:KeyEngineeringMaterials,Volume389390,Pages387391,
2009

52|P a g e

14. AbrasivewaterjetturningAnefficientmethodtoprofileanddressgrindingwheels
Authors:D.A.Axinte,J.P.Stepanian,M.C.Kong,J.McGourlay
Publication:InternationalJournalofMachineToolsandManufacture,Volume49,
Issues34,March2009,Pages351356

Date:Dec,2008

15. Modelingandsimulationformaterialremovalinabrasivejetprecisionfinishingwith
wheelasrestraint.
Authors:Li,C.H.,Ding,Y.C.,Lu,B.H.
Publication:ProceedingsoftheIEEEInternationalConferenceonAutomationand
Logistics,ICAL2008,Articlenumber4636666,Pages28692873,2008

16. Abrasivejetmicromachiningofplanarareasandtransitionalslopes
Authors:Ghobeity,A.;Spelt,J.K.;Papini,M.
Publication:JournalofMicromechanicsandMicroengineering,Volume18,Issue5,
pp.055014.
PublicationDate:01/05/2008

17. ThreeDimensionalCFDSimulationofTwoPhaseFlowInsidetheAbrasiveWaterJet
CuttingHead
Authors:UmbertoPrisco;MariaCarminaD'Onofrio.
Publication:InternationalJournalofComputationalMethodsinEngineeringScience
andMechanics9(5),pp.300319

PublicationDate:01September2008
18. Machinabilityofglassbyabrasivewaterjet
Authors:Zhu,H.T.,Huang,C.Z.,Wang,J.,Lu,X.Y.andFeng,Y.X.
Publication:InternationalJournalofMaterialsandProductTechnology,Vol.31,
No.1,pp.106112,2008.

53|P a g e

19. Surfaceevolutionmodelsforabrasivejetmicromachiningofholesinglassand
polymethylmethacrylate(PMMA)
Authors:Ghobeity,A.;Getu,H.;Papini,M.;Spelt,J.K.
Publication:JournalofMicromechanicsandMicroengineering,Volume17,Issue11,
pp.21752185(2007).
Date:11/2007

20. SurfaceRoughnessofCarbidesProducedbyAbrasiveWaterJetMachining
Authors:Khan,AhsanAli;Awang,MohdEfendeeBin;Annuar,AhmadAzwariBin
Publication:JournalofAppliedScience,vol.5,Issue10,p.17571761
Date:06/2005

21. AStudyonAbrasiveWaterJetMachiningofAluminumwithGarnetAbrasives.
Authors:Khan,AhsanAli;Munajat,NoraziatyBt.;Tajudin,HarnisahBt.
Publication:JournalofAppliedScience,vol.5,Issue9,p.16501654
Date:01/2005
22. Effectofworkpiecepropertiesonmachinabilityinabrasivejetmachiningofceramic
materials
Authors:M.Wakuda,Y.YamauchiandS.Kanzaki
Publication:PrecisionEngineering,Volume26,Issue2,April2002,Pages193198
23. Anexperimentalstudyontheabrasivejetdeburringofcrossdrilledholes
Authors:R.Balasubramaniam,J.KrishnanandN.Ramakrishnan
Publication:JournalofMaterialsProcessingTechnology,Volume91,Issues13,30
June1999,Pages178182

24. Astudyontheshapeofthesurfacegeneratedbyabrasivejetmachining
Authors:R.Balasubramaniam,J.KrishnanandN.Ramakrishnan
Publication:JournalofMaterialsProcessingTechnology,Volume121,Issue1,14
February2002,Pages102106

54|P a g e

25. Abrasivejetmachiningofglassatlowtemperature
Authors:M.K.MujuandA.K.Pathak
Publication:JournalofMechanicalWorkingTechnology,Volume17,August1988,
Pages325332

26. Anexperimentalstudyofabrasivejetmachining
Authors:A.P.VermaandG.K.Lal
Publication:InternationalJournalofMachineToolDesignandResearch,Volume24,
Issue1,1984,Pages1929

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